We're proud and excited to announce that we've launched TopSalonJobs.com – a website we made for ourselves aimed at connecting salon owners and managers to talented salon professionals.
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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.
The goal for this site is to be the top job board for the salon industry. 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.
The site is powered by ExpressionEngine (of course) and includes a couple of custom extensions that integrate the payment processing (via PayPal) and automatic posting of the job listing.
Before the site was even complete we had a placeholder page 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.
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, take a peek and let your friends know!
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#2
07 Jan
2009
Hey Bob - thanks! Yeah, as a web developer it's fun and challenging at times to build stuff for yourself. The "problem" comes when you're trying to juggle client projects as well. But in the grand scheme of things, it's a nice problem to have. :)
I do plan on posting updates later on about how the site is doing and what mistakes I've made and lessons learned. Should be a fun ride!
Bob Potter
#1
07 Jan
2009
Hey Angie,
That is awesome! It is really cool when web dev companies actually build something for themselves. All the talent and marketing prowess is there - all that is needed is to just do it.
I'm a part of the Hillsboro Chamber Young and Innovative Group and a few of were talking the other day about how we could either A) start a business or B) help a business become more successful based on the skill, experience, and passion our group has. It would be a fun experiment indeed.
I hope you'll post updates on this blog about your success and market efforts - it would make a great case study.
Until next time...