As businesses continue to adapt to the fast paced consumer world, a number of products continue to spring up that make running a business or connecting with clients that much faster and more efficient.

Appointment scheduling software is one such program that helps businesses to evolve, by allowing them to manage appointments and schedules, while allowing their clients to book their own appointments from their smartphone, tablet, or computer. While many small businesses have already caught on to online booking, there are many that continue to hang back. If your company isn’t using online booking software, here are just a few of the reasons you may want to reconsider.

• Availability
  Your clients can now make appointments 24/7 based on your set availability and empty time slots. And more self-service means less time spent booking over the phone.
• Ease of Use
  There’s nothing to install and no servers or backups to worry about. Many online scheduling programs even offer the option to backup your booking and client info. You don’t even need to worry about having your own website because booking software can either be integrated or used directly from the booking website.
• Value
  While any booking program will provide you value by cutting back on the time you spend scheduling and managing appointments and staff the old fashioned way, many of the available software programs give you a ton of useful features for a very small investment.

You are in control when it comes to online booking software. You can customize the system to work the way that you do, by allowing appointments to be scheduled within real time open slots and around set vacation hours, holidays, and company meetings. You get detailed control over what information your clients enter with custom intake forms, and you can specify who is notified about new appointments, cancellations, and changes. This allows you to be as hands on or hands off as you would like to be. If you don’t want to be in charge of the scheduling aspect of your business, you can decide which staff users you want to be able to see and manage your schedule. And you can set parameters for your team as well as your clients, including how far in advance appointments need to be cancelled or changed.

One of the biggest reasons that BookedIN is such a hit is because it is a web-based app, rather than an installable program. Thanks to this, you can now:

• Easily Change Layout
  Change your logo and color scheme to match your website and set custom messages for informational dialogs so that your clients easily recognize your business.
• Integration
  You can sync or integrate your appointments two-ways with other programs like Outlook, Google, Office365, iCal or Microsoft Exchange. You can also export info from your clients for email marketing.
• Work From Anywhere
  Work from wherever is most convenient for you. You’ll get reliable and speedy access to your calendars from your home, office, or sitting on the beach. You can reach your account 24/7 from any location that has an internet connection.
• Friendly Support
  A lot of businesses are scared off by the term ‘self-service.’ In fact, getting your scheduling program to work is fast and easy. Regardless, we provide you with friendly support to walk you through initial setup and any additional questions you may have while using the software.
• Work With Your Clients
  Clients can make and cancel their own appointments. You can setup custom intake forms for clients to fill out, which the system will log for you. All of which saves you and your clients time.

Online booking software is key for businesses looking to speed up their scheduling process. Online booking programs allow clients to make their own appointments on their smartphone, tablet, or computer by choosing an available slot from your appointment book, which can be integrated into your website or Facebook page. This system continues to grow in popularity with both consumers and small businesses, as it frees up your staff from the headache of manually scheduling appointments, and is an easy and effective way for clients to see when you are available, your services, and to fill out information that you can use to track and manage their appointments.

For individuals and companies that do a lot of their business online, it can be a hassle to schedule meetings with other people. Online scheduling is a great way to eliminate all of the back and forth emails that it would normally take to schedule appointments, through the use of an online calendar and appointment scheduling system. Below is an overview of the BookedIN program.

This online appointment scheduling software lets clients set their own meetings from a free booking website provided as part of the monthly subscription fee. BookedIN charges a very competitive price for the use of its scheduler and allows unlimited users. That means that everyone in the office can have access to the group calendar, see each others’ schedules, and book appointments from within the office.  See a full list of features here.

Imagine you have a potential client that you’ve met online who is excited to talk with you about how you can help them. This client, like many you’ll encounter in your career, just can’t wait to get started with you and your company. You happily offer this client a free consultation that will help you both get on the same page, and you want to take advantage of their excitement by getting them to commit to a time right away. Now you have two options for scheduling their consultation; you can either use an online appointment scheduler or manually schedule on your own.

Option 1: Manually Scheduling Appointments

First, you’ll probably send your new potential client an email (or Facebook message, or Skype message, or whichever form of contact you’re using), including a list of times that will work for you in the next few days. They will probably send you back a message saying that those days and times don’t work for them, but that they are available at certain other days and times, which might not work for you. After several messages back and forth, you finally find a date and time in two weeks that will work for everyone.

Do you really want your potential client to wait up to two weeks just to have a consultation with you? What if that potential client cools over those two weeks, and decides that they don’t need your services after all by the time you meet for your consultation? If you knew that going in, chances are that you would have done a few things differently. The key thing to remember is how much time you waste going back and forth with just one person, and whether or not it is worth the hassle.

Option 2: Using An Online Appointment Scheduler

This time around, you can send that same excited client an email or message on the platform of your choice, but with a link to your online calendar attached so that they can see all of your available time slots. Your calendar will have already been preset to the times that you are available, so all your potential client needs to do is select the time that works best for them. They choose their time and message you again to let you know that they’re all set up, and you’re done!

Maybe your appointment is still two weeks away, but you can see how much time and effort you’ve already saved, just by streamlining this one part of your business. Using an online scheduling program is important for small businesses and startups in particular who can’t afford to pay additional staff to manage their scheduling, or don’t want to waste their own time, or the time of their clients, trying to figure out a time and day that works for both parties. Online scheduling software will save you and your clients time, headache, and a lot of money in the long run.

Appointment scheduling plays a crucial role in all organizations of any size. Because of this, it’s important to conduct thorough research into the specific scheduling needs of customers and staff, as well as the multitude of online scheduling software available on the market today. Like all SaaS (Software as a Service) products, there are a number that may be better for particular businesses than for others. For instance, a medical office may need a more flexible and detailed software than a hairdresser or tattoo artist. It’s important to consider various options and features when choosing between scheduling software. Here are the top qualities that you should look for when choosing an online scheduling program for your business.

Features & Functionality

This is going to form the basis for your ultimate decision in which scheduling software is right for your business. It’s important for your company to have a general feel for what you need your software to accomplish and which tasks you hope to streamline. Some organizations only need the bare bones of a scheduling program – online self-scheduling and automated reminders, for instance – while others will require additional features to improve their booking process. In some cases, you may come up with additional requirements as you begin the process of selecting a booking software, or as your business continues to grow. Many online booking programs allow you to try the program for free, which can help you determine some of the additional features you may need.

Professional

This is what sets the top scheduling programs apart from the rest. If your company has any plans to grow and expand beyond the initial booking services of an online scheduling program, this is a must. Some examples of professional level services you can expect from a top scheduling software are integration into your current website or Facebook Page, support for multiple calendars and multiple users, and two-way calendar sync with personal calendars (Outlook, Google, iCloud, Microsoft Exchange and Office365). Most of the general scheduling softwares on the market don’t come with these features, which is why it is extremely important, particularly for larger businesses, to consider opting for a highly configurable and scalable system.

Security

Without a doubt, security is going to be a key piece in deciding on your online scheduling software. Online scheduling programs can often be customized to collect additional information from clients via specially designed intake forms from your company. This can include names, email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and even payment info. With so much personal information in the mix, you’re going to want to do your best to protect your client’s information as well as your own. A few security points you should consider when choosing an online booking software include:

• General Security Practices
• Server Database, Data Storage, and Backup Procedures

Always be sure to ask these security questions when choosing an online booking provider. Any reputable site will gladly share this information with prospective clients. You should always be wary of services that do not provide an address or are located in a developing country, as they may not need to adhere to the same security practices as domestic providers.

Cost

It’s always important to keep your budget in mind. While there are a number of free online booking programs, they do not offer the same level of personalization and functionality that higher end applications offer. Pricing for online booking software is generally done on a monthly basis, and can vary greatly from program to program. When it comes to online booking, you truly get what you pay for, which is not entirely a bad thing. For instance, smaller companies and startups are generally happy with cheaper or free software, while medium-sized companies, corporations, and enterprise-level companies will require a more robust software than smaller companies. It’s all about what features you need for your business. The good news is, most SaaS applications are highly affordable for companies of all sizes, and operate on a month to month basis.

Support

Implementing an online booking software eliminates the need for IT support where the software is concerned. You won’t need to spend your time and money on having your personal IT team fix any issues or answer questions about your online booking software, as good programs come with support teams. As with any business, the level of support will vary per company. Some companies will offer live phone support, while others may only give you an email to contact, which they will respond to in a certain amount of time. Given how important online scheduling and appointment booking in general are for a business, it’s paramount that you receive an adequate amount of support. In addition to general support, you’ll want to use a program that offers system training. Some booking software can be a little tricky to set up, particularly for a company who is switching over from manual appointment scheduling. A reputable online scheduling program will provide its clients with system training when they sign on, helping them to determine the configurations that work best for their business.

Dependability & Credibility

Because online booking has become such a hit, almost overnight, there are any number of software programs available to help local businesses with their scheduling needs. Many of these lack the experience, dependability, and credibility needed to take on the daunting scheduling of even small organizations. It’s crucial that you research each online scheduling provider before making a decision.

No matter what your online booking needs, it’s important to select a program that works with your business and helps you to grow, rather than causing headaches. Many scheduling programs available on the market today allow you to choose from customizable options like multiple users, multiple calendars, client booking, embedding into a website, and more. Make sure that you choose an appointment scheduler that matches your company’s needs.

Every day, medical offices around the country fill up with any number of patient appointments. Even though many offices encourage walk in and last minute appointments, these can cause chaos for the staff who are in charge of manually entering and scheduling all of the appointments. As more practices introduce technology, many offices are moving to telemedicine, and keeping a schedule is just as important.  Manual scheduling can be a burden for many establishments, as it requires significant time and staff resources to manage properly.

This can have a negative impact on the overall operation and restrict the office from running at full potential. Appointment scheduling software is an easy and efficient way to resolve a number of these issues. As online scheduling becomes more popular with a number of businesses large and small, there are a few things that companies should know before making the jump to one of these handy scheduling tools.

Increase Your Savings
Because the software handles scheduling appointments online, there is no need to hire and pay additional staff to handle manual scheduling.

Ease Of Use For Clients
Patients can now schedule online, from anywhere. Many online scheduling programs allow clients to book from their smartphone or tablet, adding an additional level of ease to the process. Patients of medical offices are no longer forced to sit on the phone or in the office in order to make their appointments. You can download BookedIN in both the Apple and Google app stores.

Custom Control
Our online scheduling software available allows the user the freedom to set their own parameters. Users can control such options as multiple calendars, payment methods, hours of operation, and more, which allow for a seamless experience for both the business and the clients.

Reduce Wasted Appointments
Online scheduling programs help you fill empty time slots. This in turn will help you to reduce your waste by taking full advantage of all of your available openings. When a client cancels an appointment that has been made with manual scheduling, there is virtually no way to fill that spot, except with last minute call ins and emergencies. Through the use of online scheduling software, clients can view and select open time slots in real time.

Flexibility
You can easily block off portions of your schedule for meetings or long vacations. You can sync your personal calendar using Outlook, Google, iCal, Office365 or Microsoft Exchange. You can make modifications to your schedule for a variety of reasons, which gives you the flexibility to work your schedule around the needs of your business.

Resources
Lots of online scheduling programs allow users to see the availability of resources and rooms in order to cut down on chaos in busy situations. Overall, online scheduling takes a lot of the burden off of you and your staff.

Online scheduling will also have positive outcomes for your clients. Only empty time slots are shown, so clients know right away what appointment times are available. In cases where a specific doctor or resource is needed, most scheduling programs allow you to show specific slots where both the doctor and resource are shown. These programs are also able to show the buffer time that can be used between two appointments, thus reducing wait times significantly.

Automated reminders can be sent out to patients closer to the day of their appointment so that they don’t miss their slot, which also reduces waste.

There are a number of online scheduling programs available today, many of which are capable of allowing clients to schedule their own appointments based on open time slots. Among the top names in online scheduling is the powerful program, BookedIN.

This innovative software allows businesses to create and manage multiple calendars, book appointments, create custom forms, and so much more. Online scheduling software continues to become increasingly popular with small and large businesses, as it gives both businesses and clients a higher level of flexibility, while cutting down on time spent trying to schedule various appointments. The following is a short view at some of the great features that BookedIN has to offer, and why it’s become an invaluable tool for businesses.

24/7 Online Scheduling

You can cut out all of your administrative nightmares by sending your clients a link to your booking page where they can book their own appointments at any time, based on your set availability. Clients don’t need an account, and can book anywhere using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Your clients can use your website, Facebook page, or BookedIN Scheduling Page when making their appointments.

Manage Your Schedules

You’ll be given login access to your private calendar to manage all of your appointments at a glance. From here you can also easily adjust your settings, book new appointments, and track existing ones. You can add a company logo or profile photo, customize your colors, and advertise your services with detailed descriptions that your clients can browse and book book online. BookedIN truly understands the uniqueness of the businesses they serve, and has made their system incredibly customizable in order to meet individual needs. You can adjust your hours, availability, lead time, travel time, and allow double bookings, just for starters.

Additional Management Features

BookedIN also allows gives businesses a number of other management features. You can create custom intake forms to collect information about clients and track their history with your company, which is perfect for getting to know new clients and collecting and retaining specific details for returning clients with each booking. You can even use the information that you collect to track bookings, payment history, and no-shows. Through BookedIN, you’ll also be able to create and manage multiple calendars. This is handy for scheduling employees, and equipment and room usage. BookedIN will also allow you to sync your calendars with Outlook, iCal, Google, any other popular calendar products.

All About The Clients

While online scheduling software is going to make your work life a lot more functional, there are a ton of great benefits for your clients as well. Calendars and booking buttons can be embedded on your WIX, WordPress, Facebook Page, and other websites for easy client access. The system automatically sends confirmations and reminders to clients, allowing them to easily pay or cancel right from their email, eliminating the extra time you would spend manually emailing your clients to confirm. BookedIN will even alert you or your staff when a booking is cancelled. Staff are also alerted whenever a new booking has been made. Clients have more flexibility with their bookings, allowing them to schedule from available real time slots using their smartphone, tablet, or computer. This streamlined booking process cuts down on wasted time for clients as well as staff members.

Get Paid Online

With appointment scheduling software, chasing down your payments is a thing of the past. You can now collect a booking fee up front, add a tipping option, or simply allow your clients to pay at the time of service. Payment integration setup is a snap and can be setup using nothing more than a free PayPal account. You can even schedule your software to send clients a payment reminder. After payment, your clients are automatically sent their receipt, and everything is dutifully tracked in the client’s history. BookedIN even allows users to offer their own early payment and other discounts.

Features:

• Online Booking
• Cloud-Based Scheduling
• Integration & Marketing
• Reminders
• Payment Processing
• iPhone & Android mobile apps
• Security
• Find a Business

What Types Of Companies Are Already Using BookedIN?

• Hair Salons
• Massage Therapists
• Photographers
• Spas
• Financial Advisors
• Counselors
• Personal Trainers
• Pet Groomers
• Tattoo Artists
• Chiropractors
• Auto Services
• Cleaning Services
• Contractor

There are a number of additional features that BookedIN provides, some of which aren’t offered through other online scheduling programs. For instance, a BookedIN Client Scheduling Page and directory listing will help you rank higher with search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. BookedIN also provides each business with:

Automatic Backups

• All of your booking and client info is continuously saved and backed up

Friendly Support

• The BookedIN Team is available 24/7 over the phone, through email, or via chat. The friendly and knowledgeable support team will help you get started or answer any questions you may have farther down the road.

Freedom

• You can now manage your appointments, clients, availability, and customizable business settings with BookedIN at any time, and from anywhere, even your smartphone! This gives both you and your clients the freedom you need.