It’s finally 2021 and whilst it might seem like the 13th month of 2020 out there right now, it’s very much a new year. This year we are all about positivity and helping clinics, studios and gyms scale back to full operations following a very turbulent 2020.

Sure, January is a long, bleak month but it doesn’t have to be the doom and gloom that it’s billed as each year. This month is a good time to analyse both your business performance from the previous year and your plans for the year ahead. Additionally, with a huge chunk of society currently embarking on their new year’s resolutions, Q1 of each year should present a great opportunity to land new clients for your appointments and classes – even if they are virtual.

Changing consumer habits

Since March 2020, the landscape across the healthcare, wellbeing and fitness industries has changed dramatically. Like in many industries, the Covid-19 pandemic has driven rapid acceleration of digital adoption and online services. If we asked you 12 months ago how many telehealth consultations or virtual classes you thought you would deliver last year, would your answer have been more than 10?

Peoples attitude towards the online world and how they engage with businesses has changed for good. Recent research shows a 21% increase in online orders in March 2020 vs the same period in 2019, with 41% of respondents stating that they started to shop online for things they would normally shop for in-store. Moreover, according to the previously known statistics, 70% of consumers now prefer to choose the “message us” button over “call us.

It won’t come as a shock to hear that people like to get from A to B in the way that requires the least interaction and ‘heavy lifting’. People like to do things in their own time and in the way that suits them best.

Transitioning visitors from contact to booking and payment

Acquiring clients online and automating your business operations are fundamental to your success not only in Q1 of this year but also to ensure you remain competitive going forward. If you can give a potential client all the information they need via your website/social without the need for them to pick up the phone, they’ll be far more likely to convert to a booking.

Think of your website and social platforms as your new shop window, and your online bookings solution/business management software is essentially your new receptionist. If you make it difficult for a client to get what they need, they won’t be long in going elsewhere. Your platforms should be setup in a way that allows visitors to not only explore your services and contact you but and also to book and pay online. Once a client has booked and paid, your system should also allow for automation of forms, reminders, auto-collection of payments and automatic link generation for virtual services.

At TM3, we understand the importance of not only having multiple channels for client acquisition but also how your systems should allow for client self-management and automation of processes. TM3 Connect works alongside your website and social platforms to streamline the booking process. The direct booking URLs can be used to automate messages via your Facebook live chat to push visitors to the right service for booking and specific online booking links can be embedded on your website to improve conversion rates.

We are running a 1-hour webinar on digital visibility best practice, helping you to get the most out of your social, website and online bookings this year. To reserve your slot, register below or if you would like a one-to-one demo, please click here to arrange.