What are the best online booking systems for businesses?

No matter the size or scope of your business, it will have been affected by the pandemic that has held us in its grip for the past two years. Many businesses did not survive, sadly, while others grew from the pandemic. With working from home the only option for some businesses, many had to turn to an online or virtual method of keeping their clients happy.

Consider the personal trainer: gyms were shut necessarily, yet by way of using available digital tools – video conferencing, for example – they were able to provide classes over the Internet. The same applies to tutors, to accountants and legal services, to consultants and counselors. Any type of business that has a face-to-face element moved to the digital world – and as the convenience and productivity became proven, so they remain online.

So, why are we talking about online booking systems? As we’re about to show you, these clever tools are essential for businesses such as the above, and also for many others. Let’s talk about why you might benefit from an online booking system. 

Why Do I Need an Online Booking System?

For the purpose of this article, we are using a typical online booking system that features all the functions these tools provide. You can find it at https://missed.com/and have a look at the features in more detail. So, why do you need an online booking system?

Let’s use the example of a tutor, one who has switched to providing classes over a video connection and sends tasks by email or other digital communication systems. He or she may have a number of students with whom they hold one to one tuition, perhaps a couple of times a week. In a standard situation they would send the details of the next session by email, by SMS, or other means. But with a system such as Missed.com things are turned on their head.

Missed – like many such systems – uses a cloud-based calendar. The student – or client – knows they need to book, for example, two sessions a week. They access the calendar, pick the sessions convenient to them, and each party is notified. That session is then closed. The benefits are many, so let’s talk about them before we look at some further features of such a system.

What Benefits Do I Get from an Online Booking System?

If you are working from home you will find a tool such as Missed to be a useful addition to your office. The benefits are many, so let’s look at a few in brief:

• Smooth and streamlined booking that the client has control of
   
• Fewer no-shows thanks to clear communication
   
• No chance of double booking
   
• Cloud-based calendar does not eat into storage space
   
• Video connection can be used for live or recorded broadcasts
   
• Easy to use and time-saving
   
• Time spent on manual booking can be used for work, so improved ROI
   

Put simply, the above benefits – and they are just some – will help you run your business more efficiently, whether you are a sole trader or manage a remote working team. Tools such as Missed.com are designed to be simple to use and effective, and the integrated video link is a bonus for businesses who operate both one on one and multi-client groups. Let’s look at some types of business who are using online booking and appointment tools. 

Is an Online Booking System Relevant for All Businesses? 

Any business that takes clients on an appointment basis will benefit from a tool such as the one described. This applies to professionals such as accountants who meet with clients on a regular basis and need a tool that they can talk to their customer via, and also that can create and send reports and progress automatically.

Lawyers are using such booking tools to provide consultations over a broadband connection, as are the aforementioned tutors, who find the tool invaluable, as do the students. Counselors have moved to online working in some cases because not only do they find it more convenient, but clients who suffer from personal problems that make them socially anxious also appreciate the privacy and convenience of the online method. 

Restaurants that take online bookings – indeed, the hospitality trade in general – use these systems to ensure they can take bookings easily. Simply, any business that requires a client to book a specific time with the business will benefit from one of these increasingly popular business tools.

We haven’t got the space to cover everything a tool such as Missed.com offers, so we recommend that you check it and other online booking systems out in more detail. There is one out there that will help streamline your business and improve your ROI.