If you own a medical spa, then you know that success comes from an efficient workplace and satisfied customers.

 by spa management tech research company, , show that 76 percent of spa clientele prefer to book appointments through online methods, such as websites, social media or mobile applications; however, only 44 percent of spa-goers say they book their appointments online.

The disconnect between consumer preference for appointment booking and how they actually schedule appointments suggests that medical spas aren’t offering online booking service. If your medical spa is one of the online booking crowd, you’re doing it right. If not, allow us to introduce you to medspa software—an investment that will transform your customer service.

By implementing medical spa software, you can simplify the process of managing clients and scheduling appointments. The best part of using software is that it benefits both your consumers and your medspa. Plus, some softwares will allow you to integrate with your website or schedule appointments from .

In a digital era, consumers are spending more time online and thrive on ease of use, which is why the demand for online booking has grown. Consumers would much rather research a product or service and then complete the purchase online without switching to another medium such as email or telephone.

So why not simplify the process and allow them to research and book an appointment all in one place?

An online booking system also expands your business’ service beyond your normal hours of operation. Even if your office is closed, clients will be able to research your services as well as schedule and/or change appointments.

Adding medical spa software to your business operations not only makes appointment booking easier for clients, but for you as well. At some point in our lives, we have misheard times, misspelled names or forgotten to write down something important—like an appointment.

An online booking system will reduce the amount of human error by updating your appointment schedule and client base in real time. With more appointments coming in online, you’ll also free up more time to focus on other business needs (or at least give your receptionist time to stretch her legs)!

While ease of use is one of the most important direct results of implementing medical spa software, perhaps one of the biggest indirect benefits is a boost to your marketing strategy.

Each time a new client books an appointment online, you’ll collect information such as their name, phone number and email address, which will then be automatically added into your client accounts. With this contact info, you can utilize one of today’s most valued marketing tools—email.

Your medical spa software allows you to keep track of what services your individual clients schedule most frequently. This gives you further insight into your consumers’ wants and interests, which allows you to segment them into groups and send them personalized content.

Email not only allows you to replace appointment confirmation calls with reminder emails, it also opens the door for you to communicate with your clientele and send targeted messages, including discounts, promotions and other offers.

If one of your clients has scheduled a hot stone massages every two weeks for the past two years, they may not want to hear about your body sculpting services. Instead, you can send them promotions related to massage services, and if they happen to miss scheduling their bi-weekly massage, you can send them a friendly email telling them that you’ve missed them.

There are hundreds of medical spa softwares available to choose from. The key is finding the right fit for your business. Services often include online appointment scheduling, client management and HIPAA compliance, but they can vary. It’s important that you take the time to understand your business’s key elements, goals and operations to make the best choice.

Do you want installed software or cloud software? Would you prefer to operate on a mobile device with iOS or Android or a desktop computer? Will you offer before and after photos for clients as well as client management? The ultimate decision comes down to your medical spa’s preference.

According to , a software comparison website, four of the most highly-rated spa softwares are Booker, AestheticsPro Online, You’reOnTime and ProSolutions Software. All four softwares are cloud-based and offer training materials for your employees. Booker offers a mobile platform in addition to the cloud, and ProSolutions can be operated through the cloud or directly installed on your computer.

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Each software runs on a monthly payment plan, and AestheticsPro, You’reOnTime and ProSolutions all offer free trials prior to sign-up.

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When it comes down to it, choosing the right medical spa software for your business is like finding the right pair of shoes—it’s about finding the right fit for functionality, comfort and appeal to the eye. Most importantly, your software should be easy for both your employees and clients to navigate. The more simplified and easy-to-use your software is, the more efficient your medspa will be and the more satisfied your clients will be!