Online appointment scheduling has been around for years. However, it is becoming increasingly important for salons and spas to remain competitive. Take a look at how online booking will align with your marketing, increase appointment bookings, and improve client spending.
Web Traffic
Having an online presence will help you attract new customers and engage existing ones. And by offering online appointment booking, you can drive more people to your website. There, you have the opportunity to showcase featured services, new retail products, or salon promotions.
Even with your most loyal clients, getting them to your website can convince them to book their next appointment sooner or to try something different during their next visit.
Call to Action
Let’s face it: you rarely have the reader's full attention when he or she is on your website. Most people browsing their social media feeds or surfing the web are multi-tasking. They may also be watching TV, eating dinner, attending a class, or taking a break from work. They don’t want to interrupt their other activities in order to make a phone call.
So make it easy for people to schedule an appointment whether they are on your Facebook Page or searching Google for a salon near them. Without an online scheduler, you risk losing their business to a competitor.
Instant Gratification
By nature, people do not like to wait. Especially with modern technology, consumers want to fulfill their goals immediately. Once they decide to color their hair or go for a manicure, they want to book their appointment right away. They likely won't appreciate being on hold for 5 minutes or waiting a couple hours for an email response. Worse yet, they don't want to wait until the next morning to call for an appointment later in the day.
A benefit of an online scheduling system is that it does not revolve around your salon hours. Appointments can be booked quickly and painlessly, from anywhere and at any time. Within a few seconds, they can select a service, request an employee, and choose the date and time. Plus, they'll get an email or SMS confirmation right away and a reminder a few days before the appointment as well.
Access to Information
With an online booking system, clients can log in and view their account: upcoming appointments, purchase histories, and even gift card and loyalty point balances. They can look up when they were last in the salon and who their stylist was or remind themselves of which product they previously purchased and want to get again.
As a benefit to your business, having these online profiles will help you keep your salon's client database up to date. Rather than asking clients to verify their details every few months, they have the ability to modify contact details and preferences whenever they wish.
Insight Software offers a real-time online appointment scheduling platform that integrates directly with the appointment calendar, customer database, and point of sale system.
