5 reasons why online bookings are a no-brainer for your salon or spa

We're all looking for ways we can spend less time fretting the small stuff and focus on what we do best - create amazing experiences for our clients! 

Fresha's online booking system is a great way of allowing your clients to book an appointment at any time of the day, and in an increasingly digital world, 24/7 access to your service list is essential for helping your business achieve its full potential. 

But don’t just take our word for it - we sat down with some of our Partners to find out how our powerful online booking system has helped their salon or spa and pulled together a list of reasons why we think you’re going to love it as much as they do!

Cut your workload in half

You’re in the business of making peoples’ days and time spent answering the phones or responding to emails could be put to better use on your clients. With our fully integrated online booking system, everything is done for you. When a client books online through the Fresha online booking system or a link on your website or social pages, their appointment and client information is instantly logged in our system. Once an appointment is booked, any client notifications you have set up will be automatically triggered.

One business owner based in London told us she spent nine hours a week managing her calendar. That’s nine hours she could've spent on her clients. By making the switch to online bookings, those nine hours were reduced to just one, saving her an entire day’s worth of work that could be invested back into her clients.

Time is not only reduced but can be put to much better use. Blake who runs Flappers & Gentlemen in Leicester said his front-of-house staff is able to spend more time greeting clients and preparing appointments because,

"the phone has gone quiet but the calendar is still just as full."

Another one of our Partners said that while it's hard to admit, her own receptionist position has been made almost redundant.

Keep your business open 24/7

Enabling online bookings means that your clients can access your service list and book an appointment with you at any time of the day. Clients have the freedom to book at their own pace, and with over 60% of online bookings made outside of regular working hours, it has never been more important for your clients to have complete flexibility when booking. By keeping your business open 24/7, you can stay open even when your doors are closed.

Lesley from The Therapy Hut said that she used to spend her evenings following up on missed calls, texts, and voicemails - time she'd much rather have spent with her family:

"People still ring up the phone a lot but since we've included a message suggesting they book online in our voicemail, there's no need to leave a message or call us back. I'm able to clock off completely at the end of the day and spend more time with my family. As well, we tend to find that when we wake up in the morning the calendar is full with new appointments."

Life gets in the way sometimes, especially for busy people. Having the option to book on their commute home or before bed brings a level of convenience clients didn't previously have.

Grow your online presence

Building an online presence and regularly engaging with your clients via email and social media has become increasingly important for businesses looking to stand out from their competitors. If you’re looking to attract new clients and turn your business into a brand, setting up online bookings is the easiest way to do this. 

The Speakeasy Barbershop in Prescot caters to a younger age demographic that owner Lesley says has abandoned the telephone altogether: 

"Society, in general, seems to be steering away from phone conversations. If they don't have to, they won't call. They'd rather text or "like" something instead. So online bookings have made it super easy for the younger generation, who we're seeing schedule appointments with us more and more."

Social media has become an essential marketing tool for the beauty and wellness industry. Adding online booking links on your website and social pages will directly link your followers to your services. With a simple like or share, your business could start attracting an entirely new client base. Lesley told us;

"We're covered on all social bases. The over-60s who aren't generally as tech-savvy can still navigate to the book now button on our website (usually). Instagram is great for the younger age group and those that want to scan our haircuts before they book, and Facebook brings a mix of all ages and preferences too."

Making the transition from offline to online can seem like a massive change but with our online booking software, you can have your service list, online profile, and booking links set up in just a few simple steps.

Tighter security and fewer mistakes

Billions of pounds worth of services are booked online every day and processing transactions for those services has never been more secure. With our encrypted cloud database, SSL security system, and range of firewalls protecting your clients’ payment information, you can be certain that your money is safe.

Set up a no-show and late cancellation policy and clients who book an appointment online will be asked to secure their booking with a payment card. Securing payment information before an appointment takes place makes checking out a breeze with instant charges to their preferred payment option and protection against no-shows. 

Andreea from Blush + Blow says taking payments is so much easier now that client card details are already in the system;

"The payments system is amazing. Being able to charge for no-shows is more convenient for us, and the client benefits as well because they know our policy."

Fewer mistakes

There are always a million things happening at once when you're running a busy salon or spa. Mistakes do happen so it's no surprise that appointments are sometimes scheduled for the wrong time or service and a mobile number or email is taken down incorrectly.

At Daniel Rymer Hair, all of their client’s information was filed on paper with very little organisation, but since switching to online bookings they’re able to keep track of everything from client information to appointments in their calendar. Daniel says:

"It's all there for us, black and white. Now we can concentrate on cutting hair."

Clients who book online can make sure all the details they provide are correct, so you can be confident that their confirmations and reminders are being sent to the address. Any names, addresses, and contact details they provide are securely saved to your client database so you can be sure any marketing campaigns you run will land in front of the right people.

Get smarter insights

One of the best things about enabling online bookings is it's fully integrated with your calendar and management system. All bookings, client information, and sales will automatically appear in the system so you'll know who booked what, and where that booking came from. Andreea (Blush + Blow) says; 

"We use everything in Analytics, it's so easy to see who has made a payment and how much we have made in sales over the month. We take tips too, and our old process involved recording everything on a piece of paper. The paper always went missing... Tips are so much easier to keep track of now so our team is happier."

Upselling extras and add-ons is easy when clients can see everything on offer right in front of them, and online service descriptions give customers more clarity about what they're booking.

Perri from the Revitalize Beauty Salon found that by letting clients book in their own time and by crafting the perfect service menu, they're discovering new treatments and products all on their own.

"In the salon, we would be throwing a million options at them for treatments. Now clients don't have that same pressure and they actually end up buying more because they can see all our services in front of them with descriptions, so they know exactly what they need."