As with most other things that have gone digital, it is now both cheaper and more
efficient to book an appointment.
The several main advantages of an online booking system are as follows:
Availability
Your booking page is available 24/7 so your clients can book an appointment
whenever they want. Say goodbye to phone calls and full inboxes.
Faster payments
Your clients can pay for their appointment in advance, directly on the system. That
way, you won’t miss out if they can’t make it to the appointment with cash in hand.
Data and analyses
A booking system gives you all sorts of valuable insights. Like what your most
popular times are and when people typically make a booking.
How much does a booking system cost?
Some providers will require you to pay a subscription fee to use their service. These
systems can vary from 15 to 100 dollars in monthly costs and setup fees.
Others will offer the service for free but take a cut from the sales you make.
The solution that will work best for you greatly depends on your requirements as a
business. Your budget, availability, online presence, and employees will all play a
role.
What features should you look out for?
There are quite a few systems on the market. You can easily get lost in the jungle.
The purpose of a online booking system is to
make your life easier, so think about what you need.
Here are what we think are the most necessary features for a good appointment
booking system:
Easy navigation
You need to keep things simple, especially considering that people may want to
order on their phones. Large complex menus and content trees are a stupid idea.
Responsive design
A simple booking system is no good unless it is actually optimized for all devices.
Make sure the system works well on mobile phones as well as desktop computers.
Availability calendar
A calendar where people can see which classes have free places is an important
function. This will help prevent double bookings and disappointments.
Cancellation and refund terms
Be sure to include your terms for cancellations, rescheduling, and refunds.
Customers want to know if there are fees or time frames involved.
Online payments
A payment gateway is perhaps the most important part of your system (at least for
you). It allows people to pay for the hour as soon as they make a booking.
Auto answer
You may not be ready to answer emails at midnight, so make sure your system can
do it for you. A simple auto-reply will let people know you’ll get back to them.
Make sure your new booking software has all the functionalities your business would
need, chose the decision wisely, and avoid any hassles in the future.
