Sometimes in business, the old ways are still the best. Shaking hands, good customer service and striking deals in person remain essential tools of the modern business, just as they have been for centuries.

However, there are some tools which should be left in the past, and that includes old, outmoded booking platforms.

For many of us, our trusty appointment book or diary remains a vital part of the functioning of our business, but what if it could be improved? Technology has dramatically improved much of the process of modern business management, so why not your booking process?

Here at BookingLive, we’ve seen first-hand how beneficial an online booking system can be to businesses of all shapes and sizes, but what are the five ways online booking will help boost your business?

 



 

Great Booking Flexibility for Customers


Without an online booking system in place, booking for your customers happens in one of a few ways: either they book in person, over the phone or via email. Whichever of these ways your customer chooses to book, the process is a time consuming for them and they’re limited by your office hours.

By booking online, your customers can book as and when it suits them, rather than bending to those restrictive booking hours. Online booking also means that multiple customers can book simultaneously and from any Internet-enabled platform they have to hand, whether that’s a smartphone at midnight or a desktop at 3pm.

That’s a huge boost for any business, with customers able to book at any hour and from any country, a feature which truly embraces the strengths and advantages of the internet.  This will help you to never miss a customer again.

 

Reduced Staff Workload


Traditional booking systems like telephone booking may get the job done to a degree, but they require a large amount of maintenance to keep accurate and up to date.

Alongside staff dedicated to managing your phone lines and other communication channels, you need staff to put aside time to update and manage your booking calendar, take payments, check for mistakes, remind customers of their booking and manage staff availability. Those are all time-consuming tasks which require an expert eye to ensure that no mistakes slip through.

By operating an online booking system, you’re automating the entire process. Customers can only book dates which have spaces available and pay up front for their booking, requiring no intervention by your staff, and enjoy automatic booking reminders. It’s the fast, simple way for your customers to book, and frees up your staff to focus on other tasks around your business where their talents are better placed – perfect!

 

Increased Revenue with Upselling


Any business will tell you that the key to growth is turning a customer buying one thing once into a customer buying multiple things often, which is why we built BookingLive with upselling support out of the box.

Before your customer confirms their booking, you can present them with a limitless range of options for expanding their purchase.

Whether that’s special discounts on multi-buys, extra equipment or anything else, BookingLive enables you to offer it. Our customers have seen an increase of over 40% when offering related products and services alongside their primary bookings, can you afford to miss out on that kind of revenue boost?

 

Boost Customer Engagement with a Built-In Blogging Platform


Writing a blog is a fantastic way to get customers engaged with your business, and can really help push you up the search rankings. BookingLive has a built-in blogging platform, which lets you create fully integrated and customisable blog posts with ease.

Regular news pieces and updates regarding events, products and stock help to build a relationship between you and your customers, earn valuable legitimacy and boost sales. It’s also a vital tactic for those looking to improve their rankings on search engines like Google and Bing.

Both search platforms regularly scan websites for fresh, relevant content. By maintaining a blog that remains on brand and hits target keywords, you can encourage search engines to move you up the rankings and, therefore, increase visits to your website and orders.

 

Easy Social promotion


Social networks are fast becoming the centre of the modern internet, with platforms like Facebook and Twitter being used not just for socialising with friends and family, but as a primary port-of-call for brands and purchases. This has resulted in many people finding new businesses through social media, whether this is a simple search or advert. This is why promoting on social media could come as a huge advantage to your business!

By taking bookings online you would have a clear page to send potential customers to rather than saying ‘call us to place a booking’. Plus sending to your booking form with compelling content next to it should increase the amount of overall bookings.

Some booking systems do in fact integrate with Facebook and comes with a range of features/advantages, which include:

  • The ability for customers to book directly from Facebook with live availability calendars and detailed product descriptions.

  • Optional promotional codes for bookings made through Facebook

  • Liking and sharing features for your activities or courses, increasing visibility

  • Tracking features for bookings made through Facebook


If you’re interested in finding out more about how our online booking software could boost your business, feel free to contact us today or sign up for a free demo!