1. Remove barriers for customers

Online booking puts your customer in the driver’s seat. When you offer online booking, your customers can schedule their appointments at any time of day. If they’re trying to call you during business hours, they may have conflicts that make you seem inaccessible. Online booking means customers can sign up for the service they’re looking for right away. In fact, 35% of customers prefer to schedule appointments after business hours and 50% prefer online scheduling compared to over the phone. 

Additionally, recent studies have shown just how adding online booking can increase customer interaction. And while it’s clear that online booking is beneficial for businesses of all sizes, smaller businesses saw the most pronounced benefit. Companies with between two and nine employees saw an average revenue increase of 38%, while owner-operated businesses experienced a 44% increase in revenue after implementing an online booking feature. Can you really afford to be missing out on all this business?

2. Streamline your calendar

Whether you run a one-man show or a business with multiple locations and employees, an online booking system will streamline your calendar. With an online appointment booking system, you can scale your appointments strategy to suit your business needs, whatever they are. This means you or your employees will spend less time manually managing appointments and reschedules. 

Instead, customer appointments will automatically sync to their calendars, and customers can easily schedule, reschedule, and cancel appointments as needed. Plus, many appointment scheduling platforms allow you access to user data so you can make more informed decisions to improve business outcomes.

3. Avoid no-shows

When a business has just $300 in weekly no-shows, it can add up to over $15,000 a year in lost revenue. With many businesses running razor-thin margins already, the cost of no-shows can drag profits down to zero. In fact, research has shown that appointment no-shows can cost $26,000 in annual losses for small businesses with $120,000+ yearly revenue. That’s over 21% of the revenue that could easily be retained. However, online booking software helps reduce no-shows and cancellations. With an online system, customers can easily manage the scheduling process on their own to reschedule or cancel. 

Even in case of a cancellation, your online system will show an opening, so another customer can fill the slot, or you can staff accordingly. Additionally, with an appointment booking system, you can send out automated appointment reminders. That way you are creating a clear path of communication between you and your customer, which is crucial in minimizing cancellations and no-shows. 

4. Build your email list

Online booking allows you to easily collect important contact information and preferences from your customers. Thus, this technology contributes to business growth. Instead of dedicating time on the phone to taking down customer information, or missing out on it entirely, you’re making it easy for new customers to quickly fill out a form and get into your email list or CRM. 

Later, you can use this information to reach out to customers for repeat business, reviews, referrals, etc. Additionally, this data can help you better understand your client base as you scale up, increase services or products, and thus increase revenue. 

5. Promote your business

When customers use your online booking system, you can tailor the user experience to promote your business. Self-promotion is key, as 90% of consumers read reviews or testimonials before visiting a business. In fact, 72% won’t even take action until they read what other people have to say about a company! 

That’s why your online booking system is a great place to showcase your reviews and help move customers through your funnel. Along with reviews, you can customize your booking page to highlight your strengths and your brand identity. Customers will feel like they know what they’re getting and trust your product or service. 

Bottom Line on Online Booking

So what’s the major takeaway when it comes to an automated booking system? Online booking can increase your bottom line. When customers can easily schedule, reschedule, and manage their appointments online through your system, you can maximize bookings, increase your revenue, and keep happy customers coming back. Ready to add online booking to your website?

In need of online scheduling?

We can help with all your integration and scheduling needs. Fill out this form below and we will get back to you within 24 business hours.