Kitomba blog

Curious about the benefits of online booking for the hair and beauty industry? Online booking is becoming an expectation for clients and the norm for businesses. The convenience it offers clients, as well as the value it offers salons, spas and clinics has seen it grow in popularity as more people buy products and book services online.

Here are five reasons why you need online booking for your salon, spa or clinic.

1. Fill your appointment book

Online booking is a great way to fill your appointment book. That’s because it reduces the barriers between your clients making an appointment by enabling them to request an appointment online outside of your normal business hours.

They can visit your online booking web page, find the services they want to book, choose a date and time slot that suits them, enter their details, make a deposit, and submit a booking request – all within a minute or two.

Imagine opening for the week and having 10 bookings already waiting to be accepted – and you’ve done no work!

Clients won’t have access to your appointment book itself, they’ll simply see the dates and time slots you have available, which they can select and you can approve or change depending on what suits your team and schedule best.

Online booking also works well for both new and returning lapsed clients who can easily access online booking from your website, social media pages, or a SMS or email campaign you send.

Here’s what a client will see when making an online booking:

2. Make more money

One of the biggest reasons why salon, spa and clinic owners are using online booking is because it has the potential to increase revenue. 

On average, Kitomba Salon and Spa Software customers make $4,000 per month through online booking, which is almost $50,000 a year. This number is growing too, so make sure you’re not being left behind! Find out how.

3. Convenience for your clients

Ultimately, online booking is all about making booking easier for your clients. We’re all looking for convenience and simplicity in our lives, and online booking offers your clients the convenience and flexibility to book their appointments when and where it suits them. Make it even easier for your clients to book with you by adding Book Now buttons to your Facebook business page and Instagram profile. This way clients can book an appointment without even leaving their favourite social platform. 

They can easily see when their preferred team member is available so you don’t have to go back and forth over email or on the phone to find a time that works for you both. Plus, they’re guaranteed to get through – there’s no chance you’re going to be busy with a client and therefore unable to take their booking.

In fact, according to our data, over 50% of online bookings for salons, spas and clinics are received outside of standard operating hours. 

4. Less lost bookings

Online booking can help you capture bookings you would otherwise miss if you’re unable to answer the phone. You can even update your answering message informing clients they can book online. 

In addition, your phone is less likely to ring and interrupt your appointments, allowing you to focus on your visitors, safe in the knowledge that your online booking system is processing your new bookings for you.

5. Less no-shows and cancellations

Appointments made through online booking are also less likely to result in a no-show or cancellation. This is great news as on average 10% of appointments are “lost” as cancellations or no-shows. The majority of lost appointments are cancellations, making these your biggest challenge.

Online booking systems, such as Kitomba, will automatically send an appointment confirmation message once an online booking is confirmed by the salon, spa or clinic, and reminder messages before the appointment, both of which help reduce no-shows.

You can also set up booking deposits that clients will need to pay at the time of booking to secure their appointment, further reducing the likelihood of cancellations or no-shows.

Are you ready to grow with Kitomba Online Booking?

Now that you know why online booking is great for your business and your clients, find out what to look for in an online booking platform, and learn how to create the best online booking experience for your clients and business. 

If you don’t have online booking in your salon, spa or clinic, get in touch with our support team or book a personalised demo to see how Kitomba’s online booking and other powerful functionality can help you grow your business.

For more tips on improving client experience in your business, see our all inclusive Salon Client Experience Guide. 

Read next: 

• How to increase the profitability of online booking 
• Salon Marketing – How to promote your salon, spa or clinic
• How to measure the success of your salon, spa or clinic 

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 23 Oct 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.