A Cup of Tea and a Few Thoughts…
I was chatting with a small business owner recently about her website whilst I was there receiving a treatment. She has a lovely, established business on the high street in the centre of town, plenty of experience and a website where people can find out about her services.
But there was one thing causing her a bit of frustration - bookings.
Every time someone wanted an appointment, they had to email or telephone. She'd then check her diary, suggest a time, wait for a reply and sometimes go backwards and forwards several times before anything was confirmed, and, of course, those enquiries didn't stop arriving just because it was the weekend.
It got me thinking about something I see quite often with small businesses.
We spend so much time thinking about what our websites say that we sometimes forget to think about what we need them to do.
A website should do more than look good
It's lovely having a website you're proud of, but once someone has found you, read about your services and decided they're interested, what happens next? can they book an appointment? can they request a quotation? can they arrange a consultation? or do they have to send an email and wait for you to find time to respond?
There's nothing necessarily wrong with that last option. But if you're spending hours every week answering the same enquiries or arranging appointments, perhaps there's a better way.
Not every business needs the same solution
For a therapist, hairdresser or personal trainer, an online booking calendar could make life considerably easier. Customers can see available appointments, choose a suitable time and receive confirmation without anyone having to exchange emails. For a tradesperson, a booking calendar might not be appropriate. They may need photographs, measurements or details about the work before providing a quotation. In that case, a well-designed enquiry form could be far more useful.
And for a consultant, perhaps the ideal solution is simply allowing someone to book an introductory telephone call. The point is that there's no single answer.
It's about understanding how your business works and making the next step as straightforward as possible.
What about your evenings and weekends?
This is something I think deserves a little more attention. When you're self-employed, it's very easy for work to creep into your personal time. A quick email on Saturday morning, a booking enquiry on Sunday afternoon, a message asking whether you've got anything available next Tuesday and before you know it, you're spending your time off managing your diary.
And while it's wonderful that people want to book with you, that doesn't mean you should have to be available every hour of the day. A good booking system can allow customers to make appointments whenever it suits them, while you remain in control of when you're actually available. You can set your working hours, block out holidays and, depending on the system, arrange automatic confirmations and reminders.
Your business can still be accessible without you having to be constantly accessible.
Keep it simple
Of course, there's no point introducing a complicated system that creates more work than it saves, and before choosing anything, I'd ask a few questions.
What do customers actually need to do?
What information do you need from them?
Does the system work with your existing website?
Is it easy to use on a mobile phone?
And importantly, what will it cost, both now and in the future?
Sometimes a simple contact form is perfectly adequate, sometimes a booking calendar is worth every penny, and sometimes a combination of the two makes the most sense.
Don't forget the human connection
One thing I wouldn't want anyone to lose is the personal side of running a small business. Technology should make things easier, not make your business feel impersonal. Some customers will always prefer to pick up the phone or ask a question before booking, and that's absolutely fine, the aim isn't to remove every conversation, it's to reduce the unnecessary administration so you have more time for the conversations that really matter.
And finally, a thought over my cup of tea…
If you have a website, perhaps it's worth asking yourself a simple question.
Is it making my working life easier?
Because a website shouldn't just be somewhere people read about your business. It should help them connect with you, understand what happens next and take action when they're ready, and if it can save you a few hours of administration and give you back your Sunday afternoon?
Well, I'd say that's a pretty good result.
Now, where's that cup of tea?
Bev