Case Study
Heads Up Hair Salon
Nashville, TN
The live homepage footer displays seven raw {{placeholder_footer_reserve}} template tokens — plus an internal editor note that says “This message will not appear on the live site, but only within the editor” — which is appearing on the live site, right now.
Redesign Concept
Spec mockup available on request
Heads Up Hair Salon has been a Nashville institution, serving clients at its Crestmoor Road location. The salon's website is built on the Hibu platform — and it was never properly finished. The footer of the live homepage contains seven raw template variable strings: {{placeholder_footer_reserve1}} through {{placeholder_footer_reserve7}} — code tokens that were supposed to be replaced with real content. Additionally, an internal editor note reading “This is a placeholder for the Yext Knowledge Tags. This message will not appear on the live site, but only within the editor” is rendering publicly in the page source. It absolutely does appear on the live site.
The Heads Up Hair Salon homepage footer contains: {{placeholder_footer_reserve1}}, {{placeholder_footer_reserve2}}, {{placeholder_footer_reserve3}} — and four more. Plus an editor note that says it won't appear on the live site. Which it does. Every client who scrolls to the bottom sees this. It has been live this whole time.
Nashville is one of the most competitive salon markets in the South. Clients have dozens of options for high-quality hair services — and the split-second website comparison happens before they even read the services menu. A footer full of template placeholder tokens sends one message: nobody finished building this website.
The Business
Heads Up Hair Salon serves the Nashville Green Hills / Crestmoor area with full hair services. The salon has a real client base and a real reputation in the neighborhood — it moved from its old Abbott Martin Road address to the current Crestmoor Road location, which itself reveals the age of the website: the old address is still embedded in a hidden Google Maps link on the site while the visible text shows the new address.
The Hibu platform was a reasonable choice for a local business looking for an easy website solution. The problem isn't the platform — it's that the setup was never completed, and the placeholder content has been live ever since.
What We Found
Template tokens and internal editor notes rendering publicly on a live production website — plus a stale address discrepancy that could misdirect clients.
Seven Raw Template Tokens in the Footer
The Hibu website builder uses template variables for footer slots. Those variables — {{placeholder_footer_reserve1}} through {{placeholder_footer_reserve7}} — render as literal strings in the page footer when the corresponding content is never entered. Every client who scrolls to the bottom of the homepage sees them.
Template tokens in production are not a subtle issue. They are visually distinct and immediately recognizable as unfinished website work — which is exactly the impression a salon should not make.
Internal Editor Note Visible to the Public
A note reading “This is a placeholder for the Yext Knowledge Tags. This message will not appear on the live site, but only within the editor” is rendering in the page source and visible to visitors. The note explicitly promises it won't appear publicly — and it does. This is the website builder's internal documentation appearing as page content.
Old Address Embedded in Hidden Google Maps Link
The visible text on the site shows the current address (2210 Crestmoor Rd.) but a hidden Google Maps link on the page points to the old address (2126 Abbott Martin Rd.). A client who follows the map link could be directed to the wrong location. Stale location data in a hidden link is exactly the kind of issue that goes unnoticed until a client shows up at the wrong address.
What We'd Build
A properly finished, professional website for Heads Up Hair Salon — with no placeholder tokens, no internal notes, correct address data, and a homepage that competes in the Nashville salon market.
Clean Footer — No Template Tokens, No Editor Notes
Every placeholder variable replaced with real content or removed. Every internal editor note stripped from the public-facing page. A footer that looks like a finished website because it is one.
Correct, Consistent Location Data
Current address consistent across every element of the site and synced with Google Business — so no client is ever sent to the old Abbott Martin location. Map links, schema markup, and footer address all pointing to Crestmoor Road.
Nashville Salon Positioning Built to Compete
A homepage built for the Nashville market — with stylist profiles, services menu, client photos, and a booking CTA that competes with the polished salon websites in the Green Hills neighborhood.
Spec Redesign Deliverables
- ✓All seven placeholder tokens removed — clean footer with real content
- ✓Internal editor notes stripped from all public-facing pages
- ✓Correct Crestmoor Road address in all map links, schema, and footer — old address fully removed
- ✓Stylist profiles and services menu structured for Nashville clientele
- ✓Online booking CTA above the fold — one tap to schedule
- ✓Nashville local SEO — structured for “hair salon Nashville” and Green Hills neighborhood searches
The Opportunity
Heads Up Hair Salon has a real client base and a real reputation in Nashville. The website issues here are fixable — they're the result of an incomplete setup, not a fundamentally broken platform. Clearing the placeholder tokens, removing the editor note, and correcting the address data would transform a site that signals “unfinished” into one that signals “professional.”
In Nashville's competitive salon market, that difference is real revenue. Clients who bounce from the placeholder-token footer and book somewhere else are real appointments that are being lost right now.
We've built the spec redesign. Heads Up can see exactly what a properly finished version of their site looks like — with the template artifacts gone and a homepage built to compete — before committing to anything.
Want to see the spec redesign?
We built a full redesign for Heads Up Hair Salon — with all seven placeholder tokens gone, the editor note removed, the correct address everywhere, and a homepage that competes in Nashville. Book a 30-minute call to walk through it — no commitment, no pitch deck. Just the site.
See what we'd fix on your site
We'll review your website top to bottom, record a 10-minute Loom walkthrough of exactly what's broken, and deliver a PDF report with prioritized fixes — in 48 hours.
No commitment. No pitch deck.