Salon booking apps are a fairly new way to book appointments, so naturally, you might be questioning whether they are worthwhile for your business.
There’s no need to ‘um and er’ about salon appointment apps any longer. We’ve broken down 6 reasons why you should leverage this innovative way for clients to interact with your business.
6 Benefits Of Having Your Own Salon Booking App
-
Create a Seamless Customer Experience
Dialling in a phone number or navigating to a website doesn’t seem like strenuous tasks when you set them out in black and white. And they really aren’t. However, when you compare them to the process of booking through an app, suddenly the old ways of booking seem like a lot of effort.
The proof is in the pudding: 75% of millennials now avoid phone calls since they are seen as “time-consuming”. This is great news for your staff, who don’t have to spend their valuable time answering the phone. And with an app, your salon can take bookings 24/7, rather than your clients having to wait until opening hours to phone up.
“So, what about my website?”, we hear you cry.
Studies have shown that mobile apps are simply more popular than websites, which makes sense when you know that 90% of time on a mobile phone is spent on apps. They cater to better user experience since they load content faster and are easier to browse.
Without the frustrations of slow loading times or waiting for someone to pick up the phone, your clients will have a seamless customer experience, and in turn, will be more likely to choose your salon in the future.
-
Reduce No-Show Appointments
Picture this: your client needs to cancel their appointment, but they can’t be bothered to navigate to your site, sign in and cancel. They end up leaving it, and you’ve just lost out on 2 hours’ worth of revenue.
No-show appointments truly are the bane of every salon owner’s existence. So, how do you reduce them?
With a salon appointment app, your clients can manage their appointments with ease. By having the option to cancel or reschedule their appointments within seconds, they will be more likely to do so, rather than leaving you with a no-show.
When you switch to Shortcuts, there’s no need to fret about no-show appointments due to our cancellation fees. This way, those last-minute cancellations and no-shows won’t affect your bottom line.
-
Build a Stronger Brand
For the same reason that businesses hand out their own merchandise, whether it be branded pens or keyrings, a salon booking app can help you build a stronger brand presence.
How? For starters, your salon name and branding will be on the home screen of the clients’ phones at all times in the form of an app icon, providing them with subtle reminders of your business every time they pick it up.
Not only this, but the design of your salon booking app will help to give your business a consistent brand identity, given that your app is built with branding in mind. At Shortcuts, we create apps entirely personalised to your business, helping you to build trust with your clients.
-
Utilise Your App as a Direct Marketing Channel
Not many people consider the marketing power of mobile apps, when the reality is that your clients can access relevant business information, news and promotions right at their fingertips.
By having a salon booking app, your clients will be more likely to interact with your business more often, meaning you have more opportunities to provide value for them, which overall incentivises them to book an appointment.
On top of this, you can utilise push notifications to market your salon at optimal moments, increasing the chances of your clients engaging with your business.
-
Stand Out From Your Competitors
Take a look at your top 3 competitors. Do they have a salon booking app? Chances are they don’t, since salon appointment apps are not being utilised enough.
Therefore, having your own app will provide your clients with one more booking option in comparison to your competitors. This adds a new level of professionalism to your business. But overall, it makes you stand out from the competition.
-
Incentivise Your Clients with Loyalty Programmes
Loyalty programmes are a fantastic way to increase your client retention. However, when there is no easy way for your clients to keep track of their rewards, the novelty is often short-lived.
When your loyalty scheme is integrated into your mobile app, your clients can keep track of their rewards with ease, which will create more excitement around the programme and therefore incentivise them to book appointments.
Have a Salon Booking App Built For You With Shortcuts
At Shortcuts, we understand the importance of providing a great customer experience. With our technology by your side, you can build stronger relationships with your valued clients.
Amongst a plethora of innovative salon software features is our mobile guest app.
We’ll create a personalised salon app for your guests to download directly from the app store. They’ll get instant access to news, specials and their loyalty balance, plus they’ll be able to manage their own appointments, anytime, anywhere!
Get Started with Shortcuts Salon Software
Getting you started with your own salon booking app is just one of many things we can do to take your salon to the next level.
Our range of expertly-designed features will help you run your business smoothly and keep your clients happy, so you can spend more time doing what you do best.
To learn more about Shortcuts, get in touch with us or book a demo.
