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Optimise the Online Up-sell with your Online Booking System

July 5, 2022

Upselling takes place constantly throughout our day-to-day lives, from the chewing gum at a supermarket till, to the side of fries or green olives at your favourite restaurant. Sellers are maximising their profits without us even noticing. In fact, Sumo has reported that upselling increases revenue by 10-30% on average.

Believe it or not, we are now able to create this in-store phenomenon on our e-commerce sites just as easily. Find out how to optimise the online upsell with your online booking system.

 

What is upselling? 

Upselling is where you offer an upgrade or add-on to a product or service. It’s easier for businesses to upsell to a repeat customer than attract new ones, so it is a great revenue generator. An example of an upsell would be offering customers nail art in their manicure rather than a standard polish.

 

A similar concept is cross-selling. This is where you encourage customers to buy related products or services. In the nail salon example, a cross-sell may be suggesting that a customer buys a nail care kit after having their treatment. 

 

How do we tempt shoppers that know exactly what they want? 

The internet may not seem like the simplest environment to upsell in, as customers are usually focused on buying one particular product rather than casually browsing. However, it is easy to suggest extras and offers after an online purchase happens, as this is when the customer is least concerned about finding something specific to fit their needs. Customers have also given us a clue as to what they are in the market for after an online purchase, which makes it easy for suitable suggestions and upgrades.

 

An example of upselling in the activity sector 

Upselling is especially useful in the experience and activity package sector. From the initial sale, we are able to know what date the purchaser will be using the experience, what time, and what they will need. For example, if an activity lasts all day, selling a breakfast or lunch package will usually not require much consideration or persuasion by the purchaser. For new customers, the sale of vouchers, bulk buy offers and related gifts is also a great way to bring in first timers.

 

A major opportunity for the activity and experience sector is also the online sale of personalised photos. On-site cameras and photographers’ pictures of customers in action which they can preview (watermarked) online first, make for an easy upsell as the product is already personal to them. The purchase of the photos also creates a lasting memory of your business in the customer’s home and is a great tool for word of mouth marketing!

 

How does BookingLive implement upsells to the booking journey? 

BookingLive’s online booking system can synchronise your bookings and extra products with relevant locations, activities, courses, and dates that your customers arrange. This allows for sensible upsell suggestions and further cognitive purchases. Some of the main features of the booking system that help with upselling are:

 

Promote add-ons on social media 

At the very start of the booking journey when your audience is discovering your business through channels like social media, you can promote add-ons. This is very effective when done through a video. For example, if you’re a nail salon, show the process of a manicure including the add-ons of nail art or a hand massage. Customers will want the whole package, and when they can see the amazing results of your service, it won’t take much for them to opt for add-ons. 

 

Booking systems like BookingLive improve the online upsell because you can embed a booking link in your social media profile. As well as this, include the link in your post so customers can quickly schedule a service with you. 

 

Redeemable vouchers to maximise sales 

If your add-ons come at a special price, this will encourage customers to treat themselves and upgrade their product or service. Once they’ve experienced this premium package and enjoyed the benefits, they’ll be more likely to book again – without needing the persuasion of a discount code. 

 

To encourage customers to choose add-ons, make the process easy. With BookingLive, customers can redeem vouchers during the checkout. As a business owner, you can track how many sales included a voucher so you can push popular deals and pause those that aren’t performing well.

 

Use customised upsell messages at key stages of the booking process 

Personalisation is key to winning over your customers and achieving the online upsell without it feeling like a sales pitch. Create special offers or signpost add-ons to specific audiences during the booking journey. If these customers have booked with you before, you can use stored data to suggest add-ons more relevant to their wants and needs.

 

Showing customers what they are interested in without them having to think about it makes them feel valued, and they will believe that your business understands them. This makes it easier for you to push higher ticket items without alienating customers. 

 

Your messaging should be cohesive across all stages of the booking process and various channels. Consistently including details about your add-ons will reinforce the message – even subconsciously!

 

Offer package deals or subscription services 

Repeat customers will already be happy with your service and will likely be prepared to book again and again. Make this decision even easier by offering package deals at discounted rates or subscription services. For example, if you’re an online tutor, you could offer six sessions for the price of five when customers leave a deposit. 

 

With an online booking system, you can take partial or full deposits and set up repeat payments. All of the admin is automated so you don’t have to worry about disorganised receipts and invoices.

 

This type of online upsell works well with email marketing campaigns too. Compile an email list of customers that have booked with you twice or more and send them a personalised message about your package deal. With an online booking system, you can receive valuable data on customer buying habits and behaviour so that your emails are as relevant and targeted as possible. You should include a booking link in the email for ultimate convenience.

 

Learn more in our blog on how to use Mailchimp with your online booking system.

 

Start upselling online with BookingLive today 

BookingLive offers a leading booking solution to help you manage your appointments and services, save time and increase revenue. Automating admin tasks, sending reminders, processing payments, and improving your marketing processes are some of the many features.

 

With our tiered pricing plan, you can take 25 bookings a month for free! Sign up for an account here. If you’d like to chat with our expert team to learn more, call 0800 1310 342 or email sales@bookinglive.com.