The number of spa and salon clients booking online has risen by nearly 50 percent, according to the latest data released by Shortcuts Software. Between Dec. 2012 and Dec. 2013, the number of clients booking appointments online rose by 46 percent from 110,710 to 161,944, making the value of online bookings to spas and salons higher by 55 percent—up from $5 million to $7.8 million. “The push to online booking is clearly unrelenting,” says Paul Tate, CEO of Shortcuts Software. “Clients just don’t have the time or inclination to pick up the phone for an appointment anymore and are seeking out spas and salons that offer them the convenience of online booking 24/7. We are seeing demand from spas and salons accelerating each year in response to this shift in consumer preference.” According to the Professional Communications Network, 72 percent of clients who don’t get through on the phone will not leave a voicemail, 69 percent won’t call back, and 93 percent of businesses miss phone calls at some point. “Having an additional channel for appointment booking is crucial for spas and salons today,” says Tate. “It’s what clients—used to booking hotels and travel online—expect, and those spas and salons not offering it are in real danger of missing new clients and, worse, losing existing ones.” The data also revealed that the businesses who attract bookings online are those that promoted the service as an additional benefit for clients via their website, social media, on-hold phone messages, window stickers, and by word-of-mouth through their employees.
For more information, visit www.shortcuts.net.