How to Choose the Best Tanning Software for Your Salon

Gone are the days of paper client record cards and appointment diaries. Nowadays, investing in tanning salon software is essential if you want to stand out from your competitors.

A good computer system can help you organise bookings, manage your inventory, set up marketing campaigns and much more. But with so many different brands available, how do you choose the best tanning software for your business?

In this guide, we’ll explain how to select the perfect software for your tanning salon. We’ll discuss the most important features to look for, and how to tell if the price is right.

Is the Software Compatible with Your Tanning Salon?

When choosing your tanning salon management software, there’s a lot to consider. First, ask yourself whether it’s compatible with how you run your business. For example:

• If you have multiple employees, does the system offer tiered user access with separate logins for each staff member?
• If your salon has multiple branches, can the system be operated from several locations simultaneously?
• Is the software compatible with the device(s) you’ll be using to access it (PC, Mac, iPad, etc.)?
• If you sell retail products, does the software incorporate a tanning salon POS system?
• Is the tanning salon software T-max compatible, allowing you to control your sunbeds remotely?

Ideally, choose a system designed specifically for tanning salon owners, such as ActiveSalon. Otherwise, you may end up shoe-horning your business around software that isn’t a good fit.

What Tanning Salon Software Features Do You Need?

Next, think about what you need your tanning salon software to do. Are you looking for basic tanning salon booking software, or something that also handles marketing, stock control and other tasks?

Different software programs offer different features – some of which may not be relevant to you. However, here are some of the key attributes to look out for when choosing the best tanning software.

Cloud-Based Client Database

Most software for tanning salons will feature a digital client database. However, cloud-based systems are best: they store your data on a remote server, rather than on your computer.

This allows you to access your client records from any device, at any time (even remotely). But most importantly, cloud-based databases are much more secure than on-site systems. They are less vulnerable to hacking, and you won’t lose any data if your device malfunctions.

Real-Time Data Syncing

Real-time data syncing is crucial if you operate from more than one branch. It means that whenever a booking is made, the system is updated across all locations instantly.

This is a key safety feature: it prevents clients from evading safety policies by visiting multiple locations in one day. ActiveSalon is currently one of the only tanning salon computer systems that features instant data syncing across all branches.

Booking Management

The best tanning software systems offer a wealth of booking management features, designed to streamline your salon’s daily operations. For example:

• Online booking management through a client web app
• Client records accessible from any location
• Automatic appointment reminders and e-receipts
• Block booking/course management
• Tiered pricing functionality
• Purchase history and remaining credits viewable online

Appointment reminders are a particularly important tool for preventing lost revenue – they help to reduce no-shows. 

Stock Control

Besides sunbed sessions, many tanning salons also sell retail products such as moisturising lotions and protective goggles. If this applies to your salon, you may benefit from software that offers stock management features.

The best systems will integrate with your cash drawer and generate automatic sales reports. This will allow you to view your best-selling items. ActiveSalon can even calculate which staff members have sold the most (and fewest) products.

Marketing Features

Digital marketing is a valuable tool for driving repeat business and attracting new clients. The best tanning salon software will include features such as:

• Automated SMS marketing
• Email newsletters
• Discount code generation
• Client referral programs

With ActiveSalon, you can easily see which clients have not visited your salon in a while. You can then send out an email or SMS with a custom discount code, encouraging them to make a booking.

Does the Price Suit Your Budget?

Finally, before choosing your tanning salon software, you’ll need to determine whether it’s within your budget.

Some providers offer tiered pricing, with different ‘packages’ to choose from. Unfortunately, the affordable packages often lack crucial features, such as multi-device functionality. They may also place limits on the number of staff logins or client records.

For the best deal, choose software that provides unlimited access at a flat rate. ActiveSalon, for example, offers every feature for one low price – equivalent to a cup of coffee per day. You’ll never have to pay more, even as your business grows.

If you’re still not sure if the price is right, check tanning salon software reviews on sites such as TrustPilot. That way, you can read about others’ experiences before you buy.

Discover ActiveSalon: The UK’s Leading Tanning Salon Software

If you’re looking for the best tanning salon software (UK), choose ActiveSalon. With a multitude of useful features such as daily reporting, real-time synchronisation across branches and T-max manager integration, ActiveSalon has everything you need to manage and grow your business.

To discover everything that ActiveSalon has to offer, why not sign up for a free trial? We want to ensure we’re the right fit for you, which is why we offer 3 months free, with no strings attached. We’ll set up the software for you and provide full training at no cost.

To get started, contact ActiveSalon today. Fill in our online form, call us on 0161 507 1598 or email support@activesalon.com.