Online booking is a great way to attract new clients and keep current clients coming back, but in order for it to be successful, it’s important to do it right. Here are some tips from professionals for implementing an online booking feature:
“Consider providing incentives, such as 1,000 loyalty points, for booking appointments online. This will help online booking to be a standard part of your business culture.” —John Harms, founder and CEO, Millennium Systems International
“Customize your menu to suit the online experience and ensure the user is very clear on what they will receive. Offer packages and bundle key services together to make things easier when users book.” —Roger Sholanki, founder and CEO, Book4Time
“A receptionist adds a great personal touch when a client comes into your business, but clients don’t want to wait on the phone while someone flips through pages trying to find an opening.” —Rebecca Westmoreland, marketing manager, Vagaro
“Announce online booking to your customers through email, text, and even Facebook ads. Every communication that comes from the business should offer the ability to book.” —Dan Chandre, senior vice president of strategic partnerships, Booker Software
“Provide adequate availability online, but don’t overwhelm the guest. If you show availability online for every 15 minutes, it can cause analysis paralysis for the guest. Limit openings to the hour or half hour.” —Amanda Wisell, marketing manager at Springer-Miller Systems, makers of SpaSoft
“Manage the number of services you would like to be bookable online, and write enticing copy with detailed descriptions of your services.” —Frank Pitsikalis, founder and CEO, ResortSuite
“No appointment should be added to the schedule unless you have four pieces of client information: their full name, phone number, email, and authorized credit card on file.” —Matt Danna, cofounder and CEO, Boulevard
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