Getting the most out of online booking
August 16th, 2010Using Setster you will acquire new customers and retain existing customers while maximizing your availability and time to focus on your business. Setster will only be able to accomplish this if you are willing to engage and participate in promoting your appointment scheduling solution for your customers to use.
Just like any online customer management and marketing platform, Setster is a tool and you actually need to use it to be successful with it. Below are 5 tips that you need to do now to start engaging your existing customer base to use your online scheduling solution so you can be on your way to maximizing your availability and accessibility to your customers.
Tip #1 Put a link to your Setster URL (http://myaccount.setster.com) in your email signature line of your email client.
Tip #2 On your Blog, write a very quick blog entry that says “To all our valued customers, we now accept online appointments to make ourselves more accessible and available. Click here to schedule an appointment with us.”
Tip #3 On your FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media profiles, add an additional link to your Setster URL (http://myaccount.setster.com) with the title “Book an Appointment With Me Now”.
Tip #4 On your website, add a new graphic, banner or paragraph with a large legible font with a clear message spelling out “Book an Appointment With Me Now”. Make sure that this link or banner is a compliment to the Setster appointment button that you’ve already embedded in your website.
Tip #5 In your next newsletter, mailer or client communication (and continuing for the next 3 months), promote that you are accepting online appointments 24 hours a day and that people now have access to your availability through a very cool online scheduling tool called Setster.
Yes, it is just that easy to spread the word! And did you know that Setster customers that have actively promoted their online availability to their customers report to us an average increase of 50-100% in appointment bookings in the months that follow?
It’s not magic, it’s Setster!
Wishing you success,
The Setster Team
5 ways to use Twitter to generate appointments
August 2nd, 2010There is a lot of talk about how you can use Twitter to enhance your business. While many people look at it as a distraction, you can actually harness the power of this medium to generate new business, get more referrals, keep your current customers informed and book more appointments.
So the question is, how do you use Twitter to make you money? The key is to have some objectives in mind when starting out with Twitter. Once you have these goals and objectives in mind you are in a much better position to use Twitter effectively.
Some examples of goals are:
(a). Get people to talk about your services
(b). Get people to visit your site
(c). Be seen as an expert in your field
(d). Get people to book appointments with you
Participation is the key to success. Twitter is a community where you can communicate directly with your clients and potential clients. In order to generate a buzz, you’ll want to build your Twitter community, preferably with people who can potential bring you new business. Start by becoming active and Tweeting about subjects that are interesting to your followers. The following list are ideas that you can use to when posting.
1. Generate traffic to your website by posting a link to your website
2. Drive traffic to your blog by posting a link to your most recent blog posting
3. Get customers to talk about your services by asking them to twitter about you in an email or newsletter
4. Introduce new services and link back to your site
5. Offer specials and discounts for booking online
A few things to think about. First, don’t just post marketing messages about your services. Its’ better to be objective about your industry and come across as an expert than someone who spams their followers. Second, did you know that Google indexes Tweets? This means the more active you are on Twitter, the higher your search engine rankings become next to your non-Tweeting competitors. Third, use a service like http://bit.ly/ to shorten your URL’s when posting your links. This leaves more room for your message. Take http://yourname.setster.com and put into Bit.ly and get the short link, then use it in your Tweets so people can link directly to your appointment page.
In closing, make your customers feel special for following you. Offer them special promotions that are time sensitive. Make an appointment now http://bitly and get a free xyz with your service. Happy tweeting and best of luck making new appointments.
Heroes of the new economy: Balancing Time
January 19th, 2010I am a Psychologist in a busy, 2-day per week private practice. The balance of the time I teach marriage and family psychology at a graduate school of theological studies.
Over the years, I have found it difficult to book my clients and balance my other work responsibilities. Some weeks I might spend 2-3 hours simply booking and rebooking clients as their schedules change. And this intrusion is often at the expense of my family or some non-vocational interests.
I Googled “online calendars” and found Setster and I have been using it for the past month with significant success. My clients appreciate not having to email and phone me to make their appointments. And I love it when I see that a booking has occurred and I have done nothing to make it happen. Plus it appeals to the “techy” in me and many of my clients.
During my time of using Setster, I enjoyed a 2-weeks vacation. While away I could watch my calendar, see who was making appointments and not have to worry about unattended emergencies. This was a real help to me.
I also very much appreciate having a listing of my clients email addresses and other info where I can easily contact them.
The price is a bargain. I hope that there will be sufficient support of this excellent and growing program to be around for the years to come. I am depending on it.