How to add online booking to your small business website

What a good booking system does

Online booking lets customers pick a time without calling you, even at 11 p.m. Before you choose a tool, make sure it covers the basics:

• Services and durations. A haircut and a colour treatment take different amounts of time, and the calendar should block the right length.
• Hours and staff. Each person has their own schedule, days off and services.
• Confirmations and reminders. The customer gets an email or text right away, and a reminder before the visit. Reminders are the simplest way to cut no-shows.
• Cancel and reschedule by the customer. If people can change their own booking, your phone rings less.
• Deposit or payment. Optional, but useful for services where a missed appointment costs you real money.
• Calendar sync. The bookings should show up in the calendar you already use, so you never double-book.
• Both languages. In New Brunswick, a booking page in English and French is part of good service.

Three ways to add it to your site

1. A button that opens a booking page. The simplest route. Your site gets a “Book now” button that takes the customer to a page hosted by the booking tool. It works on almost any site and takes minutes, but the customer briefly leaves your site.
2. An embedded widget. The booking form sits inside one of your own pages. It feels more seamless, though it depends on your site allowing embedded code, and it must work well on a phone (open it on your own phone to be sure).
3. A website with booking built in. Your site and your booking system are one thing. Nothing to glue together, one place to manage it, and one look for your customers.

What to ask before you sign up

• Who owns the customer data? Your customer list is one of your most valuable assets. Make sure it belongs to you.
• Can you export it? Ask how to download your customers and bookings if you ever leave.
• Are there fees per booking? Some tools charge a commission on every appointment, which adds up as you grow. Look for a flat monthly price.
• What is the contract? Month to month is easier to leave than a long commitment. Ask about cancellation, and what happens to your page afterwards.

Start small, then grow

You don’t have to set everything up on day one. List your three or four most requested services with honest durations, set your real opening hours, and turn on confirmations and reminders. Book a few appointments yourself to see what the customer sees, on a phone as well as on a computer. Once that feels smooth, add deposits, extra staff or more services. A simple system that people actually use beats a perfect one that nobody finishes setting up.

Tell people it exists

A booking page nobody knows about books nothing. Add the link to your Google Business Profile so it appears when people find you on Google Search and Maps. Put it in your social media bios and posts, in your email signature, and on your invoices and receipts, so each happy customer can rebook in one tap.

How DeMark does it

DeMark is booking, website and back office in one product. Customers book online and receive reminders. Behind the scenes you get a customer list (CRM), quotes, invoices and payments, so a booking can turn into a paid invoice without retyping anything. Take a look at the full product, or at how it works for a salon.

Two plans, in Canadian dollars. Essential is 49 CAD a month. Complete is 99 CAD a month and starts with a 7-day trial (no card needed to start). DeMark is built in New Brunswick and serves businesses across Canada.

Not ready to commit? Get a free website draft with no card, and see your business on DeMark before you spend anything. If you also want to know how your current site is doing, the free website report card takes a minute.