December 2024 Update - What are service categories?
Changes in this release include:
- A new dashboard UI to separate key listing info, services and pricing and finally a gallery
- A new, guided onboarding flow for new users
- Update to the business landing page
- Minor bug fixes
The biggest change here, apart from the UI, was the addition of a Services Categories feature. As the name implies, the service categories describe the individual skillset a business offers. They're different from a business' category.
How It Works
Say you list your business as a loctician and Natural hair styling services provider, great! How do I as a potential client know or filter those that do sister locs or offer hair cuts for women? That's where the service category comes in.
They allow businesses to specify exactly which service under their respective categories they offer apart from the info they've provided on their pricing page.
Another use case that we'll be implementing is making this part of the services and pricing page. Assume a braider lists their services and pricing which includes knotless braids. The name is often used to distinguish between the length, thickness etc of the various offerings.
Ultimately, knotless braids, regardless of length, are knotless braids. By applying a single service category to all these variations, a business can manage their offerings more easily and a user has a better experience navigating relevant services.
Why was this needed?
IN 2024 we had over 10,000 page views across Stylists Near Me and we expect to see more in 2025. With increased interest comes an increased need to properly organize the information regarding businesses and their respective services. This ensures customers have the best experience when looking for services they need and businesses can target only those looking for what they offer.
Conclusion
We hope this approach is the first step to keeping things organized across Stylists Near Me as we grow to support the hair and beauty industry for Canada's black community.