Beauty professionals, if your salon’s online presence is mostly Instagram Stories and a booking link that says “good luck,” you’re not alone. As small business owners, social is fun, but it’s also moody. Your website is the part that keeps working even when you’re slammed with back-to-back foils and a client who “just wants a tiny trim” (sure, Jan).
Here’s the real question: should you grab Showit templates and DIY, or invest in a custom website? Both can look amazing. The best choice depends on your schedule, your budget, and how much you want to think about fonts at 10:47 pm.
Let’s break it down in a way that feels more like a consult and less like a tech lecture.
Showit templates: the “great blowout” option (fast, pretty, effective)
Showit templates are a pre-designed website layout you can customize on this user-friendly platform with no coding required and drag and drop interface. Think of them like a killer haircut shape that nails the design aesthetic. The foundation is already right, so you’re not starting from scratch with kitchen scissors and confidence.
For hair salons and stylists, especially a startup business, Showit templates shine as a budget-friendly option when you need a polished site quickly. You can add your photos, plug in your service menu, and get a legit online home that feels like your brand, not a default business page from 2012. Showit also gives you tons of design freedom, which is why so many beauty pros love the platform (see Showit’s beauty industry overview).
That said, templates come with a tiny catch: you still have to set them up well with some template customization. A template can’t magically write your policies, organize your services, or pick the right images. If you’ve ever tried to tone orange out of hair with vibes alone, you get it.
If you want a curated starting point built for beauty businesses, browsing a niche collection helps a lot. That’s why my Showit template shop is filled with layouts made for services, portfolios, and booking focused sites, not random “startup agency” nonsense.
One more thing: you can absolutely make a template look custom, but you have to actually customize it. Showit even shares practical ways to do that in their template customization tips. Translation: swap more than just your logo and call it a day.
Photo by Atikah Akhtar
Custom websites: the “bespoke color formula” option (more strategy, more you)
A custom Showit website is the premier choice for established brands seeking a unique brand identity. It is built around your salon, your offers, and how your dream clients decide to book. It’s not just “prettier,” it’s more intentional.
A custom Showit website makes the most sense when your business is a little more layered, for example:
You have multiple stylists, services, or locations. You need clean navigation so clients don’t get lost and give up. You’re raising prices and want your online presence to match. You’re tired of attracting bargain hunters who ghost after asking, “Do you have any openings tomorrow?”
A custom site also gives you room to build trust in a way that feels natural. Your About page, for instance, is not the place for a 14-paragraph life story that starts in beauty school and ends in tears. It’s a trust page. It should calm nerves and answer the silent questions clients have before they commit.
If writing that page makes you want to crawl under the shampoo bowl, use a structure that works. Start with Hair Salon About Page Examples and make the website copy sound like you, not like a corporate training video.
Custom is also for salons that want specific features or flows, like:
A new client page that explains your process (and your boundaries). A pricing and policies setup that cuts down on no-shows. Service pages that pre-sell add-ons and upgrades, without sounding pushy. Working with a professional web designer ensures a conversion-driven design and better search engine optimization through custom tailored flows.
In other words, custom is the option when your website needs to do more than “exist.” It needs to support the way you run your business.
The real comparison: time, budget, and how much DIY you can handle
Before you decide, picture two paths: you either spend money to save time, or you spend time to save money. Neither is wrong. They just hurt in different ways.
When going DIY, factor in technical challenges like ensuring proper mobile optimization on the Showit platform.
Here’s a quick side-by-side to make it painfully clear.
| Option | Best for | Timeline | Typical initial investment (price point based on listed pricing) | Your workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Showit templates | Newer businesses, tight budgets, DIY energy | A few days to a few weeks | Template purchase (often a few hundred) | High |
| Website in a Day (semi-custom) | Busy pros who want it done fast, but still elevated | 1 day | Starting at $2800 | Medium |
| Custom Showit website (Website in a Week) | Established salons ready for a full strategy build | 1 week (longer timeline) | Starting at $3800 | Medium to low |
The takeaway: Showit templates are the lowest price point, but they ask for the most time amid technical challenges. Custom costs more upfront as an initial investment, but you get a site built around your goals, not just your favorite aesthetic.
If you’re stuck in the middle (because of course you are), that’s where my “done with you, but mostly done for you” option comes in. With Website in a Day for Beauty Pros, you pick a premium template, then I customize it to your brand, services, photos, and copy in one day for a seamless website launch. You get the speed of a template with the polish of a designer build.
If your website has been “almost ready” for months, you don’t need more motivation. You need a deadline and someone to finish it.
If you want help choosing a template that actually fits your business, Showit also has a helpful guide on how to pick the right website template. The key is matching the layout to your offers, not forcing your offers to fit the layout.
Conclusion: pick the option that matches your season
Showit templates work when you need something gorgeous, fast, and flexible, and you’re willing to DIY. A custom Showit website through a professional web designer wins for established brands that want strategy baked in, a unique brand identity that feels effortless, and a site that can grow with you.
Either way, you don’t need a “perfect” website. You need one that gives you a competitive edge, getting clients to trust you and click book. If you’re ready for the sweet spot, Showit templates plus my Website in a Day with template customization turns “someday” into a website launch, like, this week.
My Website in a Day service is perfect for beauty pros who need a polished, professional online presence—like, yesterday. We’ll take one of my custom-designed Showit templates and tailor it to your brand, style, and services in just one day. You’ll walk away with a site that books clients, builds trust, and looks like a million bucks (without taking forever to launch).
