Online booking helps you grow your customer base by attracting and capturing new customers. And, with 24x7 access to the website, your customers can book an appointment when they want to. You know you need online booking; we’ve rounded up eleven must have features to make sure your online scheduling is a success.
1) Make Sure It Integrates With Your Website
If you’re online booking isn’t on your own website, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Make sure you promote your online booking capabilities throughout your website, and make it easy for visitors to self-book an appointment.
2) Make Sure Your Online Booking Updates Your Appointment Book
Make online booking software work for you. Your online capabilities should allow customers to check for available times by stylist or therapist. This means that your online booking software should access, in real-time, your spa or salon’s appointment book. Once the customer finds the right appointment slot and submits their request, your own appointment book should automatically update with the new appointment.
This integration between online booking and your appointment book saves you time and is hassle free.
3) Text Message Confirmation And Reminders
Make sure your online scheduling software sends automated text (SMS) or email confirmation and reminders.
Read more about: Boost Your Business With Text Messaging!
4) Accept Payment For The Appointment Upfront
Enforcing upfront payments stops no-shows. And, you have the added benefit of saving time during customer billing at your center. Accepting online payments means that your software has to work with a payment processing solution like elementPS.
5) Security Is A Must
If customers are entering credit card details or even if they’re creating an account on your website, make software your software provides a high level of security that protects this data.
6) Purchase Gift Cards Along With Their Booking
Gift cards should be a significant part of your sales mix. Online booking creates a perfect opportunity for your customer to add a gift card to their purchase. Ideally, the gift card should be electronic, as eGift cards are preferred over paper gift cards for reasons of ease and accessibility.
7) Share On Social Media
Social media is king, so make sure your online booking capabilities integrate with popular social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. For example, if you’re running a special promotion on your website, your online services menu should make it easy for your visitors to share the promotion on their own Facebook page or Twitter feed.
Know more about top 3 social media strategies to engage your salon or spa customers
8) Personalize THE EXPERIENCE
The online booking experience should be just as easy (if not easier) and as personalized as calling in-person. Make it easy for customers to rebook an appointment, look up their service history in case they need to find a specific stylist’s name or a service name.
9) Mobile App Integration
With people spending more time on mobile apps, it’s increasingly important to allow your customers to book their appointments via a mobile app. What better way to show your customers that you’re perfectly aligned with their changing needs!
10) Showcase Your Services
Your online booking software should also help you highlight specific services that you want to push. Maybe they’re new services that you’re launching, or you’re promoting a deal on a package, or maybe you simply want to recommend certain services. Make sure you can do all of this easily and change them up often so that your existing customers are always engaged.
Read more about: Salon POS system
11) Online Support And Phone Support
If something isn’t working right, you want your customer to be able to get help fast. So support your customers through chat and make your phone number visible on your web pages.
If you're looking for online booking software for your spa management software, salon management software or medical spa software ...
Zenoti offers online booking and the ability to sell things like eGift cards, memberships and packages online. Our easy to use software makes it easy for you to automate booking and provide your customers with a rich, engaging online experience. The best part - you'll actually sell more and increase revenue. See how Enrich Salons Sold $11,000 In Memberships Online In A Single Weekend.
To learn more about Zenoti, request a demo.
