If you don’t already offer online booking to your clients, you may be disappointing 60% of them and missing out on bookings from busy prospective clients.
Maintaining an online booking system may seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be and increasingly it’s a necessity to ensure a great customer experience and grow your business.
Stat 1: 60% of consumers want online booking from local businesses.
In 2015, online marketing firm Yodle surveyed over 6,000 American consumers and found that the online booking option is one of the most wanted features from local businesses. One-third of customers said that they expect online booking from businesses, while another third said it would make a business stand out to them. You might think your customers don’t yet book online. Think again. As millennials, comprising one-third of the total population, enter workforce, their spending habits have an impact on how businesses provide their services. Millennials are tech-savvy, and want you to be, too.
Stat 2: 42% of online bookings happen after business hours.
Based on all appointments booked through MyTime over the past year, 42% of online bookings happened outside of normal business hours. This means if the businesses didn’t offer online booking, these after-hours bookings might have gone to a competitor. Some of these customers may have called when the businesses were open, but in this age of instant gratification with services like OpenTable and Uber, your clients want an immediate booking and may go somewhere else if you don’t offer it. How many more appointments do you think you would book if your clients could book appointments when you are closed?
Stat 3: 60% of online bookings come through mobile devices.
MyTime’s internal data shows that over 60% of online bookings are made on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets while only 34% are made on desktops. This is consistent with the trend that Internet users now spend increasingly more time on their mobile devices. In 2015, Google announced for the first time that more searches were conducted on mobile than on desktop and started highlighting mobile-friendly sites on phone searches. Consumers are clearly shifting towards mobile, so more clients are searching and visiting you for the first time on their phones. Having a mobile-friendly website is critical to showing up higher on Google search results and a mobile-friendly booking experience helps you appeal to new clients on the go.
It’s time to establish a mobile-friendly online presence with complete listings and provide your clients with the option of online booking. It not only brings your current clients great convenience but also brings you more prospective clients.
Looking for an easier way to manage your appointments? Learn how by requesting a free consultation with a dedicated Business Advisor.
