Save time with online appointment scheduling
When you run a service-based business, scheduling appointments is a huge part of your day and your cash flow. Both you and your customers want the booking process to be as easy and convenient as possible – which is where online appointment scheduling can help.
By giving your customers the option to schedule appointments online, you can free up time for you and your employees to spend on other priorities. Customers can book appointments anytime of the day or night. And with the right online appointment booking software, you can send automatic reminders to cut down on no-shows.
When you’re ready to add online appointment scheduling to your business, you’ll find easy-to-use capabilities on the Thryv platform. From appointment-scheduling widgets for your website to automated reminders and in-app payment capability, Thryv offers everything you need to delight your customers by simplifying the scheduling process.
The benefits of online appointment scheduling
There are a great many benefits to letting your customers schedule or request appointments online.
- Save time. Scheduling appointments on the phone can consume a huge portion of the day for you or an employee. When you offer online appointment scheduling, you’ll still take the occasional call, but most customers will be happy to schedule appointments on your calendar for themselves.
- Generate more bookings. Every step in the traditional appointment scheduling process is one more opportunity for a customer to get distracted or abandoned their efforts. Online scheduling eliminates the extra steps, helping you secure more appointments.
- Take bookings after hours. By giving customers the option to book any time of the day or night, you can increase the number of appointments while impressing customers with your dedication to their convenience.
- Compete more effectively. Many service businesses don’t offer online appointment scheduling – which gives you an opportunity to set your business apart. By giving customers more convenience and flexibility, you can build loyalty and win repeat business.
- Reduce no-shows. Letting customers choose the best time for their appointment online reduces the chances they’ll need to reschedule or that they won’t show up. With automated appointment reminders as part of your appointment scheduling software, you can reduce no-shows even more.
- Get paid faster. When you automate the scheduling process, you can give your customers the option to pay when they book an appointment, accelerating your cash flow and streamlining your invoicing tasks.
Online appointment scheduling with Thryv
Thryv is a do-it-all business management platform that gives you everything you need to run your business – in one location, with one login. From small business marketing services and Google Business Profile optimization to online reputation management and CRM tools, Thryv delivers the technology you need to find customers, manage workloads, accelerate payments and streamline your business.
Thryv’s online appointment scheduling features give your customers the ability to request appointments anytime, day or night, from any device. With a simple “Book Now” button or link added to your website, marketing emails, SMS texts and social posts, you can connect customers with your calendar and allow them to schedule or request time that’s convenient for them. Configure your appointment booking options with custom durations, locations, hours and more. You control the schedule, accepting appointments you want, when you want them.
With Thryv’s capabilities for online appointment scheduling, you can:
- Sync and share calendars. Thryv lets you manage and synchronize schedules and calendars for your entire team, giving team members as much access as you want to manage their clients and services.
- Offer packages to boost recurring revenue. Allowing customers to book packages of services increases repeat business and revenue while making it easier for customers to schedule follow-up appointments.
- Promote events and classes. When you make customized classes and events bookable online, you can drive repeat visits while easily managing registration, communication and payment with attendees before and after the event.
- Issue automated reminders. Customizable, automated reminders reduce no-shows and eliminate the need to personally call every customer before their appointment.
- Accelerate payment. Offering payment capabilities at the time of booking provides customers with convenient options while helping you get paid faster.
Promoting your scheduling capabilities
Once you have set up your online appointment scheduling capabilities with Thryv, you’ll want to let your customers know they can now book appointments online.
- Record a voicemail greeting. For clients who are used to calling to book appointments, adding information to your voicemail about your online scheduling capabilities gives callers the option to go immediately online to schedule time with you.
- Place calls to action throughout your website. Placing a “Book Now” button on every page on your website makes it easy for customers to take action when they’re ready.
- Add booking links to your social posts. Call-to-action buttons on your Facebook business page or clickable links in your posts are an easy way to remind customers to book online.
- Update your online business listings. Be sure your listings on Google, Yahoo and Bing include a “Book Now” or “Book Online 24/7” button or link.
- Remind clients in your regular communications. Whether it’s a weekly newsletter or a one-off email, every contact with your customer should include a reminder to take advantage of your online booking capabilities.
Why customers choose Thryv
From medical practices and law firms to home repair and other service businesses, thousands of small business owners across the country trust Thryv to manage their most important business functions. As a do-it-all business management and customer communication platform, Thryv makes it easy to access the tools you need without needing to log in to multiple software tools all day long. You can access your Thryv account from any location, on any device, putting business tools at your fingertips anytime you need them.
Along with tools for marketing, payments, CRM and workflow management, you’ll find lots of free tools where you can learn how to generate an invoice effectively, assess your email marketing campaigns or generate review links.
Your information, files and customer data are kept safe and secure on the Thryv platform by cutting-edge data encryption and customizable account access controls. Additionally, Thryv integrates seamlessly with the tools you and your team already use – like QuickBooks, Zoom, Gmail, Square, PayPal and dozens of others – so you don’t have to give up the tools you’re familiar with to take advantage of the benefits of the Thryv platform.
