420 Creative launches TopSalonJobs.com

By
Angie Herrera

We're proud and excited to announce that we've launched [TopSalonJobs.com](http://www.topsalonjobs.com/) – a website we made for ourselves aimed at connecting salon owners and managers to talented salon professionals. Click image for larger version I personally have been working on this project off and on for about 12 months (with a major hiatus during the late spring and throughout the summer months). The logo was completed in early 2008. The design and skeleton of the site was completed around October 2008. And with the help of our talented developer, Chris Short, we were able to finish the site just after the holidays. ### Objectives The goal for this site is to be the [top job board for the salon industry](http://www.topsalonjobs.com/). Making sure it is (and remains) affordable and incredibly simple to use is a big part of that. Most job boards these days tend to be cluttered with ads, distracting text and tend to be hard to figure out unless you have 30 minutes to kill. If you've ever worked with a salon owner or manager then you know it's rare for them to have 30 minutes to sit down, let alone spend online. ### Under the hood The site is powered by [ExpressionEngine](http://www.expressionengine.com/index.php?affiliate=420design) (of course) and includes a couple of custom extensions that integrate the payment processing (via PayPal) and automatic posting of the job listing. ### Pre-launch marketing and buzz Before the site was even complete we had a [placeholder page](http://420creative.com/images/blog/tsj2.jpg) letting folks know that we were working on the site. More importantly, we included an announcement sign up form so that people who wanted to could be notified of the site's launch. Additionally, we hit the ground running with the launch by starting marketing / promotion early on (as opposed to waiting for the site to launch). We did this with Google AdWords and has helped a great deal so far. ### What's next While it's tempting to take a break from the site for a little while, the next steps will be crucial in ensuring this site's success which, like anyone with motivation, is an absolute must. Those next steps include continuing with Google AdWords and a direct mail campaign to local salons and spas. So [head on over](http://www.topsalonjobs.com/), take a peek and let your friends know!