You have a website that’s available 24/7. That’s like having an employee working, night and day, for 168 hours every week. It’s just waiting for someone to type your URL into their browser or one of your keywords into their search engine of choice. Once they’ve found you, they want to do one thing; take action. Whether that means booking an appointment for a manicure or scheduling time with an accountant they want to do something, and they want to do it now. This is when they reach for the phone or fire off an e-mail.
Sadly, unlike your website, most employees don’t work 168 hours a week, so there might not be anyone to pick up the phone or reply to that e-mail. Maybe you’re out for lunch, maybe its Friday, maybe you’re on vacation, but every minute that customer goes without a response is a minute they might be looking for your competitors.
24/7? More Like 8/5.
The truth is that your availability will never match that of your website. In fact, if you work a standard 40 hours, you will only be able to respond immediately about 25% of the time. Basically, you’re website works 24/7 while you’re working 8/5.
Sure, people might not expect an instant response at 3AM, and a lot of customers will still call during normal business hours, but customers have been getting more accustomed to the around-the-clock availability of e-commerce, online banking and other services that are available online. If you’re still using an appointment book and an answering machine, you’re missing a golden opportunity to turn that appointment booking into a dynamic selling tool.
Think about this, if your business uses an appointment book, whether you’re a dentist, hairdresser or an accountant, almost everyone you deal with is a potential customer. Whether they’re existing customers who you can turn into repeat customers, or people wandering in off the street, they probably have an interest in your service. Why else would they be walking in your door or calling you up?
The same is true for your website, especially since it’s always open for business. If they’ve landed on your page they’re probably searching for something you offer. The trick is making it easier to access that something than the competition does. Sure, they could send an e-mail or check your hours but what if they’re searching during that 75% of the week your website is working and you’re not?
The Solution? Online Appointment Software.
Online Appointment Software turns your appointment book into a dynamic online selling tool. It’s simple to set up and customers will be able book with you in seconds, directly from your website or Facebook. At any time, day or night, they will always get a time and date that works best for them. Customers receive confirmation of the appointment and automated appointment reminders, your schedule is updated automatically online and you receive alerts of updates by email.
Online appointment scheduling software is about creating happy, loyal customers, offering fantastic service and providing the perfect customer experience. It’s about being unique and truly differentiating yourself from your competitors. It’s about stealing the competitive edge and enjoying the financial rewards that come with it. It’s about doing all that without working 168 hours a week.
