The demand for spas to have a mobile booking platform is growing, and failing to keep up will likely have a profound effect on your business.
As we have noted previously, nearly half of the global population, two thirds of adults, and 80% of internet users own a smartphone. And more people are now accessing the web from mobile device rather than a desktop computer. In some countries, such as in India, Mexico and Indonesia, the mobile audience is four times higher than the desktop audience.
This obviously means that you need a mobile booking option in order to capture that growing market.
If you have yet to implement a mobile experience and are planning to do so, there are certain requirements to look for. Your mobile experience should be:
Accessible
Accessibility is the whole point of mobile, whether for staff or for guests. At no point should someone have to put down their phone or tablet and go find a computer.
Guests should be able to do everything by mobile that they can with a computer, including booking and changing appointments, purchasing products, and communicating with your spa. Your team and management should be able to manage schedules, guest profiles, and payments with a mobile app. Book4Time’s mobile app allows for all of this and more, including checking guests in from anywhere (without having to visit the front desk), and dashboard viewing, so you can check your reports from anywhere at anytime.
Intuitive
Like everything else about your booking and business management, your mobile experience should be easy to use. A simple interface is imperative for a good mobile spa management experience. Customers will get confused and irritated by complex software and give up on it entirely, then go looking elsewhere for an easier experience. And you don’t want that.
Comprehensive
Your mobile experience should be taking care of all the minutiae of running a business, so that you don’t have to. This includes everything from inventory management to marketing and customer retention – things like referral incentives, loyalty points, gift cards, and spa packages should all be available through a mobile device. You should also be able to view your reports from anywhere, with the touch of a screen.
Book4Time’s customers consistently praise about our Reporting Suite. With this feature, you can access information such as your revenue, occupancy, which technicians are the busiest, and other reports from our mobile platform. We believe that your time is better spent on guest experience than it is sitting at a desk creating spreadsheets.
GDPR compliant
Since the GDPR came into full effect, it’s even more imperative to know that your guest information is secure and that they are aware of this security feature. Your mobile experience should allow you to maintain that security and GDPR compliance. Among Book4Time’s related features is a “Delete Profile” for each customer profile, available only to authorized users. When clicked, this removes all guest contact information from the system should the customer request it. This keeps both you and your customers safe, secure and compliant.
The spa industry is competitive and your guest experience and mobile experience is one of the things that will set you apart from the competition. So take it seriously and make it amazing!
