- Joe O'Connor
- Sep 30
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 1
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Natalie Lucas understands what it takes to grow a business from the ground up.
Like many others operating in the beauty industry on Australia’s Gold Coast, she began her journey solo, single-handedly managing all aspects of her hair and makeup business, Natalie Lucas Studio.
“I was doing everything, offering the services myself, doing all the back end, the marketing, everything,” she recalls about starting out in 2011.
Through sheer consistency and a love for her craft, Natalie grew her business from a team of one to 40 makeup artists, hairstylists and admin staff. She also grew from relying solely on social media to building a website that helped her business scale.
For anyone figuring out how to start a beauty business or looking to create a powerful online presence for their beauty brand, check out Natalie’s top tips.
Want to learn how to make a business website? Choose Wix as your website builder and get started today.
Pick a platform you're comfortable with
Natalie isn't a professional web designer, nor did she aspire to be one. So, she needed the best website builder for small business that was intuitive and easy to manage on her own.
A friend recommended Wix, and Natalie was immediately drawn to its user-friendly interface and smooth drag-and-drop builder.
“I liked the fact that I could update galleries, add services and do everything myself—and not have to contact someone every time I wanted to make an update or a change," she says.
This autonomy was important to Natalie, who was already working towards a healthier work-life balance. Being able to quickly add new photos, update service descriptions or tweak a design element without relying on a developer saved her both time and money.
Explore free beauty website templates:
Make booking simple (for you and your clients)
In the early days, Natalie found herself trapped in endless cycles of communication with potential customers. “There was a lot of time wasted on back-and-forth conversations, trying to line up schedules with clients,” she explains. “It was very time-consuming.”
The solution was clear: Natalie needed a system that allowed clients to see her availability and book appointments directly.
Natalie turned to Wix’s built-in scheduling software to streamline her entire process. It’s a nifty solution that takes care of tedious booking tasks, like managing attendance and waitlists, sending SMS and email booking reminders and collecting client info with custom booking forms.
“[Now, I just tell my clients.] ‘Here's the link. You can see all available session times’…that was important to me, to just make everything run smoother,” says Natalie.
Show clients you mean business
Natalie knew it wasn't enough to rely solely on social media to build the reputation she was looking for. “It was really important to appear to be as professional as possible,” she says. “A website was definitely a must for me—to have that presence and that image, to show that we're not just a backyard business.”
Natalie’s website breathes professionalism. Inspired by luxury fashion brands, it greets you with a “timeless” design, emphasized by a neutral color palette and classic fonts. The site lives up to one of Natalie’s key beauty slogans: ‘illuminating authentic beauty.’
Among the website’s standout features is a stunning picture gallery, a colorful team section and glowing testimonials framed as ‘love letters.’ The homepage features a live Instagram feed that keeps visitors up to speed on the team’s latest work.
“When people are searching for a makeup artist...they're going to be judging you on what you're showing them,” she notes. "Your website is really your opportunity to build trust with your future potential clients."
For more beauty web design inspo, check out these top beauty website examples.
Answer client questions before they're asked
A great website anticipates a visitor's needs. When designing her site, Natalie put herself in her clients’ shoes.
“I tried to answer all the questions we were getting, like ‘Can I see more photos of your work?’” she explains. “I tried to cover everything they were going to ask me.”
Natalie focused on two core elements: making the site simple to navigate and providing clear examples of her work. This led her to include a comprehensive FAQ section, clear service descriptions, an easy-to-find contact page and image galleries throughout. The main gallery page is cleverly divided by each makeup artist’s work, so clients can get a sense of their style before they book.
“How to make the booking or how to contact you... needs to be very quickly and easily accessible, rather than having someone try and navigate the website for 10 minutes,” says Natalie.
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Let analytics guide your marketing
For Natalie, data is a daily motivator. She leans heavily on Wix Analytics, regularly checking website stats to understand what's working and what’s not.
“How are you gonna identify any success if you can't track it?” she asks. This practice enables Natalie to see the direct impact of her beauty marketing.
"When I'm putting effort into our social media marketing and that front is strong, I can see a direct correlation to increased sales and traffic on the website," she explains.
This connection transforms marketing from a guessing game into a clear strategy. "You do see direct results from efforts on the site, which is really cool,” says Natalie. “It also means you don't feel like you're just posting aimlessly.”
Bridge the gap between physical and digital
Natalie knows that consistency is everything when you’re building a recognizable beauty brand. From social media to the website and even the studio’s shopfront, everything must connect back to the same look and feel.
“Being seamless across social media, website and shopfront is something I’m quite fussy about with our team,” she shares. “When creating content, I make sure we’re using our set brand fonts, so it’s all seamless, and that we don’t look like a jumble sale.”
When you create a website on Wix, you can set your site theme to ensure all colors, typography and layouts follow your brand guidelines. It’s a surefire way to stay consistent.
Create a unique logo for your beauty brand in minutes with Wix’s Logo Maker.
Your website is your strongest asset
Looking back, Natalie's advice to other entrepreneurs and those starting out in the beauty industry is simple and direct: “Build your website straight away. If I were to go back in time, I wouldn’t wait. I would definitely do it at the same time as building my social media."
For Natalie Lucas Studio, a website is more than just a place to display work. It's a powerful business tool that drives bookings, builds credibility and provides invaluable insights about customers.
“When you’re operating in a saturated market, like being a makeup artist on Australia’s Gold Coast, it’s important to set yourself apart in some way,” says Natalie. “You could be the most amazing artist, but if you’re not showing that to anyone, if you don’t have a website, how do people see you? How do they book you? Those things matter to push the needle forward.”
Looking ahead, Natalie is open to new trends and tech that could help her business—but only if they genuinely serve her clients. But for now, she knows the real secret to success in beauty is a strong website—and showing up with care, consistency and connection.
Top tips on how to build the best beauty business website
Natalie’s entrepreneurship journey shows how starting a business with a professional website can set the foundation for success. Here, she shares six top tips:
Pro tip | What Natalie says | Real-life example |
Use client testimonials to build trust | "I call them 'love letters'... it's nice to have a place where you can see all your client reviews at a glance." | Dedicate a section of your site to showing positive feedback from happy customers. |
Keep your booking process simple | "I wanted to be really straightforward for clients making a booking." | Add a clear 'Book Now' button that takes clients directly to your services page. |
Show off your work with a vibrant gallery | "It's important to have a lot of pictures to build trust with a client." | Regularly update your photo gallery with your best and most recent work. |
Offer a human touch | "Human interaction and personalization are crucial in the beauty industry, especially for bridal clients" | Invest in advanced tech, but make sure there's always a real person available for customer support. |
Make mobile a priority | "A lot of people are visiting on mobile, and if it's laid out nicely on a mobile device, that's a big plus." | Always check text readability on mobile screens and adjust font sizes accordingly. |
Integrate your social media on your site | "I have my Instagram feed on the homepage, which automatically stays up to date." | Add a live social media feed to your homepage to show current activity. |
Starting a beauty business FAQ
How much does it cost to start a beauty business?
Startup costs for starting a beauty business vary widely depending on your niche and location. A small home-based business can start with a few hundred dollars, while a full salon or spa may require tens of thousands. Either way, you should start by budgeting for equipment, products, licenses and marketing.
What are the most profitable beauty services to offer?
Beauty services with high demand and repeat customers tend to be most profitable. Think skincare treatments, hair coloring, lash extensions, microblading and specialty services like chemical peels or massage therapy.
What skills do I need before starting a beauty business?
Beyond technical skills in your chosen field within the beauty industry, strong business, marketing and customer service skills will go a long way. Time management and budgeting will also help your business thrive.
How can I make my beauty business stand out?
You can make your beauty business stand out by offering unique services, exceptional customer experiences or personalized packages. Building a strong brand online, showcasing your expertise on social media and staying on top of trends can set you apart from the competition.
Natalie Lucas, founder of Natalie Lucas Studio recommends having a strong website from the start: “You could be the most amazing artist, but if you’re not showing that to anyone, if you don’t have a website, how do people see you? How do they book you? Those things matter to push the needle forward.”
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