Online booking is no longer a nice-to-have for beauty and wellness businesses – it’s a necessity. In fact, 64% of guests are more likely to choose a salon or spa that offers online booking via mobile phone, according to a 2022 Zenoti consumer survey.
The right salon scheduling software delivers benefits beyond filled schedule slots. Online booking should capitalize on guests’ habits and preferences to optimize your appointment book, increase revenue, and give your staff more time for in-person guests.
Benefits of online booking
In addition to meeting guest expectations for digital convenience, online booking provides these advantages:
Offers 24x7 access to your brand. If you limit appointment booking to phone calls only, you limit opportunities at a busy schedule. With online booking, guests can book an appointment on their time, even when your salon or spa is closed.
Chicago-based Salon Lorrene, a high-volume single center specializing in hair, spa, and bridal services, implemented online booking and saw an uptick in appointments booked within a week. They also realized that guests who book online are more diligent about keeping their appointments.
“We launched online booking, and it has been very successful. We don’t have any no-shows from online booking.”
– Lorrene Conino,
Master Stylist and Owner, Salon Lorrene
Reduces phone calls, giving more time to your front desk staff. With less phone call volume to manage, your front desk is free to focus more on delivering an exceptional in-store guest experience.
Drives higher per-guest spending via built-in recommendations. Within your online booking tool, highlight additional pairings and retail recommendations for each service – even suggest premium services or bundles for splurge spending. This can lead to a higher average ticket size, with guests spending more before they even walk in the door. At New Jersey single-location DePasquale The Spa, online booking brought a 14% boost in average ticket value.
4 must-have online booking features to optimize convenience and boost revenue
Your online booking software must go beyond the basic function of matching guests with appointments. Look for a comprehensive platform that includes these capabilities:
1. 2-tap rebooking
With this Zenoti feature, guests who want to rebook the same service and provider can do so with just two taps on their smartphone. By removing friction from the process, you make it easy for guests to book repeat visits, multiplying revenue for your business.
2. Alternate provider / location suggestions
When a favorite provider isn’t available, Zenoti software recommends other locations and providers so guests can still have a beauty day or relaxing experience with your brand. If your software lacks this feature, guests usually take their business elsewhere, especially if their need is time sensitive.
3. Automated upsell prompts
During the online booking process, the system automatically suggests relevant upsells, offering guests more options or a fuller experience, and boosting average ticket size.
4. Retail sales integration
Intelligent software suggests products that complement a service. A guest who purchases a hydration special is likely to pick up a moisturizing shampoo, if someone recommends it.
Zenoti suggests products to guests during online booking and also prompts your front desk at the point of sale. The software platform also offers Shopify integration, making it easy for guests to buy products between visits directly from your webstore.
Watch this short video to see how Zenoti software supercharges online booking with features unique to the platform.
“Zenoti is so much more than just a booking system. It’s an analytics system. It’s an electronic POS system. It’s a stock management system. It gives us all this flexibility to actually grow as a company.”
– Andrew Cannon,
Co-founder, Ruffians barbershops
If your online booking tool does nothing more than booking, you’re missing out. Make sure your online booking creates a better experience for guests and drives revenue for your business. Check into the possibilities for your salon or spa.
