Online Appointment Booking vs Traditional Appointment Booking
The number one BURNING question for anyone who is considering online appointment booking for their business is the fear that they have to choose one or the other. Does using online appointment booking to schedule appointments mean that clients can’t call to schedule appointments?
The answer is a resounding “You can have your online appointment scheduling CAKE and allow clients to schedule appointments traditionally!”
Many businesses that offer online appointment scheduling are able to accept appointment bookings over the phone as well.
You are still able to accept bookings by any means you do currently. Such bookings must be entered into your online appointment scheduling system.
By using most online appointment scheduling systems, you or your receptionist merely enters the appointment into the online system - much in the same manner as you used to do with your traditional paper based appointment system. However, by using the online appointment scheduling, clients can be sent email reminders of upcoming appointments. Some systems even allow you to collect your fees for the services at the time of scheduling the appointment.
Think of online appointment booking as a VALUE ADDED service instead of a competitor for your traditional paper based appointment booking system. By shifting online appointment scheduling online, you offer the ability for your clients to schedule their own time AND most online appointment scheduling services increase the client compliance by sending follow up emails, reminding them of your scheduled appointment.
Free Online Scheduling Services
You’ve heard the hype - that people LOVE the freedom and convenience of booking their appointment online. However, you’re not sure if online scheduling services are for you. So, instead of diving head first into the online appointment booking waters, you decide to test the waters with one of the many FREE online scheduling services.
Here are some free online scheduling services
- Create Appointments
Createappointments.com provides free internet scheduling solutions without the hassle of downloading or installing software. It’s so easy to use that you can create an online appointment book in minutes. - Click Book
With a Simple and Easy online scheduling interface, Clickbooks means that you and your clients will enjoy making appointments without any hassles, 24/7. While ClickBook is a free service, there is a fee for the SMS messaging to mobile devices for the purpose of confirmation and reminder notifications, fees for which are incurred by the Service Provider. - Bravenet.com
Using the Bravenet Online Calendar’s Month, Week, and Day-at-a-glance views you’ll be able to prioritize your appointments quickly and easily. You’ll also be prepared - stay on top of meetings, appointments, and special occasions. Best of all, there’s nothing to download. Just register the service, copy the code onto your webpage, and begin using your service. - GenBook
Genbook is the best choice when it comes to free online scheduling services. The reason why Genbook is the absolute BEST choice when it comes to a free online appointment scheduling service is that you can start with the FREE version and when your online appointment scheduling needs grow, Genbook can grow right along with your business.It’s entirely possible that your clients/customers/patients are going to LOVE the convenience online appointment scheduling provides them and if that’s the case, you definitely want the option of UPGRADING your online appointment booking software to a more “robust” solution.
No other free online scheduling service can promise to be there when you need more from your online appointment book.
Only Genbook allows you the opportunity to move from free online scheduling to a more robust professional service as your business grows which is why it’s the free service we recommend to our clients.
Online Appointment Book Find: Appointment Plus
Online appointment scheduling software can save you time and improve your efficiency, but only if you’re able to get it set up and running. If you’re tentative about setting up an online appointment scheduling system, then Appointment Plus has the appointment scheduling system for you!
You know that online appointment booking is less expensive than hiring a receptionist.
You know that online appointment booking can make a little business look more professional.
You know that your customers/clients/patients enjoy the convenience of booking their appointments online, as well as the email reminders sent by the system!
But what good is an online appointment scheduling service you can’t get to work!
Appointment Plus has the answer. They are the only online appointment scheduling online software to assign a free, dedicated setup coach to each account.
From the Appointments Plus website:
Any appointment scheduling software system will take some time to set up and learn. We know that you are not an IT director. So, we have developed a unique program in which all of our clients are assigned coaches. These individuals are your partner in helping you to get your scheduler set up and scheduling appointments as soon as possible.
Appointments Plus offers online appointment booking for all kinds of businesses, from massage therapists to personal trainers to tennis courts to shipping docks to tour companies, and everything in between.
Another benefit of online appointment scheduling service is if you’ve got multiple locations, your clients can search ALL locations for the time AND place convenient to them!
Online appointment scheduling doesn’t HAVE to be complicated. It can be easy and hassle free!
Visit Appointment Plus for this value added online appointment scheduling service!
Online Appointment Book Find: Acuity Scheduling
Acutity Scheduling offers easy to use online appointment scheduling for your business.
Using Acuity Scheduling is quite easy to schedule appointments online is quite easy.
You begin by creating appointment types. Different appointments require different scheduling needs and that’s where Acuity Scheduling shines. Acuity scheduling allows you to not only create different types on online appointments, but you can also create custom intake forms.
Next, you set your availability. This is a an area of concern for many small business owners who are considering using online appointment scheduling. Acuity Scheduling offers, just as many other online appointment book services, the ability to set blocks of time which are available for scheduling appointments.
So, if you have Wednesday morning car pool duties, you just don’t set Wednesday morning as an option for your clients to schedule appointments.
Once you have Acuity Scheduling set up, then you can either use the page on the Acuity Scheduling site OR integrate the online appointment scheduling into your existing website.
When clients schedule their appointment, they can choose an appointment type, date and time from times when you are available and free. Acuity Scheduling will intelligently verify that you do not overbook.
Acuity Scheduling also allows the client to download and complete any intake forms you require. You can even set Acuity Scheduling up so that the client pays for the appointment in advance, if you so desire!
When a client books and online appointment with you, both you and the client receive confirmation emails of the appointment.
Acuity Scheduling offers packages from $19 per month.
Online Appointment Book Find: Schedule View
Schedule View offers online appointment scheduling that looks like the paper-based appointment scheduling system you’re used to using!
Customers report that using the Schedule View Online Appointment Scheduling service, they can use the monthly view to find openings at a glance. The drag-n-drop confirmation feature is especially intuitive! Schedule View also allows you to print out the day’s schedule, which is great when you have installers who have to leave the office and have appointments to keep.
The reports such as “No Show” and the history of each client/customer not only improves customer service, but it also eliminates the need for several different bookkeeping procedures.
Schedule View is so easy to use, they offer a free demonstration unit on their website. They also offer three different service packages so you can find the right package for your budget.
Schedule View is different than other online appointment booking services because they send you the software to install on your computer.
Online Appointment Book Find: Beauty by Us
If you’re a salon or spa owner, then you need an affordable, reliable online appointment scheduling service. Beauty by Us has your solution.
Online appointment scheduling services are provided by Beauty by Us is only $34.95 per year. That’s right, if you’re a salon or spa owner, you can get online appointment scheduling for less per year than many online appointment scheduling services charge for one month of service.
Beauty by Us offers online apointment booking for
- salons
- spas
- beauticians
- massage therapists
- nail techs
- stylists
- electrologists
In addition to online appointment booking, Beauty by Us also offers a homepage with the package, so those without a website can even display their business information to the public.
Your Beauty by Us Business Homepage will show your services, hours of operation, your location in MapQuest, the business message and your pricing schedule. All of this is in addition to allowing clients to book appointments for services online.
According to the website:
There are no confusing forms, there is no double booking and there is no need for call backs. This secure appointment interface uses click-and-go navigation and it performs a series of error checks at every step. Simply click an open time slot to select your appointment start time!
Discover what other salon owners have discovered… that clients PREFER to book appointments online!
Online Appointment Book Find: Gen Book
Genbook.com is probably the most ATTRACTIVE online appointment scheduling service I’ve seen yet.
The Genbook appointment scheduling solution is so easy to use there’s no user manual required. You’ll ready to accept online appointments quickly and easily.
DID I MENTION THERE’S A FREE STARTER ACCOUNT?
The free account has plenty of features and as your business grows, so does the service with premium services that you can add sooner or later.
It’s easy for you to set up and it’s easy easier for customer to book an appointment.
From the Genbook.com website:
Book More Clients With Less Effort
Online scheduling with Genbook is a great way to promote your business, book more appointments, build customer loyalty, and free up valuable time…
Your clients are busy, affluent people. They want more convenience, and they want to save time. They don’t want to have to play phone and e-mail tag just to book an appointment.
Great news. Now you can offer your clients the convenience of online scheduling, without the cost and hassle of expensive programming and support. Genbook is a sophisticated appointment gathering and management application for services businesses like yours. Genbook lets your clients choose what services they want, which practitioners they want to see, and when they want to come in based on time slots you specify.
Online Appointment Book Find: Booking Calendar
Booking Calendar offers an easy to use and fully customizable Online Appointment Scheduling.
When you sign up for Booking Calendar’s service, your online appointment book is online and available 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Booking Calendar allows receptionists and sales staff to book appointments at any time, from any location. Online appointment booking also allows customers to make appointments online. Online appointment scheduling reduces appointment no shows and as a result, increases your business’ revenue.
Online appointment scheduling allows you to Increase your company’s sales force without additional overhead costs. The email reminder reduces missed appointments. The ability to allow customers to schedule appointments any time of day from anywhere with an Internet connection will definitely be appreciated by customers who are internet savvy.
Booking Calendar is approved and listed in the “Google Solutions Market Place” as the Online Appointment Scheduler for Google Calendars. This means appointments scheduled using the Booking Calendar services can be synced with a Google Calendar for free.
Booking Calendar is an affordable, easy to use solution for businesses big and small. Booking Calendar also offers monthly and annual subscriptions to the service.
Online Appointmentbook Find: Pick A Time
Pick a Time offers online appointment service targeted towards schools, corporations, small businesses, health & wellness providers, auto shops and hair salons. Pick A Time allows users to publish available time slots on their webpage so that the users clients will able to book appointments via the Internet.
Pick a Time allows schools to schedule Parent/Teacher conferences via the web. School administrators benefit by less paper work and less effort to co-ordinate such meetings. Parents love the easy to use scheduling interface. Teachers will appreciate the ability to set the length of time allowed for each parent teacher meeting, because obviously, some parent teacher meetings will last longer than others.
Pick a Time also allows businesses that offer events/workshops/ training program an easy to use way to simplify event registrations. The ability to process credit card payments as part of the registration process makes it even easier to schedule paid workshops and training programs.
Pick A Time also offers a Health & Wellness scheduling software option. This option allows medical and health care providers to easily take appointments for flu shot vaccinations, blood donations, health screening exams, and other health & wellness related programs.
The Pick a Time website offers live demonstrations of the online appointment scheduling service from both sides of the equation. You can choose to view the system from the administrator side or the participant side. They also offer this guarantee:
you will not be invoiced until after your first event and if for any reason you are not satisfied and do not want to use the system again, there is no obligation to pay.
Online Appointment Book Find: Zappointments.com
Zappointments has a great idea. They offer affordable online appointment scheduling for health care professionals PLUS they’re trying to offer a way to search for health care providers via their site.
In addition to getting online appointment scheduling services, health care providers can also get additional referrals from this online service.
The following is from the zappointments.com site:
Health Service Professionals:
Here’s why you should be on the zappointments.com system:
- No more telephone tag!
- Now subscribe to your calendar from Outlook or iCal!
- Free web space and simple web pages free of charge!
- Secure connection - safer than fax, or telephone!
- Compliant with all applicable privacy laws
- Secure chat application for confidential real-time consultations
- Secure messaging system that is safer than email
- Access your schedule from home, work, anywhere there is internet access!
- No per desktop licensing fees!
- No software to install!
- Never misplace your appointment book again!
- State of the art database encryption!
- Instant bookings!
- Third party authorization via internet!
- We handle marketing to insurance companies, law firms, rehab professionals!
- Access new referral sources!
PLUS as an added incentive, zappointments is offering a Special LIMITED TIME offer.
For a limited time zappointments.com is offering subscriptions for only $30.00 per year, if you enter this special discount code: 76730881. This is being offered for a limited time only and will be replaced by other, less attractive discount offers once we meet our short term subscription targets. However, if you sign up for this rate, you will be able to renew at this rate for as long as you hold the subscription, a discount of 75%!