Introduction
Pedicures and manicures have been common treatments for a long time: Most women rush to the studio every two weeks to get their nails done. Naturally, therefore, more and more nail studios are opening worldwide.
What else can increase the comfort level of customers besides high-quality services? According to statistics, 50% of nail salon customers choose online booking. Modern people value time and prefer to quickly solve problems by smartphone without making a phone call.
Therefore, in the reality of the 21st century, every nail salon that cares about its reputation should offer its customers the opportunity to book appointments online. It is efficient for the workflow in a nail salon: the organization of this process largely depends on how customer communication and customer service will develop and whether the new customers will return to the salon.
Opening your studio requires a lot of preparatory work, from creating a business plan to searching for investors and hiring qualified masters. However, all this is only useful if the advertising campaign and development strategy, including on the Internet, are well thought out. You can find a step-by-step guide to the above points in our blog.
Those who want to customize their website turn to content management systems (e.g., WordPress or Joomla). You can use a construction kit to assemble your own studio website if you need programming skills. However, the easiest way is to set up an appointment software that provides clients a booking page. EasyWeek has this option: even with the free plan, you get a website with the booking widget already built in.
A booking widget is a software application that can be integrated into a website, social media page, or other online platforms to allow customers to book appointments, make reservations, or schedule services online. The widget typically displays available dates and times and may allow customers to select specific services or providers. The information entered by the customer is then captured and stored in a backend system, making it easy for the business to manage appointments and reservations. As a result, booking widgets can streamline the booking process and improve the customer experience.
How to make an appointment online?
The good news is that nail salon managers have a wide range of tools to increase the efficiency of their workflow. The bad news is that significantly improving workflow using these old methods is almost impossible. So if the studio uses excel documents for appointment entries, and the client base is a list of names with phone numbers, it's time to change the situation, especially if you want to increase profits.
Online appointment booking is a step towards meeting the needs of modern customers. Customers no longer have to call, ask for information, or wait – they can choose the right time and nail designer and make an appointment within minutes. To do this, the customer does not need to install any applications. It is very convenient!
With most appointment booking tools, this is how it works:
Go to any profile of your desired beauty salon (website, Instagram, etc.);
Open the online registration form;
Choose the day and time;
Choose the master and the service you want;
Click on "Book now"
The system will prevent time slots that are already booked from being booked. The online booking module is integrated into the electronic log: as soon as the customer confirms the appointment booking, it appears in the calendar and is visible to the administrator, foreman, and manager.
Then an appointment confirmation with all relevant information (date, time, service, foreman, etc.) is automatically sent to the customer. In addition, the customer receives appointment reminders in advance. Everything is simple – without unnecessary clicks!
Advantages of online appointment booking
The online booking module is also available through a direct link that can be placed in any advertisement and social network. After seeing the ad, the customer can click the link and make an appointment. This option increases the effectiveness of their advertising many times over.
Customers have the opportunity to make appointments outside business hours. According to statistics, 25% of appointment bookings are made at night. If the time is unavailable, it is easier for the customer to navigate the appointment calendar and find an alternative. When booking, in some software solutions, it is possible to consider not only the foreman but also the working equipment or other objects.
The program allows you to store all customer data, including, for example, previous visits and booking history. The administrator is not so often distracted by the phone and can pay more attention to the nail salon's customers.
One gets an overview of the most important indicators of the studio's success:
The occupancy rate in the studio
The efficiency of the staff
The booking and cancellation statistics
Lost customers
All this helps to react to problems quickly and make the right decisions. The administrator receives notifications about new and upcoming appointments and has a better overview of all employees' schedules, eliminating mistakes.
Your customers always have the option – even on vacation, in a different time zone, or roaming – to schedule appointments. Since online booking is so convenient, new customers are ready to return to your nail salon.
Efficient program for nail salons
Nowadays, there are many automation programs to choose from. However, one of them deserves special mention because of its sophisticated UX, price, and functionality – it is EasyWeek.
EasyWeek software offers a lot of valuable tools for your nail salon:
Recording of all orders and customer preferences;
Customizable online booking widget on your nail salon website;
Integrated appointment booking forms for all social networks, quickly accessible with just one link;
Free website with a custom URL optimized for mobile devices;
Compilation of master schedules;
Payroll, salary and commission accounting, calculation of vacation pay;
Inventory and administrative accounting;
Detailed reports;
Marketing analysis.
When connecting EasyWeek software, one receives technical support upon request and can choose between several plans. There are no hidden fees and costs.
Conclusion
It is only sometimes easiest to make an appointment in a nail salon by phone. For example, it is difficult to make a call if you are in a noisy place or an office. Therefore, the booking is postponed and then often forgotten – plans change.
Online appointment booking software allows clients to call in anytime, even outside business hours. Try the 14-day version of EasyWeek to enjoy it in full functionality without commitment!