Online bookings tips

Key online bookings facts

• Over £4,000,000 of revenue was generated through i-salon’s online booking facility in 2010
• Bookings made online increased by 120% from 2009 to 2010
• 40% of online bookings are made out-of-hours

Allowing clients to book appointments online with i-salon software helps you to provide a more flexible service, as well as preventing clients from going elsewhere if you’re not available to answer their call.

Making an appointment via your website or Facebook page means they can book at any time of the day or night, they won’t be left waiting on the phone if reception is busy, and they are encouraged to browse your latest offers or shop for products at the same time. Put simply, everyone wins.

To make your online booking service a success, it’s vital to promote it to your client base and to potential clients in the right.

Five steps to maximise the value of online bookings:

1. Your booking form must be easy to find. A link from your website homepage, or a dedicated tab within your Facebook page, is essential.
2. Ensure your salon’s branding and special offers are visible to the client while they’re in the process of booking _ giving you maximum marketing exposure. Are you running a promotion that might encourage the client to book a colour as well as a cut, for example?
3. Send a text or email to your clients, letting them know they can book online. You will see an immediate flurry of bookings as your guests try out the new tool. This will then settle down to a regular, steady flow of bookings.
4. Consider offering a small discount or incentive for the first 100 clients who use the online booking form.
5. Add a message to your answerphone or call waiting system, giving the website address of your booking form, and make sure that your promotional posters and appointment cards carry the online booking details too.

Online booking is now available to all i-salon customers, via Facebook.