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Woosh! And half the year has gone already. Where has 2021 gone so quickly? Summer in the northern hemisphere is our quietest time – we have to let our developers have their vacation time, even if they can’t go on a destination holiday. However, we’ve still been working away on our new developments, enhancing existing features, and bringing new expansions into the fold (more about that later).
While some countries have started to open up their borders to tourists, others have seen a rise in Covid cases and once again restricted travel. In either case, business has begun again in earnest, and with it the need to control appointments, visitors and access to premises.
What’s New in June?
June has been an interesting month. While we’ve had no new features to release, we have significant improvements to existing custom features and some quite big news to share.
So what’s been new for you in June?
Point of Sale Fixes
Those who use the PoS have asked for additions to the point of sale feature, so we’ve made them. The PoS is currently under development to make it much more intuitive and easier to use. However, to avoid causing problems to our users, these changes are happening a little bit at a time.
This month’s updates to the PoS are:
- Show first available slot – This is available on the first screen, so the first available slot can be booked and filled by a walk-in client if they want it.
- Adding a new client – The action of adding a new client to the system in person on the PoS has been simplified. This means that adding new clients to the system is straightforward when clients do not book online but come straight to the business.
- Email & SMS fields – The email and SMS fields on new bookings are now on the PoS system as per the settings in the booking system. So everyone will still get the emails and confirmations as when a client books in the system.
Updating the Membership Feature
You might have seen our updated Membership Feature video highlighting some of the more recent upgrades to how the membership feature works.
It is now possible to restrict the number of bookings by the same client within a membership. In many cases, people book multiple services in advance because the service, class, or treatment is limited. It is pretty common for clients with memberships to book several services in advance, limiting other users from booking anything.
A new limit selector in the Membership management interface is applied to membership structures and levels. The specified limit is also included in the Issued Memberships report, so the admin can check why a particular client can’t book a service.
Coming Up in July!
The Summer might be a quiet time for us, but that doesn’t mean we won’t continue developing new features and making SimplyBook.me better than ever.
The Waiting List Feature
I know this feature has been long-awaited by many of you. After pausing for a while due to compatibility issues with other functionality, the concept has been redesigned. From a different perspective, it is now on its way to completion.
Once a user activates the feature, the user can assign waiting list eligibility to any service or classes in their system with a checkbox. If an eligible service is full, but another client also wants to schedule a spot, they can still finish the sign-up process, but the appointment has a flag that shows it as a “waiting list” booking.
Once a client is on the waiting list, there are two options that a user can choose:
- The system will automatically add the first awaiting client in the list to the newly available slot. The system will then send a standard booking confirmation email or SMS.
- All waiting clients receive an email telling them of the opening. The first client to confirm will take the empty spot.
Sadly, our optimistic hope for an end of June release has passed, but as it is already in testing and ensuring it works with other features, we have every hope of an early July release.
Google reviews widget
Coming soon is the ability to show your Google reviews on your booking page. Some customers have said they want to display reviews from other sources, so Google is the first on the list.
Users will display a button on their booking pages to “See Google Reviews” with this feature enabled. A Google-native widget will pop up showing reviews collected on the company’s Google Business Profile.
Rather than asking clients to review you in multiple places, you can show off both your website reviews and those on Google.
Individual banner for Client APP
It will soon be possible for each business to download separate banners for the client app. This will be available via the admin custom feature settings.
Our New Addition to the SimplyBook.me Family
Now for the big news of June 2021. As of June 18, 2021, Harmonizely will operate and be managed by SimplyBook.me. Over the next couple of months, we’ll make changes and integration developments, bringing the system up to SimplyBook.me operating standards. We will rebrand and relaunch as SimplyMeet.me.
For businesses with basic scheduling needs such as meeting requests, it is the simple alternative to the comprehensive system that SimplyBook.me provides. It will also be beneficial to sales or recruitment teams who need to let clients book with them.
Just in case you missed it…
This month, we’ve had some interesting articles from experts in their field share their knowledge. It’s fabulous when we can get some industry insight to help with your business needs and advice.
Guest posts
Our latest guest post from Meenz Nautiyal talks about making your clients care about your brand and engaged with it. Suppose you’re starting a business, and you keep hearing about SEO. In that case, it might be helpful to check out the SEO Ultimate Guide for Small Businesses by Khris Steven to see how you can maximise your SEO without the expense of engaging a professional.
Alternatively, there might be a few common mistakes you’re making with your online marketing. Jordan Brannon from Coalition Technologies has shared his views on the five missed marketing opportunities that could hurt your business.
If you’re looking at new business opportunities or exploring a new niche Diana Ford with more than a decade of marketing experience, explains how to evaluate the potential of your chosen niche – there’s no point in entering a saturated or unwanted niche.
Advice & tutorials
Have you ever wondered why you should be using Twitter for Business? Our article looks at the very particular section of followers that make your business Tweet important to your clients. In more social media tips, have you ever really considered what you put in the captions on Instagram? Our article on Instagram caption prompts explains what kind of cations engage followers and boost engagement.
Case Studies & What our Clients Say
You might have seen our case study on The Table Service – an excellent event planner and organiser for smaller occasions. We were so impressed with the way they have started their business in a pandemic and survived. They have even inspired a whole new industry in their location. The Table service has used SimplyBook.me so well; we even did an in-depth piece on what can be achieved with our system, including the specific custom features.
External Recognition
Once again, SimplyBook.me has made the Category Leaders list on GetApp. This time it’s for Dance Studio Software.
We appreciate every client who reviewed us, leading to recognition as a leader in scheduling for dance schools and studios.