“Giving your clients the option of online booking is a great way to simplify life for both salons and clients. Here’s how.”
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to running a hair and beauty business — even more so when it’s done completely by hand.
We live in an increasingly digital world, where people expect to book things at the touch of the button and clients expect the same convenience when booking hair and beauty appointments.
From optimising your time, automating communications, and gathering more (and more useful) client data, to providing a great customer experience, there are a tonne of advantages to going digital. Plus, having an online booking presence can help take off some of the pressure that running a salon brings, whilst making it easier for clients to connect with you.
We’ve pulled together a bunch of ways that online booking can make both you and your clients’ lives that much simpler.
Online booking for beauty salons: here’s why it’s important
Whether we like it or not, the world is going digital.
It’s estimated that on average, people in the UK spend 4.8 hours looking at their phones. What’s more, around 65% of people prefer to make their bookings online, whether that’s for a salon appointment, a flight, or a dinner reservation. In short: that’s a lot of people (and a lot of potential clients) that love to be – and book – online.
Allowing your clients to book online makes the most of this active consumer base, and lets that majority of people who prefer to book online do so with ease.
We’ve gathered our top 5 advantages of online booking:
- The convenience for your clients to book any time, anywhere
- Free up your time in the salon
- Increase the perceived value of your salon and brand
- Easily gather and store client data
- Cut down the number of no-shows and forgotten appointments
1. The convenience of online booking
We all love a good bit of convenience – and your clients are no different. When it comes to making a booking, a phone call sometimes just doesn’t cut it on the convenience scale.
Picture this: you’ve gotten home from work, you’ve made dinner, you’ve jumped in the shower. Then, it hits you. You meant to call the salon earlier, but they’ve now closed for the day. You go to sleep, wake up, go to work, aaand repeat. Sound familiar?
Enter: online booking (hoorah!) Your clients can book any time, any place – even when you’re closed for the day. It makes it easier for clients to know your availability and how it will work around their own schedules, and gives them access to you at all hours of the day, without you having to sit by the phone. What’s not to love?
And, with around 47% of clients booking their appointments outside of most salons’ hours – giving them that option is beneficial for both of you. Your salon is always accessible, and you won’t miss out on potential bookings.
Take into account all of those who hate making phone calls – and online booking seems a no-brainer.
With Treatwell – online booking is made super simple – for both clients and salons. Customers can book via Facebook and Instagram, via Google, or even directly through your salon website.
What’s more, your salon will be showcased on Treatwell’s marketplace, both on the web, and via our app. Here, on Europe’s No.1 marketplace, clients can browse your services, opening hours, your work, and your live availability – boosting your online visibility to a whole host of potential new clients. Plus, free times and bookings will always be synchronised with the salon’s digital diary in real-time. So, say goodbye to double-bookings too. Easy.
2. Make the most of your time
Online booking is great for clients – we know that much – but it’s also hugely convenient for salon owners, managers, and staff.
When a customer book online, it frees up time for you to focus on your clients. No more spending ages on the phone or having to answer a call mid-treatment, thank you. This also means that you can provide a quicker and more efficient service to your clients – both improving their customer experience, and freeing up time for even more treatments. Win-win.
Plus, you can watch your calendar fill up even when you’re not at the salon. We think that’s pretty neat.
3. Increase the perceived value of your brand through online booking
Increasing the perceived value of your salon is one of the main goals of a branding strategy. Doing so means that your clients can see the benefit of your salon – why they should go to you rather than a competitor. If the customer perceives your salon as a higher value, then they’ll be willing to pay a higher price, too.
By offering online booking, it’s yet another amenity and convenience that you can give to clients. You’re also showing customers that you’re up to date with technology and innovation, and that you’re a modern, in-the-know brand. Not to mention, you’ll have a leg up and stand out from those competitors who don’t offer online booking.
4. Online booking helps gather and store customer data
It can be hard to keep track of every single thing that goes on in a salon. What were your most popular treatments this year? Did your price change make a difference? Who’s your most requested stylist?
Online booking means you collect that information automatically, whenever a client makes an appointment. Having that kind of information at your fingertips is a great way to make sure you’re not missing any important details. You can see your salon’s performance and trends with easy-to-read reports, and keep up with your clients’ information and preferences.
What’s more, with an online management tool like Treatwell, you can see all of this for bookings made offline too, as long as you add them into your Treatwell calendar. Within your client report, you’ll also be able to keep track of how your clients are booking, and the percentage of customers you’ve acquired through online channels.
Most importantly, when you’re able to understand how your salon is performing and how you’ve interacted with clients in the past, finding areas where you can improve and provide a better experience is easier than ever.
Each time a client comes back, you learn more about what treatments they usually want and what products they like. You can then work on developing the most effective marketing techniques – through emails, SMS, and more. The more you learn, the better equipped you are to offer them the things that they really want.
5. Cutting down on no-shows and forgotten appointments
One of the most simple but effective benefits of online booking is the ability to send appointment confirmations and reminders.
With Treatwell, booking confirmation emails are sent instantly upon making an appointment, regardless of which channel they booked through.
Free and automatic reminders are also sent to clients, reminding them of their upcoming appointment. Clients are also given the option to add the booking to their own online calendar. So, no more forgotten appointments or misremembered dates.
What’s more – if a client really isn’t able to make it, these reminders prompt them to let you know in time for you to fill the empty space. So no more no-shows, either.
Online booking is just one of the reasons why it’s essential to have a management system in every salon.
Treatwell’s salon management software is designed to make life easier for salon owners, and help with every aspect of salon life (we’ll leave the treatments up to you, though). Keep track and manage your business, without giving up time, so that you can focus on creating amazing experiences for your clients. Choosing Treatwell means becoming part of a community of visionary hair and beauty stylists – are you ready to join us? Book your free demo here.
