Introducing online booking: a step-by-step plan

Step 1: write down your services as you really do them

Online booking stands or falls on the right duration. Take a week of your diary and look at how long a treatment really takes, including explaining, paying and tidying up. Count that clean-up time separately: the client doesn't need to see it, but your diary has to keep it free. Keep the list short. Ten clear services work better than thirty variants the client gets lost in.

Step 2: choose how much control you want

Many self-employed people hesitate because they don't want "just anyone" booking. That's not necessary. You can approve every booking yourself, or only those from new clients. Start strict and relax once it's working. Confirming regulars straight away and checking new clients is a good middle ground for most businesses.

Step 3: start with your usual hours

Don't open your whole week straight away. Start with the hours you already offer on the phone, breaks included. A short booking window, say two to four weeks, keeps you flexible. Enter holidays and courses as closed days in advance so nobody books them by accident.

Step 4: test it yourself

Book once as a client, on your phone, with a different email address. Is the duration right? Are the prices correct? Do you understand the description reading it for the first time? Ask a friend or your partner to try too. What's obvious to you isn't always obvious to a client.

Step 5: tell your clients at the right moment

The best moment is when the client is with you and wants to book the next appointment. "You can now book online yourself too, here's the QR code." Put the code on your counter, add the link to your Instagram bio and Google Business Profile and mention it on your voicemail. Clients who prefer to call will keep calling. That's fine: those appointments go in the same diary.

Step 6: review after a month

How many appointments came in online, and at what times? Often a large share is booked in the evening and at weekends, exactly when you're not on the phone. Also check whether your durations and buffers are right. Adjust, relax the approval if all goes well, and extend the window if you like.

Common mistakes

• Too many services, so clients don't know what to pick.
• No clean-up time, so you run late all day.
• Only putting the link on your website, which hardly anyone visits.
• Getting rid of the phone. Online booking is an extra door, not a replacement.