Online booking software has become the sine qua non for any professional communication strategy between a company and a client. It enables clients to schedule an appointment, a suit fitting, book a table at a restaurant, pick up an order, and much more — at any time and from any location.

Imagine you own a high-end fashion store in town.

It is the end of the academic year, and senior high students are making plans for the school formal. Because this is such a special occasion for every adolescent, they naturally want to look their best, and stores all over town will have elegant tuxedos and dresses on display.

As most people do nowadays, they begin their search online, perhaps on the weekend. They might come across your store and wish to schedule a fitting appointment to try on a particular suit or dress.

But what if they look at the contact information and realise there is no appointment scheduling feature and they may only call on a workday?

Well, most likely, they will not wait until opening hours, but will, instead, contact another shop. And this will not be an isolated case.

Let's see what you can do in the future to not only convert your visitors into buyers, but also to ensure you get your fair share of the market.

The online appointment booking software, which was initially utilised by public institutions and the tourism industry, is now being valued by retailers and restaurants as well.

While many companies continue to monitor appointments manually in notebooks or spreadsheets, others seize the opportunities of digitalisation.

Check out a few of the most compelling reasons why companies like Target and Kmart use such platforms or applications to engage with their clients below:

1. Gain More Customers by Improving Their Experience

The consumers’ needs and expectations are at the heart of any business. Using an online booking software is well-aligned with a consumer-centric approach.

If other retail and hospitality business owners apply these strategies, you can, too:

• Allowing customers to schedule appointments to avoid a crowded venue, and to even save a spot in a virtual queue — all done with the click of a button — will make any shopping experience can feel like a premium one;
• Provide discounts and special offers for buyers who use your online booking software;
• Prepare the products they viewed online for the in-store visit to strengthen your relationship with the customer and earn their loyalty. Use the opportunity to show them other relevant products that they haven't seen before.

2. Save Employees’ Time and Effort. Focus Their Attention on What’s Important

Instead of spending a lot of the workday making phone calls to manage appointments, your staff can focus on more fulfilling tasks such as online or in-store customer support.

For example, by collecting client data from the software, your team might provide birthday discounts, send personalised "thank you" emails, or send notifications about new stock additions based on their preferences.

Additionally, department stores can host online video meetings to provide consultations or to showcase available items.

Restaurants, in particular, can profit from appointment scheduling software on special events by better distributing their guests across virtual queues. That way, they engage with fewer waiting customers at once and they keep them from waiting for long periods.

3. Use Online Booking Software to Convert Website Visitors into Customers

In order to achieve that, a good practice is to integrate the online appointment booking software into all of the business’s channels (social media, Google maps) through a call-to-action button. This ensures that visitors can reach out to you much more quickly and conveniently than if they called during business hours.

A few key features that can qualify an online booking software as a reliable tool are:

• It handles online payments – some versions of appointment booking software allow online payments, which is a highly desirable feature for most online shoppers;
• It has a click-and-collect feature – an essential feature that increases convenience;
• It creates and manages virtual queues. If your store is at capacity, new customers will be able to reserve a spot in a virtual queue (through a QR code on the entrance door, for example). They can wait for their turn while running errands instead of going to a different store, and the software will automatically send them updates about their booking;
• It provides a contact form that asks the appropriate questions at the time of booking (in various languages if necessary) and helps collect client feedback;
• It respects the privacy of your customers. Online appointment booking software will provide you with their email addresses and other contact information. While most consumers don’t mind handing in personal information in exchange for personalised offers, you must do your part to keep their data safe.

While taking phone calls and utilising physical planners are not inherently wrong, they may not be enough to keep up with your competition.

Let’s look at the table below that wraps up the manual, old-school booking vs. online booking software comparison.

Online Booking Software. Comparison with Manual Options

We have looked at the various reasons why many hospitality and retail companies use online booking software. We have also covered its main features that boost efficiency and customer experience. Lastly, we topped it off with the manual booking versus online booking software comparison.

If we have convinced you that online booking software can be a valuable asset for you to stay on top of your game and not miss another sale, Storeplay IQ is here to help.

Get in touch with us, and we will happily assist with installing the best online booking software according to your business needs.