More and more, business owners are offering online booking. Everyone from hairdressers and tattoo artists to chiropractors and other medical professionals have joined the trend. If you run a small business and this is all new to you, perhaps you have questions about how online booking works. Is it hard to set up? Expensive? Check out this article for everything you need to know about this life-saving, game-changing solution.
Online Booking: The Numbers
The vast majority of consumers no longer rely on phone calls to make a reservation. In North America, at least 85% of consumers are booking their appointments online. 64% of Internet users consider online booking to be a competitive advantage.
And 74% have booked online thanks to the virtual agenda on their service provider’s website.
At Linkeo, we went on LinkedIn to ask our community which types of appointments they are mostly likely to book online.
For 71% of survey participants, they reported medical and wellness appointments; 20% selected beauty care (including hair cuts); 5% said leisure activities; and 4% said other professional appointments like lawyers, mechanics, and other hands-on services.
In a second survey, this time on LinkedIn and Facebook, we found that 100% of Internet users are more likely to choose a company if they offer online booking. The reason is simple: it’s way more convenient. In other words, online, connected business owners benefit from a clear professional advantage.
And turn-key solutions make it easy for them to plug into the Internet’s new and ubiquitous features. Take our own Planner by Linkeo, where clients can book their appointments in just a few clicks.
No more waiting on hold. Or frustrating, fruitless attempts to call back. Or the awkward, frazzled moments when you accidentally get disconnected. Eliminate all those barriers and headaches and connect with your prospects.
Discover the joys of online booking with Planner by Linkeo
Online Booking—The Benefits
Whether you run a restaurant or massage parlour or law firm, the main benefits of online booking fall within 4 categories:
- Option to make reservations 24/7
- Reduce missed and cancelled appointments and no-shows
- Save time on admin tasks and schedule management
- Build client loyalty and expand your business
24/7 Booking
According to a study conducted by Linkeo, companies report that 35% of appointments are booked outside of business hours. Customers are already in the habit of reserving a table or booking a time slot with their doctor without dialing their telephone number. As we mentioned in the introduction, these days, 100% of participants in our study said they would prefer online booking to a phone call.
So if you make your appointments digital, you’ll reduce your risk of losing a prospect to a competitor, when they can’t get through to you on the phone or you don’t call them back fast enough.
With a seamless and effortless solution, they can reserve their services in just a few clicks, and all this directly from your website, Google My Business page, or Facebook or Instagram accounts. Plus your clients can get access to their favourite employee’s agenda, clicking to choose their preferred practitioner and time slot.
Cut Down on No-Shows
Businesses who have online booking solutions report a 25% reduction in missed appointments. The secret lies in automatic text or email reminders which you can set to send the evening or day of the booking. You’ll have the option to request that your client confirm their appointment. If they don’t click the confirmation link, you can always reopen the time slot or contact someone on your waiting list.
To reduce “no-shows,” the online solution lets you ask for a deposit, which makes clients more likely to honour their appointments. In case of cancellation, a deposit minimizes your financial losses.
And finally, if clients are continuously not showing up or cancelling at the last minute, you have the option to blacklist them from your company’s online booking solution.
Save Time and Simplify Your Admin Tasks
An online booking solution will reduce your phone calls by at least 30%, freeing up your time to focus on more rewarding parts of your business. You save time, your clients save time, and everyone’s happy.
You don’t have to worry about double booking yourself anymore. Planner by Linkeo lets you stay on top of your schedule from a single, user-friendly interface. No more Post-its. No more scrambling around trying to remember your free time slots. Make life easier for you and your clients.
And if you’re always struggling to fill the same empty time slots, you can optimize your booking rate with special promos on select times.
To reduce back and forth and save even more time, set up the secure online payment option. You can start and end your appointments on time without worrying about delays from payment issues.
And we all need a break every now and then. Instead of repeating your vacation dates over and over again, you can simply block out your days off on your booking solution. No more coming back from your holidays to greet 35 voice messages that confused clients left you while they were away.
Build Client Loyalty and Expand Your Business
Online booking solutions like Planner by Linkeo are specially adapted to beauty and wellness businesses, and any company or professional who provides a service. They improve customer satisfaction by reducing wait times and offering an immediate response.
As an added perk, clients can purchase gift cards, either for themselves or their loved ones. They can order gift cards online or in store, and can even use them to pay directly on via your online booking solution.
With each reservation, your customers will create a client account. Planner, online booking by Linkeo will then store a customer file. This will give you access to past and present appointments, as well as gift cards. From there, you can create a customer database and use it as part of your marketing strategy. Send out a newsletter, offer them a special 10% discount on their favourite service. Or wish them a happy birthday via text. Dive into the lucrative world of digital marketing!
📅 Take It a Step Further With Planner by Linkeo
This solution has proven to be a game changer, both for service providers and their clients. It’s a great way for business owners to manage their schedule, optimize their booking rate, and expand their local customer catchment area. And unlike a number of comparable solutions on the market Planner by Linkeo is commission free. It’s fast, simple, and affordable, and you can get started in just a few clicks.
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