If you’ve been running a business for years with a trusty appointment book, or are just starting out and think that online booking is an unnecessary expense, have we got some news for you! Here at Appointedd we’ve seen all the ways being bookable online has been hugely beneficial to businesses of all shapes and sizes, and we think you’ll see just what a good thing it can be for you after reading about these benefits.
1 Time Saved
Scheduling appointments and meetings via email is a time-consuming activity: back and forth trying to arrange a mutually convenient time is something that a lot of business owners find a laborious, tiresome process. When you give customers the option of booking with you online that entire process is cut right down, because they can clearly see your availability and choose the time slot that suits them.
2 Better Customer Service
Customers increasingly see online booking as a marker of a professional and reliable service, and offering that convenience puts you miles ahead of the competition from the get-go. Appointedd’s microsites and booking apps are also optimised for any device, so your customers can even book from their mobile or tablet, which is super convenient for them.
3 No Missed Opportunities
Another huge advantage of customers being able to book online is that they can do so at any time of the day or night, and regardless of whether you’re busy or not. Taking bookings over the phone is fine, but there are limitations. You can only speak to one person at a time, for instance, and if someone else calls while you’re on the phone there’s no guarantee they’ll call back, meaning you could lose their custom. Not so when they can book online.
4 Increased Revenue
Not only can you gather more bookings with online booking (see above) but you can also reduce no-shows drastically simply by sending automatic confirmations and reminders. In fact, Appointedd’s SMS reminders have been shown to reduce no-show clients by up to 67%! Not only that, but you can even take payment or deposit at the time of booking, which will make sure you’re compensated for your time if the customer decides to drop out.
5 Marketing Made Easy
With a system like Appointedd, not only do you get your bookings and schedule running like clockwork, but you can also automate your marketing efforts so that you barely have to think about it. Because customer details are stored when they book with you, you can then use the data to set up targeted marketing to specific demographics or to people at a certain point in their customer journey (e.g. after their second or third booking with you).
You can find out more about how some of our lovely clients use Appointedd to grow their businesses here:
Published on 13 April 2016