to communicate experiences via online reviews, expressing the importance of monitoring these websites. Further, this method received a 4 per cent increase in trustworthiness from 2010 to 2011, empha- sising the need for spa owners to address any negative comments.
T e shiſt in spa consumer behaviour and
their dependence on technological move- ments – such as social networking, search engine usage and deal websites – are here to stay and will continue to evolve the way a spa consumer purchases and books appoint- ments. Ignoring these technological changes will certainly result in missed opportunities to attract and retain clientele.
RISE OF THE NEW DEAL To address the evolving behaviour of spa goers, Coyle continued to ask their opin- ion on diff erent advertising strategies. Aſt er presenting respondents with six diff erent advertisements and asking them to rate each one from ‘very appealing’ to ‘very unappeal- ing’, Coyle discovered which were perceived as the most eff ective. T e most popular advert in 2010 and 2011
had a discount with us$25 (€18, £16) off the price and no minimum purchase requirement; 91 per cent ranked this advert at least ‘mod- erately appealing’ in 2010 and 89 per cent did the same in 2011. Our responses indicate that today’s deal savvy consumer still wants choice, simplicity and a valuable deal. See the 2011 Spa Business Handbook (p38) for a more in-depth look at these diff erent advertising strategies.
SPA BUSINESS 3 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
The number of spa-goers using Groupon has risen by 30 per cent since last year
GRAPH 1 What websites do spa consumers use to seek spa information?*
While many spa pro-
fessionals are mixed about off ering deals and discounts, the continuing trend brought on by new websites and technology is growing. The more prevalent technique, par- ticularly in high-end spas, is to off er spa consumers
HAUTE LOOK BUY WITH ME RUE LA LA LIVING SOCIAL SEARCH ENGINES GROUPON
SPAFINDER FACEBOOK YELP
CITYSEARCH SPAWEEK NONE
‘added value’ versus a dis- count, and to use these marketing techniques as methods to bring in new clientele and turn them into loyal customers. For the fi rst time in 2011, Coyle asked consumers what marketing cam- paigns, if any, prompted their last several visits to spas and if they have returned or not. Fortunately for spa owners, the overall rea-
TWITTER GILT
SPAWISH LINKEDIN TIME OUT
SPA-ADDICTS MYSPACE
son consumers chose a spa for a treatment was a word-of-mouth recommendation at 70 per cent (Table 1). Perhaps disconcerting, how- ever, is that online-deal sites were utilised by 58 per cent of respondents to book and receive a service. Also compelling is that 34
4% 3%
3% 3%
1% 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
*Respondents were asked to select all websites that they used, so percentages will not add up to 100.
per cent responded to a direct e-mail ad, 29 per cent to a direct print ad, and 30 per cent on a web search. T e question is, however, which of these
consumers actually returned to a spa? Coyle asked respondents to think of a spa they vis- ited because they were prompted by a certain
Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital 35 60%
10% 10%
7% 7%
5% 5% 4%
5% 5%
6% 6%
15%
2011 2010
3% 5% 7% 28% 56% 45% 52% 22%
44% 45%
28% 25% 15% 14%
19% 19%
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/YURI ARCURS
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