What’s the best appointment scheduling software for small business in NZ? As your local online marketing specialists, we get asked this question a lot. And it’s not surprising.
why: knowing what kind of appointment scheduling software to invest in is crucial to getting more clients and revenue. The better you market yourself and your services, the more bookings you can get. There are so many solutions out there that you could be overwhelmed and just give up looking for one! That’s why we’re here.
Timely
Timely was launched in 2011 by Andrew Schofield, Ryan Baker, and William Berger, and is defined by its founders as simple, affordable, and reliable appointment software for small businesses. Previously Andrew and Ryan created software called the Booklt that successfully supported the tourism industry in New Zealand. Owners of small companies asked for a similar solution for salons, clinics, gyms, etc. Timely was created to meet the needs of such entrepreneurs. The pricing plan depends on the number of staff. This software doesn’t have a free version but has a 14-day free trial.
BetterHQ
By BetterHQ0 reviewsHospitality, Tourism, and Time trackingGet this appOnline scheduling software that helps run your whole business. From scheduling to marketing & invoicing – you can do it all on a single platform.
BetterHQ is online scheduling software for small business. You can manage appointments, scheduling, clients and invoicing on a secure, central system. With everything you need at your fingertips you can streamline your business and provide a better experience for your clients. Explore all features of BetterHQ
BetterHQ + Xero
Once connected to Xero you can simplify your bank reconciliation, easily track GST and automatically group and push your BetterHQ appointment & sales into your chart of accounts – saving time, reducing errors and helping you better understand how your business is tracking financially. Plus, both apps are fully online so you can access your data on the go.
Calendar
If you want to combine all of the calendars on your desktop and phone – Google Calendar, Apple’s iCal, and Outlook, for starters – Calendar is a solid pick. It simplifies scheduling, easily syncs across all devices, and includes meeting transcriptions in the paid version.The best part is its AI function, which monitors your schedule and can automate certain tasks without your input. Plus, you’ll receive valuable analytics that tell you how you spend your time. The paid version starts at $6 per month, and there’s also a free limited version.
Calendly
For those who want to collaborate with multiple team members, check out the Calendly online booking system. It has many of the same features as other tools on our list, but it also comes with unique features, like round-robin, collective, and one-on-one meetings. Plus, the custom meeting link makes it easy to invite others to pick a date and time.The free version offers basic booking and a single calendar view. Paid plans, which feature team solutions, cost $8 to $12 per month.
HubSpot Meetings
HubSpot is a powerful CRM platform that comes with an enterprise price tag, and their online scheduling for small business is one small part of their overall offerings. If you’re looking to buy only a calendar solution, this may be too robust.However, if you want all of your contact tools, lists, sales funnels, and email trackers in one place, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option. There is a free “lite” plan for you to check out, and the full-featured scheduler is free for paid HubSpot users. The templates alone make it an incredible solution.
Acuity
Acuity is an appointment app that lets you block out the times that work for you, allowing your meeting attendees to pick from available slots. It’s sparsely designed but is loaded with options. For example, you can accept payments via Stripe, Square, or PayPal, vault credit cards for charging later, accept tips, offer coupons, schedule group workshops, and upsell with add-ons at checkout.If you’re looking for a way to grow your business with more sales through appointment setting, Acuity scheduling may be your best bet. Plans start at $14 per month for one calendar.
Appointlet
Designed for salespeople but easy enough for anyone to use, Appointlet offers customized booking pages you can send to clients and prospects. It integrates easily into your existing online real estate, too, including websites and email subscriber lists. The free forever option may be enough for casual users, but the paid version offers unlimited bookings, coordination with Zoom, and field customization.Plans for this online scheduling software start at $8 per month. You can integrate it with Google Calendar, Office 365, Unbounce, Leadpages, Wishpond, Zapier, and more.
Doodle
Doodle makes it easy to get a group of three or more people on the same page, even across time zones. Simply send out a poll for meeting attendees to answer with their availability. Then, pick the time that works best, and communications will synchronize for all attendees.Anyone who struggles to find a time that works for everyone will love the reduction in back-and-forths along with the user-friendly interface. Doodle offers a free trial for its plans, which start at $6.95 per month.
ScheduleOnce
If you need your teams on one page, ScheduleOnce is worth considering. Features include group meetings, one-on-one calls, and video conferences. It syncs across your website, email, and payment processor, so you’ll always have the most up-to-date schedule view.ScheduleOnce’s branding preferences are impressive, letting you put your own special touch on any of your customer-facing tools. Plans start at $10 per month, with a free plan that lets 25 users collaborate at no cost.
MioSalon
MioSalon is a software dedicated mostly for beauty services. It includes hair, nail, and beauty salons, as well as spas, health, and wellness centers. The main focus is to increase customer engagement and retention. The software includes appointment scheduling, client data management, inventory management, payment processing, and client marketing. MioSalon helps businesses that are in the beauty services, and are eager to help create a long-lasting and loyal customer base for the users of this software. After the 14 days of the free trial, the price increases with the number of staff.
Bookafy
Bookafy offers solutions for various types of businesses, including financial services, freelancers, recruiters, medical clinics, educational institutions, home care services, and beauty salons. It is available both in iOS and Android, the Bookafy application enables you to sync your appointments both with Google Calendar and Outlook. The app is integrated with email sending tools such as Constant Contact and Mailchimp. With Bookafy, you can access unlimited bookings of appointments, customize messages, frequency of reminders, and scheduling of buffering time between appointments. This mobile application supports 35 national and regional languages, enabling customers to set up the display with their languages. This application has a 7-day free trial—the price increases with additional features you choose to use.
Its streamlined approach ensures that anyone scheduling a meeting gets facetime with the appropriate department or expert, such as a customer needing IT help versus a prospect looking for a marketing demonstration. You also get custom forms and templates featuring your company colors and forms, so you can make Bookafy your own. The plans start at $7 per month for the Pro plan and $11 for the Pro+ plan.
SimplyBook.me
SimplyBook.me is a favorite among those with a global client base because it lets your clients book online meeting times in 32 languages. It also seamlessly integrates with more than 20 payment processing apps, so you can make sure you get paid for your time.You can pick your industry to see pre-loaded default fields, such as those for gym owners or consultants, among other roles. Then, be sure to check out all the reporting features, including a rundown of your appointment statistics and a log of SMS reminders. Prices range from free to $59 per month.
YouCanBook.me
With YouCanBook.me, you create a booking grid that you can share anywhere, including on social media or your website. Pick your display preferences, including custom fields, and view your meetings as they’re requested by your staff or clients.This tool works well with Google and Apple calendars, and it integrates with Zapier, Zoom, and other related platforms. Plus, you can reduce your monthly no-shows by sending out customized notifications and reminders. As for the cost, you’ll pay $10 per calendar per month.
Dubsado
As part of a larger small business platform that also handles invoicing, project management, and reporting, Dubsado’s scheduling tools are as beautiful as they are functional. With this platform, you can collect booking fees at the time of appointment setting, attach forms to meeting confirmations, and pad your meeting slots.It also integrates with most major tools, and there are minimum notice settings to prevent overscheduling. Dubsado offers a free trial of their entire suite, and it costs $35 per month or $350 annually.
Square appointments
For businesses that already use the Square payment services suite of tools or their POS system, Square’s appointment booking tool is an easy choice. The service lets you charge no-show fees for cancellations and accept payments at the time of booking, among other features.The automated text and email reminders are helpful as well, especially for those with the busiest calendars. Paid plans start at $50 per month. There is a free plan with a single calendar, but it comes with payment processing fees of 2.6% + 10¢, which applies to all paid plans, too.
Conclusion
There are a lot of online appointment scheduling software available these days, making it somewhat confusing for you to find the best solution for your business. This article will share advice and tips on how you can identify and choose the right online appointment system in New Zealand.