16 Best Scheduling Software Services for Small Businesses

But the fact remains that the most efficient businesses are the ones that make the best use of these new innovations. Scheduling software is not just the next “new” thing on the market. It can really serve to improve customer experience and assist in back end operations.

Below, we will explain why, and will further compare the best scheduling software services on the market right.

What Are the Benefits of Scheduling Software?

Scheduling software might seem like something of a fancy term and a little bit of an “extravagance”. Until you realize what it can do for your bottom line and your organizational efficiency.

These days, small business owners with an online booking model need a neat scheduling software that ties in nearly with other systems and sends out optimized reminders to clients about upcoming appointments.

Scheduling software is usually industry-agnostic. Whether you are a therapist, yoga instructor, hairstylist, or dog trainer, legal professional, or dog trainer, scheduling software can be incredibly useful. The ultimate benefit is that it will increase your sales and profitability. And the way that the software achieves this will include:

1. Increased customer retention
2. Increased customer relationship
3. Increased organization and efficiency
4. Improved marketing and data collection
5. Potential staff reduction
6. Customer 24-hour self-scheduling
7. No-show penalties for customer cancellations
8. Avoid overbookings
9. Improved customer experience overall
10. Ability to let employees know when they are working
11. Ability to review employee holidays to identify roadblocks

Top 6 Online Scheduling Software Services

10 Other High-quality Scheduling Software Providers

The following are some very strong online scheduling software providers that narrowly missed out on the prime cut. But they might be worth taking a look into, especially if you are looking for an appointment setter with CRM integration for further insights and cross-functionality. The 10 remaining online scheduling providers are:

• Appointy: An industry agnostic, intuitive, online scheduling software with stellar reviews on all major sites. A customer favorite that has been featured in large news platforms. This only narrowly avoided our top 6 list. The catch? Just a tad expénsive at $30 a month, while still lacking some features we find essential.
• Bitrex 24: A strong CRM and appointment scheduling software (the two often go hand in hand). Unlike other scheduling systems that just set appointments, Bitrix24 handles all aspects of client management. If your current client calls you (and yes, Bitrix24 comes with a call center, among other things), you can observe the client’s name and history of the previous transaction. If you miss a phone call, it will be logged and added as a new lead in the CRM. It is similar to Hubspot, in that it is perfect for sales-focused businesses, but more suited for medium and large businesses.
• Calendly: One of the world’s most beloved calendars and appointment setters! Calendly works with Google, Office 365 and Outlook calendars and apps like Salesforce, Stripe, GoToMeeting and Zapier for seamless user experience. At $10 a month and a free version, this could be just what you need but does lack certain features compared to the competition, such as recurring appointments.
• Flexbooker: Possibly one of the most straightforward appoint setters on the list, with the exception of Acuity Scheduling. A dream to use that comes with employee scheduling functionality. Ticks every single box…except for pricing, at $49 a month for 1 – 4 employees. While it offers far more functionality than all its competitors, the price needs to be reduced by $10 or so before it becomes truly viable. Each plan includes 1,000 booked appointments. Each additional 500 bookings within a month is $49.
• Invite Once: Possibly the coolest of all the online scheduler services. You customize your invite to each client. Perfect for alternative business models that like to make each customer feel cherished. Part of once hub, this is a new innovation that is free to use in its beta version. Starts at just $10 a month and integrates with the schedule once (which retails at $15 a month).
• Up Keep: A little tricky to configure, but one of the most simple providers to use afterwards. The applications are great and the interface is superb. Particularly suited for corporate outfits, especially in the technology field. Most small businesses will not have a need for the level of sophistication on offer.
• Time Tap: Expensive but extremely powerful online scheduling software with a massive range of functionality. The business plan starts at $75 a month. But also offers a free account to trial the service with unlimited appointments setting and unlimited clients – just what you need to test it out. The professional plan starts at $25 a month and allows text and customizable reports.
• EZ Net Scheduler: Only narrowly avoided the top 6 list. At $23 a month, this is a full features scheduling solution including Appointment Reminders, Automated Scheduling, Calendar Sync, Client Database, Group Scheduling, Mobile Access, Multi-Location, Online Booking, Online Payments, Recurring Appointments, and Room Booking Management. Fully customizable, with Google and ICal integration, 24/7 scheduling, credit card payments, voice reminders, automatic service follow-ups and more.
• vCita: Excels in the field of service-based professional services, such as lawyers, doctors, chiropractors, accountants, nutritionists, etc. However, it does not have a free version and price starts at $13 per user. But the beauty of this service is that each subscription is tailored per industry – medical, coaching, chiropractic etc. It is the only top provider we found that does this, with others specializing in only one area or in general services.
• Fons: Loved by customers, and loved by us. It has also won numerous awards and is aimed at teachers and instructors, especially music teachers, personal trainers, and wellness professionals. It was originally founded by a former music teacher and is now integrated with Zoom. Perfect for online lessons during COVID-19!

How We Ranked Online Legal Services

We evaluated each of the Online Legal Services based on a list of criteria, outlined below:

1. Price – What features were available at what price, in comparison to competitors?
2. Ease Of Use/Intuitive Capability – How well did the system handle multiple appointments and cancellations?
3. Basic Functionality – Did each basic service provide email and SMS reminders, appointment setting, customer retention functions, and mobile optimization?
4. Ratings And Complaints – What are the customers saying on sites such as GetApp, Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau, and CapTerra?
5. Pricing Transparency – Did the vendor have a uniform price or constantly push customers towards the next tier?
6. Integrations and Marketing Tools – How many applications did the service integrate with, and how effectively?
7. Back End – How easy was it for employees and business owners to make changes to the system and get it configured?
8. Quality Of Customer Service – How quick was the response from customer service, and did the issue get resolved?
9. Mobile Accessibility – Did the appointment setting and cancellation functionality work smoothly on Android and IOS devices?

These were our 9 overlapping criteria, though we rated the top 3 a little more heavily in our algorithm.

Online Scheduling Software Pricing (Comparison)

What Are the Different Types of Scheduling Software?

There are really two major kinds of scheduling software – employee scheduling and appointment scheduling. Employee scheduling is mainly for small to corporate enterprises (from 10 employees to over 500). It is not an essential feature, though it can be very useful depending on what the business is looking for.

Appointment scheduling is for service-based businesses such as hairstylists, barbers, massage therapists, medical professionals, holistic professionals, martial arts and yoga classes, etc. But it is also used in more professional services such as for lawyers, business consultants, accountants, etc.

Keep in mind that both of these services actually overlap. So a scheduling software that allows your customers to book appointments will usually provide the capability for your employees to see when they are working themselves (as well as booking holidays etc). But the issue is that the scheduling software will often not serve as a full-service human resource and employment hub.

Another kind of appointment scheduling would be meetings, which focus on video conferencing functionality. This is primarily for sales focus organizations that need to integrate video details into other systems for analytical purposes. HubSpot Meetings is ideal in this regard.

Core Features to Look for in Scheduling Software

There is a definite number of core features that scheduling software should have in order to fulfill its core functionality. Such features will include:

• Online Bookings.
• Email/SMS Notifications.
• Facebook & Instagram Books.
• Coupons & Gift Cards.
• Online Payments
• Payment integrations with major platforms.
• Google and Outlook Calendar Synchronisation.
• embership Reward System.
• Customer review system.

You may or may not wish to have payment processing or employee scheduling functionality in appointment scheduling software. It can be a good idea to compare payroll processing functionality against scheduling software for comparison as to what each provides. There is a degree of overlap between all of the disparate applications that are hitting the market right now.

How to Choose the Right Scheduling Software for Your Business

Choosing the correct scheduling software for your business is largely a function of what industry you happen to be in. There are scheduling systems designed specifically for hair salons, dental clinics, psychology, yoga, physical therapy, etc.

For most general businesses, the best scheduling software is listed above. Even so, it would be very foolish not to try out the free trials which are available on practically all versions of the software. We recommend:

• Performing research with regard to the best software for your business or industry.
• Identify the top 3 that you would like to use.
• Take the free trial on the top 3 and go with your favorite.

No matter how much detail we can give with regard to the best software, it is simply impossible to convey in words the intuitive nature of an online scheduler. Because these are visual systems and customers will have unique preferences.

Trial at least 10 bookings with each platform. If there is any kind of error or delay (related to booking and execution), then leave out that software. The most important consideration of all is that customers can effortlessly book through your platform. It is not worth going with a platform that does not make it easy to book through, despite any other strong features.

While this might seem like a chore, it is free and definitely worth it. You will be using high-quality booking software for years to come, and it could serve to really increase customer retention rates. Making use of the free trial will also help if you have specific preferences that you need satisfied.

6 Questions to Ask Before You Select a Scheduling Software

Before you take the plunge with scheduling software, there are 8 questions you need to ask. They include

• How many customers book appointments with me per month?
• How many employees do I have?
• Do I have a need for a live agent?
• Is the calendar system intuitive to use?
• Is it easy for customers to book through?
• Does the scheduling software have strong employee scheduling functionality?

These are the most important questions you will need to ask when selecting an online scheduler. The price, though important, is actually something of secondary consideration in many respects. Across industries (legal services, payroll, accounting), our team has discovered a trend that all the major companies provide similar functionality for a similar price, with certain points of differentiation.

So it is more about finding the right online scheduler for your unique business than finding the ‘best’ of them all. At the end of the day, shaving off $5 or $10 a month is unlikely to be the turning point in your business. Efficiency and peace of mind, on the other hand, definitely can.

Get an online scheduler that does what you need it to do and then move on to other areas of your business that need the attention. You cannot afford an online scheduler that is glitchy or counter-intuitive. Trial out the product and make sure it performs smoothly.

Features to Look Out for

First and foremost, not all software is created equal. But there are a few key things to look for in your appointment scheduler regardless of the type or size of your business. Broadly speaking, the software needs to be great both in terms of its front end software (the booking page) and backend (the scheduler database).

Choosing software with these key features will allow businesses to get the most out of their software. The best appointment schedulers are not just designed to take online appointments. They should be able to do more, such as client management, automation, and marketing. Again, however, it will come down to what you expect and what you are looking for.

The following are the key characteristics and features businesses should look for in software to ensure that they choose the best piece of software possible.

#1 – Intuitive and Easy Backend

Ease of use is a critical foundation for any software, and not only for end customers. The software must be easy to use for both staffs as well as for clients who are actually booking appointments (more on this later ).

From an employee or staff perspective, an easy appointment scheduler is necessary to ensure that the system actually gets utilized. In short, look for a scheduler that emphasizes ease of use and/or an intuitive system. Your employees and customers need to love it.

#2 – A One-click Booking Page

When it comes to potential clients, easy booking is critical to your conversion ratio. Customers will simply abandon their shopping carts if they run into any difficulties, even minor ones.

Consider that once the client is on your booking page, he or she is already halfway there. They are at the check-out and are about to pay for your service. As such, the checkout process needs to be fast and simple. When the check-out process is difficult, people put items back on the shelf and leave the store. The same is true of online booking.

The booking page needs to be easy and quick by eliminating as many steps in the booking process as possible. In addition to a booking page that’s streamlined, it also needs to be responsive. The booking pages needs to be

1. Streamlined (i.e. easy and quick booking)
2. Clean, professional look
3. Mobile responsive

#3 – Customizable and Efficient Scheduler

One of the most important parts of your appointment scheduler is the actual calendar itself. Not only is it important that it’s easy to use, but it should also be highly functional. In other words, it should do what you need it to do.

Look for a scheduler that is highly customizable. Consider what your particular scheduling needs are, whatever they may be, and ensure that the scheduler can accommodate your needs. Make sure that the calendar functions work well, and not just that it looks nice.

#4 – Automation

A major benefit of scheduling software is that it automates many time-consuming tasks involved in appointment-based businesses. If businesses want to run as efficiently as possible, they need to automate as many aspects of their business as possible. In short, businesses need to automate wherever possible in order to increase their efficiency and ultimately their bottom line.

#5 – No Show Reduction

Most businesses have an average of between 1 and 2 no-shows every single week. Businesses inevitably lose a lot of money every year due to no-shows. Therefore, it is critical that businesses take a proactive approach to reduce them. When it comes to schedulers, it is necessary that the software is equipped with some sort of feature to reduce no-shows so that you can maximize your returns.

One way to do this is to impose penalties for no-shows. Perhaps they can forfeit the fee if they try to cancel on the same day, or perhaps 15% for cancellations. But Email and SMS reminders are the best way to remove no-shows, as people simply forget. The day before the appointment, send them a reminder. This way, it will be on their mind. All online schedulers should provide both email and SMS reminder functionality.

#6 – Mobile Responsive

Given that most purchases and online bookings are done on mobile devices, this is an absolutely essential element. Your booking scheduler might look great on a desktop, but be completely unresponsive on a mobile site. Rendering it practically useless.

It all boils down to convenience. People want the ability to book appointments at a time that’s convenient for them, whether that’s on their lunch break or after hours. Businesses need to accommodate their requests in order to be competitive.

On the internal business side of things, it’s also important that the appointment scheduler is accessible across all mobile devices, from Android to IOS. That is, it needs to function as a mobile scheduler.

#7 – Reporting, Invoicing, and Client Management

Naturally, you are going to want to get the most bang for your buck. That means choosing an appointment scheduler that offers features such as detailed reporting, invoicing and client management.

Detailed reporting allows businesses to measure their bookings and other stats against their performance goals while invoicing allows businesses to track payment methods, inventory, and so much more. But this is a little less relevant to smaller business models.

#8 – Online Marketplace

An online marketplace is a huge asset in a scheduler. An online marketplace essentially connects businesses to thousands of users who are looking for services like yours. In short, an online marketplace means a lot of additional exposure for your business.

Essentially, it’s built-in marketing that doesn’t require any additional time or costs. But, remember, it’s not just any kind of marketing. It’s smart marketing. An online marketplace allows businesses to market their services to thousands of users that are specifically looking for the services that business offers. As such, conversions – that is, the number of people who will go on to book appointments – will be high given that they are specifically looking for those services.

#9 – Built to Scale

A scheduling software needs to be able to accommodate your business as it grows, from time slots to schedules to appointments and staff to locations. This is essential to keeping your business running efficiently over time. Key things to look for include unlimited appointments and clients as opposed to having to increase your subscription model routinely.

#10 – Integration Marketing Business Tools

Last but certainly not least. There are some additional functionalities out there that can really help out. They will likely move you in favor of one software over another if all other elements are equal.

Website and Facebook integration is one such example, given Facebook is the most prominent marketing tool with the possible exception of Amazon. This will place a booking feature on your website and Facebook page so that you can maximize your conversions regardless of where potential clients may be.

It also gives your clients the flexibility to book services however they see fit, making you a premium service provider in the process. This is the kind of scheduling software that will easily set you apart from your competitors.

In addition to website/Facebook integration, an appointment scheduler that also offers other business tools, such as email marketing, Instagram integration, etc that can streamline your business operations even further.

Scheduling Software and Covid-19

With the onslaught of COVID-19, people are actually going online more than ever, despite the fact that service-based businesses were among the hardest hit (people being reluctant to visit in person unless the matter was urgent).

Even if your business was hit hard due to COVID-19, you should take care to use the time as efficiently as you can. Ensure you have the best

• Appointment scheduling software.
• Accounting software.
• Online legal services.
• Payroll services.

Now really is an opportune time to automate your business as much as possible and do research in terms of some of the amazing opportunities that are out there. There is always something that can be done, as long as you stay optimistic and proactive about where you and your businesses are headed.

Conclusion

Online scheduling software can truly serve to enhance your business model. It will make you, your employees, and your customers happier. The services are cheap and can be integrated with other online services for enhanced efficiency.

We recommend Simply Book, Set More, and Zoho Bookings as the top contenders in the space. Just make sure you take advantage of the free trial to ensure they work well for you.