 The “com” in dot-com stands for commercial, so it’s rare to find a dot-com that doesn’t sell a product or service. But in the spring of 2004, the Wella Corporation launched salondaily.com, a site where commerce takes a backseat to education, information and community. Notes Bill Decker, Wella’s senior vice president of marketing, “The website follows Wella’s philosophy of helping to support salons and stylists as they work and grow their business.”
The site includes a wealth of information on salon business and, as the name implies, is updated daily, with 5 to 10 pages of new content added every week, according to Wella’s director of salon development Tara McWhirter. Visitors to the site can find everything from industry news and style trends, to cutting techniques and events calendars. Under the Products section you’ll find write-ups on Wella brands, such as Sebastian and Graham Webb, and the Business section offers free online seminars—all targeted at salon owners and managers—that delve into such topics as how to develop a business plan, how to run a local ad campaign and how to grow and retain your customer base. Wella hasn’t forgotten about the independent stylist, either; seminars on how to grow her part of the business, as well as loads of technical articles on cutting, styling and color techniques, abound.
 Like everything else on the site, the seminars are free, but to obtain access to all areas you’ll need to register. Registration brings with it some special perks, such as chat rooms where you can network with other stylists or salon owners, a free email account and a bulletin board for job postings where members can search for greener pastures or recruit new hires. One particularly tasty feature: The site works closely with Expedia.com—a relationship that allows salondaily.com members to book budget travel directly through Wella’s site.
In addition to industry-specific news and information, daily weather reports, fashion news and horoscopes keep members abreast of what’s happening beyond the salon doors. McWhirter describes it as “a meeting place to build community, a business center and a source of inspiration.” With all of this functionality and free email, too, salondaily.com could easily function as your home page —Karen K. Ford
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