Running your hair & beauty business, you’ve probably considered getting an online appointment booking system, so that you no longer have to take all the bookings in person or via phone. Or maybe you already own a program for booking clients but can’t help wondering if there is a solution more efficient than that. Today we will take a look at the differences between a simple online salon booking tool and a system that delivers more complex functionalities, which will allow you to make up your mind and decide which one is better for your business model.
At first glance, the main difference between these two seems to be the scope of the features they provide. Most plain online booking calendar software do just what their name suggests - allow your clients to choose an appointment date and then let you know about it by marking it in your digital calendar. You can find many calendar booking systems on the Internet, some of them are even free to use. Seems like a great deal… or is it?
As a salon business owner, it’s important to consider your booking tool, and perhaps consider it a business management system that can support many aspects of your salon operations.
Some basic booking tools may not restrict double bookings, may not inform you about new appointments, or could fail to notify you about cancellations… These details are key to the reputation of your salon.
Booking software technology changes constantly and can get buggy and unstable. When choosing your salon booking system, you should opt for something truly reliable. Live support is a huge asset - it means that the company invests in providing dependable solutions and will be there to help you if you experience difficulty of any kind. At Booksy, we treat providing support very seriously - our experts will gladly talk to you, help solve your problems, and react instantly whenever you need support.
Taking clients’ private information requires ensuring its absolute safety, while cheaply developed systems tend to be much less secure. Remember that to be in compliance with CCPA, you are responsible for keeping your client’s data safe - and it’s you who will be paying for any possible data leaks. As data is the most valuable possession nowadays, protecting the information clients share with you is crucial. Some untrustworthy software companies can even sell your data - although definitely illegal and spiteful, such situations happen daily and are hard to be proven. For your own safety - choose salon management software that has a high standard of security.
Booksy is much more than a simple electronic booking system for hair & beauty salons - it’s a salon management software that automates all of your daily tasks as much as possible. Between all of its functionalities, it also provides you with an advanced salon online booking system.
Which salons can make use of online booking with Booksy?
Do you think your business is too small to make good use out of a salon management system? No such thing! Booksy is designed for all sorts of solo businesses, from booth and chair renters to home-working freelancers. You can read more about the reasons why our salon management software and solo businesses are a match made in heaven here, click here to read our full guide on how to be self employed the right way this year.
And what if your business is growing more and more? We’ve got you covered as well! All the bookings go directly to your appointment book and you don’t have to worry that someone will mess with them - it’s you who sets access levels for your employees. Full control over everything and the highest possible level of security - Booksy guarantees you both.
Did you know that the Booksy business management system can help you cut the number of no-shows by up to 70%? Just imagine how much money (not to even mention time and nerves) you can save without all these frustrating cases of clients’ irresponsibility! How does Booksy do that? The answer is simple - automatic appointment reminders! All your clients, no matter how they proceed with their bookings, will get a message reminding them about their upcoming visit. The best part? Once set, the reminders will not require your attention at all - the salon booking system will send everything just in time automatically.
What are the other perks of the online bookings for hair & beauty salon with Booksy? One of them is getting your own booking page that you can customize according to your needs and desires. The microsite allows you to set your own booking rules - it’s you who has control over which services can be booked online, which employees can be chosen, time slot length for particular services, minimum and maximum booking time, the latest time for appointment changes, and so on. You can also enable prepayments and/or cancellation fees to better secure your bookings in your online business management system.
With Booksy, you can make the customers’ path from looking at your amazing work on your Facebook or Instagram profiles to booking the appointment as short as possible! Booksy client management system integrates with both Facebook and Instagram, so with just a few clicks, you can add a “Book Now” button on your page, leading straight to your booking system. And that's not all - Booksy also integrates with Reserve with Google allowing clients to make bookings directly within the search engine. Now your potential customers won’t get distracted or lost!
Why would you prefer to have only one functionality when you can have a whole pack of them, perfectly synchronized with one another? Booksy’s online booking software gives you the freedom of having control over your business’s performance anytime, anywhere - and at the same time, works hard on your behalf.
Being a business owner can be overwhelming. The sheer amount of things you have to keep track of can make you feel dizzy. Every time you are away from your salon, you feel anxious and it’s hard for you to unwind. Does that sound familiar? Booksy is there to help - the business management software is cloud-based, so you can check the financial reports, employee shifts or stock levels whenever you want, wherever you are. The only thing you need is a device with access to the Internet!
Working in the beauty industry, you have to treat every appointment as if it were the first one - your customer service has to be top-notch! You have to remember so much information - from the client’s hair color formula to their taste in coffee. With digital customer records and online forms, you have all the details in one place - from the complete history of appointments and purchases to before and after photos.
Wave goodbye to scribbling in a notebook - now you have all the appointments in one place and can easily edit them or reschedule by simple drag and drop. You can access the appointment book remotely and set different access levels for your employees.
From automatic appointment reminders to carefully prepared message blast campaigns - with Booksy, you never lose touch with your clients. Nothing boosts engagement like a personalized text message!
Keep the numbers under control with real-time financial statistics and detailed performance reports right inside your salon management software. Now you have customer rebooking rates or work time analysis always close at hand.
Become the perfect beauty salon manager - plan your work, motivate the team and keep track of their performance. Booksy runs records of time-offs, automatically calculates commission rates and delivers detailed work reports.
Your digital helper will check the stock levels, sales and product consumption for you. You won’t forget about making the right order ever again with Booksy’s complete management system for business.
The smartest marketing assistant you’ve ever met! It will analyze your customer database to find clients who haven’t visited you in a while and send them personalized offers, as well as suggest products that will lengthen the effects of the previous treatment and invite for a follow-up visit just in time. Booksy will also let you set up promotions such as flash sales, last minute discounts and happy hours to help you fill your calendar to the fullest!
If you are after a convenient, all-in-one solution created with the needs of the real hair & beauty business owners in mind, give Booksy a go. You can test drive it for two weeks for free - no contract to sign, no credit card required. Instead of getting just a tool for online booking, get yourself your new, most hard-working employee that will help you manage your business and bring you more profit than ever before!
