Are you using a pen, paper, and planner to schedule your appointments?

Are you wasting your time chasing down clients over email or the phone?

What if you don’t have money for a receptionist, so you’re stuck leaving your clients and running to the phone every time it rings?

If you’re a serviced-based business, like a hair salon or yoga studio, and you’re looking to:

  • Save time
  • Get more new clients
  • Book more recurring appointments
  • Keep up client communication

… Then you absolutely should consider using an online scheduling app.

Simply put: Online scheduling apps save you time and make you more money.

What’s not to love?

Today, we’re breaking down exactly what online scheduling apps are, plus which options you should consider using to book your appointments.

What is a scheduling app?

Online scheduling apps, sometimes referred to as an online scheduling tool or scheduling software, is an online platform that streamlines the appointment booking process for service providers and their clients.

It allows you to manage all your appointments in one place, including scheduling and rescheduling, and (for some apps) transactions and charges related to those appointments.

Using an online scheduling tool is kind of like having a virtual front desk receptionist.

Setting up appointments becomes super easy with scheduling apps — clients can book online and providers, like hair stylists and personal fitness trainers, can manage their calendars through the app.

Some scheduling software — like Schedulicity! — even syncs with your personal calendars, putting all of your scheduling needs in one place.

Who are online scheduling apps for?

Any service provider — from dog walkers to spa owners to yoga instructors to tattoo artists — can benefit from online scheduling software to manage their appointments. Some examples: 

If your business relies on booking appointments with clients, you could benefit from the automation that online scheduling software provides.

And you’re especially in need of a scheduling app if you’re still using a paper calendar, if you accidentally double-booked a client, or if you’re dealing with persistent no-shows.

How does online scheduling work?

Let’s start by going over your typical appointment booking process without a scheduling app.

  1. A client finds your services online (hopefully) and scans the contact page to make sure you’re open. 
  2. They call you, hoping you’re not with a client and have time to answer. 
  3. If they’re lucky, you’re able to answer the phone. 
  4. You’ll then play a particularly rousing game of dueling-calendars, trying to find a time that works for both of you. 
  5. You’ll put the appointment into your calendar, hoping that you don’t make a mistake (we’ve all made them). 

Look at the clock.

That’s time you won’t get back.

And going through this for all 20 appointments you have to fill in a day? Yikes.

Online scheduling apps work by making this whole interaction seamless — and faster.

When clients head to your site, they find a clear “Schedule Now” or Book an Appointment link that points to your scheduling page.

They can then book on their computers or phone without calling you.

The app shows them your available appointments, which get updated in real time, 24/7, without you having to lift a finger.

Once booked, clients and providers can edit, cancel, or reschedule appointments from any phone, without the back-and-forth.

Any scheduling app worth your time should also send automated text reminders to your clients, reminding them of their upcoming appointments.

The result is faster booking times but also a reduction of appointment no-shows.

What are the benefits of an online scheduling app?

Online scheduling apps make booking hassle-free.

As a service provider that gets paid by the hour, your time is a precious resource.

With automatic online scheduling, you have more time to actually help your clients during appointments. 

A 3-minute phone call to book an appointment doesn’t sound like much, but barbers can book on average 100 appointments a week.

When you’re growing your business, it’s key to make it as easy as possible for clients to book.

Having to pick up the phone or get into an email chain is a barrier that will make many clients simply move onto the next provider — one who offers seamless booking that takes no time at all. 

Online scheduling apps allow clients to book from wherever they are on whatever device is most convenient for them, so they’re more likely to book instead of giving up in frustration and taking their business elsewhere.

You save time on booking appointments.

Remember that 3-minute call I mentioned earlier?

That’s the best case scenario, one that depends on the client picking up the phone, having their calendar available, and that you two can easily find a time that works for both of you.

If you have to make these calls for 20 appointments in a day, that’s at least an hour spent on scheduling — or another appointment where you could be making money.

Keep in mind that you’re not billing for the time you spend scheduling, so anything you can do to cut down on time spent on the phone helps your bottom line.

Online scheduling apps reduce no-shows and cancelations.

No-shows are one of the most frustrating elements of running a service business — you end up wasting an hour that could have brought in money.

Most scheduling apps should offer one critical feature to reduce cancelations: automatic text reminders.

Text reminders seriously work: When we ran the numbers, we found that 66% of Schedulicity’s salon businesses cut down on no-shows with text reminders. Make sure your online scheduling software offers automatic text reminders, as they’ll do the heavy lifting of scheduling work for you.

You can accept payments online.

You want scheduling to be as easy as possible — but something else should be just as seamless: getting paid! Scheduling apps allow you to set up online payments for your services.

First, consider setting up pre-payments or deposits.

Having clients pay up front drastically reduces cancellations, and ensures that whether a client shows up or not, you’re still making money for their appointment time.

Schedulicity even offers a contactless, self-checkout option for clients.

It allows your clients to pay for their appointment right from their own phone — eliminating that awkward tipping phase and getting your clients on their way quicker.

Online scheduling apps with payment options also lets you manage your promotions and discounts, giving you flexibility with your payment options and a place to keep track of everything.

Online scheduling apps make booking more accessible.

Not only can clients book through your website on their phone, tablet, or computer, but easy integrations with other platforms mean clients can book on your social media accounts, too.

Make sure your Facebook and Instagram are equipped with a Book Now feature.

That way, clients can book you wherever they find you without having to track you down.

You can generate data that helps you get more clients and make more money.

Another added bonus of using online scheduling software is all the comprehensive data that apps track.

Did the 10% off deal fill up your Wednesday?

How much did you sell in package deals last month?

Is the student discount bringing in younger clientele?

These data metrics can show you how well your marketing efforts and deals are performing.

With this information, you can make deliberate marketing decisions based on your previous efforts, so you can repeat the success or stop anything that isn’t delivering.

10 Online Scheduling Apps That Make Life Easier

1. Schedulicity

That’s us!

Schedulicity is the destination for service businesses like hair stylists, massage therapists, makeup artists — you name it.

Scheduling features include class management, waivers and alerts, marketing tools (like email marketing), a business listing, online payment processing, reporting, and a seamless booking experience.

The app has a free 14-day trial, as well as an Unlimited Plan — which includes all the goodies! — starting at $34.99/month for a solo provider business.

2. DaySmart Appointments

DaySmart Appointments (formerly AppointmentPlus) offers bookings for a huge variety of businesses, from healthcare to logistics to service-based companies to retail. Their packages come with tons of features, including text reminders, payment processing, and analytics. Pricing starts at $49/month.

3. Booker by Mindbody

With Booker, you can list your calendar online, and sell items like gift cards through their e-commerce platform. Pricing starts at $129/month.

4. Mindbody

Mindbody offers business software for online booking, marketing, and point of sale, integrating into social and making everything available through the Mindbody app. Pricing starts at $129–$139/month.

5. Vagaro

Beyond online booking and calendar management, Vagaro offers a website builder for your business, an email marketing platform, invoice and form generation, and customer tracking. Pricing starts at $25/month.

6. Wellness Living

In addition to your basic suite of scheduling features, Wellness Living offers the chance to book through Google. Pricing starts at $59/month.

7. GenBook

With GenBook, clients can book on social, Google, and anywhere else online you can possibly imagine. GenBook also offers automated reminders and a performance dashboard. Pricing starts at $25/month.

8. Luma Health

Luma Health is aimed at medical professionals, and the scheduling software offers enhanced security to be in line with privacy policies surrounding medical care. 

9. FlexBooker

FlexBooker includes standard scheduling features like online booking, automatic email or text reminders, and online payment processing. It also touts enhanced security measures to keep your clients’ information safe. Pricing starts at $39/month.

10. Mend

Mend is the online scheduling destination for medical professionals, offering scheduling features as well as a complex patient management platform. Starts at $29/month.


The Takeaway

Online scheduling software can sometimes seem complicated and intimidating, but it shouldn’t be.

If you’re a service-based business owner looking to save time, then you definitely should consider using online scheduling software.

Remember, Time = Money!

Considering multiple tools? Here’s a simple scheduling checklist to get you started!