One of the key advantages for a business owner to have a strong digital presence is the ability to reach customers 24/7. Consumers need a way to reach you outside regular business hours, therefore, your website should serve as a 24-hour salesperson to promote ways you can benefit your customer and fulfill their needs.
This includes having an online scheduling tool. Online appointment tools not only improve customer loyalty and increase efficiency but can also impact your bottom line. Consider that a study by Square showed that one in four customers will avoid a hair salon with no online booking options. Another study shows that 70 percent of people would prefer the option to book online if available. Health and wellness is the most popular service for online bookings.
There are multiple apps and software options available enabling you to incorporate online booking on your website and social media. They will frequently include automated reminder notifications for your customers, which have been shown to reduce no-show rates by 29 percent – another reason online scheduling tools can truly benefit your business.
Social Media
A study showed the most common way customers found online booking pages is through social media. Therefore, along with including an online booking option on your website, you’ll want to ensure you have this feature included on your social channels. For example, you can add a Book Now button on your company’s Facebook page and LinkedIn offers a CTA button option as well.
Direct Messages
In addition to providing 24/7 scheduling access to customers via your social media platforms, these channels also provide continuous access to communicating with your customers. Messenger and DMs (direct messages) are commonplace for prospective clients or customers to connect with you or your team with inquiries. According to Instagram, 150 million people have a conversation with a business every month via the platform. For ways to better connect with your customers via DMs, check out this article here.
Connecting with your customers is essential to generate new sales, build customer loyalty and drive repeat business. There’s a wide range of tools available to increase your efficiency and create opportunities to improve customer communication and enhance a customer’s overall experience.
As a business owner, you don’t have to go at it alone. The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership offers access to the knowledge, networks and capital to propel your success. Check out our website at weareifel.org to learn more.
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