The Impact of Online Booking Systems

More than 3 billion people are now using the Internet and it is continuing to grow at around 10% per year. In 2017, an estimated 1.66 billion people worldwide purchase goods and services online. More than 3 billion people are now using the Internet and it is continuing to grow at around 10% per year. In 2017, an estimated 1.66 billion people worldwide purchase goods and services online.

In recent years, mobile shopping has been on the rise, with customers increasingly using their mobile devices for various online shopping activities. According to a March 2016 study regarding mobile shopping penetration worldwide, 46 percent of internet users in the Asia Pacific region and 28 percent of those in North America had purchased products and services via a mobile device, whether smartphone or tablet computer.

Australian consumers’ now expect the convenience to book online when shopping for services.

Australians that are increasingly time poor and already familiar with booking services online are doing it more frequently.

Baby boomers still have the highest disposable income but the Millennials (from 25 to 35) that have grown up with the internet now make up a very large proportion of the population.

Millennials are savvy online shoppers and expect to access information, products and services at the touch of a button on their mobile device or laptop computer.

Australian businesses are quickly evolving from a telephone based booking system to an online booking system to quickly cater for this demographic shift and the online expectations that come from these Millennials.

Shoppers are more informed than ever — with information, reviews, and comparisons at their fingertips — making it crucial for businesses to deliver on their expectations or start losing customers to competitors.

Small, medium and large businesses who are investing in online innovations such as an online booking system and focusing on customer experiences are seeing their efforts pay off.

The many significant advantages of implementing an online booking system make it a must for the future of a service business in Australia. The challenge is selecting the best system for your business and effectively managing the change that will impact customers, staff and how you run the business.

Telephone bookings are being quickly phased out and an online booking system is a major change in your businesses workflow and will impact your customers, staff and management (owners).

CUSTOMER IMPACT

• Save time and convenience with the option to book your services online
• Better service — no waiting on hold or needing a call back
• Access to past and future booking information with a click of a button without a call or email
• Improved communication with customer email and text booking reminders to reduce no shows and cancellations
• Business is seen as modern and advanced with an online booking system

STAFF IMPACT

• Online booking systems saves your staff time take bookings after work hours
• Removing the bottleneck of phone booking systems
• Increased revenue thanks to upselling and repeat bookings
• Improved roster communication with email and text booking reminders
• Improved and easier customer service

OWNERS IMPACT

• Change management for your customers and staff
• Booking system licensing cost
• Increased customer sales revenue
• Reduced staff resources that used to take bookings over the phone
• Better marketing using customer information to target new and repeat customers
• Business is seen as modern and advanced with an online booking system
• Improved staff and client management information