FACETS: Getting Found and Chosen Online

In this insight we'll be looking at FACETS, which is part of my Business Brilliance Method. The core features of FACETS are:

FIND

ACT

CONNECT

ENGAGE

TOUCHPOINTS

SUPPORT

On my earlier insight about how you're seen, I spoke about the foundations in BRIGHT: now we’ll move to what gets you Found and Chosen.

Visibility may attract attention, but it is the experience and your behaviours that determine whether someone books, returns, and recommends you. After decades of working in customer-facing roles, one thing remains constant: people want to feel welcomed and understood. These two things are the keys to being discovered and then selected. Once the appointment is booked, the human side takes over, but everything you put out into the world, physical or digital, is what makes them want to meet you.

Why Behaviour Matters More Than Promotion

Your client journey starts with the first thing a potential client sees. For some, it will be your website, for others, your Instagram profile. Ideally, one becomes your main space, where your information is presented clearly. The rest act as holding spaces where people verify who you are and what you offer. It’s an ecosystem of touchpoints, and in this edition, we’ll look at what those represent and how to make them work for you and build a steadier flow of clients. There’s a common misconception that more marketing (especially on social media) automatically leads to growth. When people aren’t finding and connecting, it’s rarely a marketing issue. It’s a journey design issue.

F IS FOR FIND

One of the most common questions we see across every group is ‘how do I get more clients?’ or ‘how can I be more visible?’ It’s all about getting found. The salon & wellness sector is an over-manned industry, and so we have to make sure we are easy to locate and connect with.

Below is how I see discovery. As a client-facing business, you must show up online, especially when around 96% of people use search engines before social media for local services.

1. Google Business Profile (GBP) is, in my view, the most important element of FIND. When combined with a strong booking system, or better still, a website with an integrated booking system, it becomes incredibly powerful. Around 64% of people use Google Business Profiles simply to find contact information without leaving Google, 76% of people who search for something “near me” on a smartphone visit a related business within 24 hours, and 88% of customers using local search trust Google reviews as much as personal recommendations. Many of us have a presence on Google Business Profile, but are you using it properly? Keep your details accurate, ensure your services include clear descriptions and pricing, and update regularly with posts and images. All of this helps move you towards the Local Pack - the top three businesses shown on Google Maps, which is exactly where you want to be.

2. Website - second on my list because it’s the most likely click through from your GBP. It’s where a large number of people will go to verify the details, and a place where they can build confidence in you and your business. Although there is a growing reluctance to click through now and a trend of zero-click started in 2025, a website is still a very important place for you to highlight your business, who, what, where and why. Always have accurate information, and if you have a blog available, use it. It’ll help the Google journey. They may do all their connecting through Google but the website is the bit that informs them they’ve chosen correctly.

A IS FOR ACT

Brilliant businesses make action feel simple and natural. Again, that Google presence will help here. One-click booking is possible from Google, and with many booking systems linking directly to your GBP, it’s a no-brainer. Clear, accurate service descriptions on your GBP can significantly improve bookings. People want simplicity, and unnecessary choices create friction. Make it simple - answer their questions in your service descriptions, and Google will, in time, deliver your business to those searches. Back this up with clearer, more detailed, optimised information on your website, and you are building the biggest breadcrumb trail for Google.

Any confusion in your messaging increases the chance of a potential client moving on rather than booking.

C IS FOR CONNECT

Connection is what builds trust before the first appointment. How confident a potential client feels in what they find online will help them make the choice. Confidence in being visible will help, as when they feel they know you, choosing you becomes easier for them. You can also upload welcome videos and walkthroughs to your Google Business Profile to build confidence. Your personality, tone and authenticity can shine here and having consistent confident messages across your ecosystem will let clients know what you value and why they should CHOOSE you!

E IS FOR ENGAGE

Engagement keeps the client relationship alive between appointments. This might include welcome information, sharing knowledge, educating clients, newsletters, social interaction and helpful content. These touchpoints help clients feel part of something ongoing rather than just another booking in the diary. When welcoming, educational content is built into your client journey, especially through simple automation, it continues working in the background to strengthen connection and loyalty.

T IS FOR TOUCHPOINTS

Client journey is built upon a series of touchpoints, from discovery and enquiry through to booking, arrival, consultation, treatment experience, aftercare and rebooking. Each of these small moments shapes a client’s perception of professionalism and care. Take time to review and refresh them, tackling one at a time over the coming months and considering how you can make each interaction feel a little more thoughtful.

Clients rarely remember one big moment; they remember how consistently they felt looked after.

S IS FOR SUPPORT

Support is where businesses move beyond simply providing a service to guiding their client’s journey. This might include personalised advice, treatment planning, honest recommendations and remembering individual client preferences. These small acts build trust and turn salons into valued spaces in people’s lives, where loyalty and long-term relationships naturally develop. When clients feel supported and understood, they are far more likely to return again and again.

When a Business Begins to Shine

When these FACETS are aligned, something powerful begins to happen.

Clients do not simply book appointments. They return. They recommend. They trust the business with their well-being and confidence. This is where a business moves beyond visibility and begins to shine.

Please check out my SHINE Insight. I’ll share exactly how reputation and loyalty develop within the SHINE stage of the Business Brilliance Method.

You can check out my GPT Guided Visibility Audit here, which will help you put this insight into action

Want to find out more about working with me - head over to my Work With Me page