Booking is the big question
People choosing a salon want to see the work, know the prices and book without phoning. Plenty of them look in the evening, when you're closed. So the most important button on a salon's site is Book.
Most salons already use a booking system like Fresha, Timely or Booksy. If you do, your website doesn't need its own. Every Book button can go straight to your existing booking page, so there's one diary and nothing to keep in sync. If you don't use one yet, that choice affects the cost more than the website does.
What a salon's website needs
- A Book button on every page that goes straight to your booking system.
- Your price list in full, with 'from' prices for colour and a line explaining why.
- Photos of your own work: colour, cuts and bridal, taken in good light. Your Instagram is often the strongest source.
- Skin tests explained, so new colour clients know to come in first.
- Opening hours (including late nights) and where to park.
- A bridal section with trials and wedding mornings, if you do them.
What adds to the cost
If you build it yourself on Wix, booking isn't on the cheapest plan. Wix lists scheduling on its Core plan and above, not on Light. Wix's UK plans page puts Core at £16 a month on a yearly plan. Squarespace's pricing page lists Basic at £12 a month billed yearly and Core at £17.
A dedicated booking platform has its own costs, paid directly to them. Some charge a monthly fee per stylist and some charge a fee on new clients that come through their marketplace. Check your own platform's price page. Linking your website to it doesn't change what you pay them.
Price list updates are the ongoing cost. If you change prices once or twice a year, Starter's one small change a month (up to 15 minutes) covers it. If you add new services and photos often, Standard gives you up to an hour a month.
How many pages does a salon need?
Four or five: home with a Book button, prices, gallery, bridal if you do it, then about and find us. That fits Starter or Standard, both 3 to 5 pages. A salon with a second site in another town might add a town page on Standard.
What it costs over three years
Totals at the time of writing (October 2026). Builder prices are yearly plans with about £12 a year for the domain from year two. Onside rows assume you link to a booking system you already pay for.
| Option | 12 months | 24 months | 36 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix Core, booking built in, you build it | £192 | about £396 | about £600 |
| Squarespace Core, you build it | £204 | about £420 | about £636 |
| Onside Starter, linked to your booking system | £667 | £1,135 | £1,603 |
| Onside Standard, up to 1 hour of changes a month | £1,027 | £1,855 | £2,683 |
Booking platform fees aren't included in any row. DIY figures leave out your own time.
What a salon can skip
- A second booking system on the website. One diary is enough.
- An online shop for products, unless you already sell a lot online.
- Stock photos of models. Clients want to see your work on real people.
- Hiding prices. It makes people ring around instead.
Why have a website if you have Instagram?
Instagram is good for showing new work to people who already follow you. A website is what Google shows when someone searches for a hairdresser in your town. It also holds the things Instagram is bad at: a full price list, opening hours, parking and a clear Book button.
Who owns your client list?
When you choose a booking platform, check what happens to your client list and your reviews if you move to another system. Some make it easy to export clients. Others don't. Your website is a place you control: your domain, your prices, your photos. If you ever change booking system, you just change where the Book button points.
That's one reason to have your own site even when your booking platform gives you a free profile page. The profile belongs to the platform. Your website and domain belong to you.
Bridal and events
Brides tend to look for bridal hair on its own, often months ahead. A separate bridal page with trial prices, what's included on the morning, how far you travel and a contact form for dates gives them what they need. It also gives Google a page to show for those searches.
Add a few photos from real weddings you've done, with the couple's permission. Say how far ahead people should book with you and whether you travel to the venue. Many couples plan well ahead, so a clear bridal page keeps bringing enquiries long after the photos are taken.
What to ask before you sign
- Can every Book button link to my booking system?
- How quickly can you update my price list?
- Is the domain in my name?
- Can I take the site with me if I leave after the minimum term?