subject: E-marketing, Appointment Scheduling Software A Perfect Pairing To Boost Customer Interaction [print this page] As the Internet has become more important in our daily lives, so, too, has the need for effective e-marketing campaigns. Businesses and organizations in-tuned to their customers' preferences and habits quickly learn the necessity of communicating with them over the Web. Newspaper ads, television and radio commercials, printed newsletters, and mailed coupons simply don't have the same effect they previously had, as more and more individuals rely on electronic communication to receive news and information.
With this shift came the need for technical know-how in properly communicating information to customers in this new medium. For those with little or no computer and graphic-design skills, this task proved daunting. How could a small business owner or organization executive with limited knowledge of creating electronic newsletters or sending a mass e-mail possibly accomplish this?
One of the assumed outcomes of innovation is to make tasks easier for everyone, and software service providers such as Constant Contact, iContact and Vertical Response developed programs that allow even the most novice Internet user to easily and quickly develop informative and visually-appealing newsletters and other online publications to send to customers and prospects.
In addition to providing updates, upcoming announcements, specials and other information, these e-marketing pieces offer a great avenue for promoting Web-based appointment scheduling at the business or organization. When used together, e-marketing newsletters and appointment-scheduling software can have a tremendous impact on operations.
WHY ADD APPOINTMENT-SCHEDULING LINK TO NEWSLETTERS?
E-marketing is a natural fit for businesses and organizations that utilize Web-based appointment-scheduling programs. Most software applications store most, if not all, customer information, including e-mail addresses, in one centralized location. This makes it easy to export the information to use in e-marketing campaigns and eliminates the need to gather this information from multiple files or sources.
Most businesses and organizations send their newsletters to an accurate list of current, former and/or prospective customers. And there's a good chance that many of these individuals anticipate receiving these and actually read the content. This makes electronic newsletters the perfect forum for announcing and marketing scheduling software used at the business or organization, especially if the goal is to drive more customers to book their appointment and reservations online.
Specific reasons to consider adding a scheduler button on a company or organization newsletter include:
Direct scheduling. A newsletter may include discounts, specials, events or other items that require a customer to book an appointment or reservation. The addition of a scheduler link that sends him or her to the scheduler page can dramatically increase the number of appointments or reservations.
Convenience. Make it easy for customers to schedule their appointments right from the newsletter, instead of having them open a new browser window and going to a company Web site or typing in a scheduler's URL to access it.
Promotion. Some customers may not be aware that a business or organization offers online scheduling. A newsletter is a great way to announce this.
Captured audience. A key to successful communication is addressing the correct audience. All individuals who receive the newsletter are either customers or those familiar with the business or organization.
Cost effectiveness. Prices vary among e-marketing newsletter providers, but most generally offer low-cost packages for sending out bulk e-mail. An e-newsletter is much cheaper to send than a print newsletter through the mail is.
Ease of including it. Adding a button and link back to a scheduling software page is relatively simply (as the below section explains).
ADDING A SCHEDULER BUTTON, LINK TO A NEWSLETTER
As mentioned above, e-marketing and newsletter providers have made it easy for users to customize the look and feel of their mailings. In many instances, creating the document is almost the same as developing a similar piece in Microsoft Word, Publisher or other popular software programs. Most provide easy-to-follow instructions on how to embed an image-such as a scheduler button or banner in the newsletter, as well as an accompanying link. As items can sometimes become lost in a newsletter, especially in ones with heavy copy, consider a button or banner that stands out from the surrounding writing and formatting so it easily captures readers' eyes. Some appointment scheduling software providers offers clients a choice of buttons to choose from.
Once a customer or subscriber clicks on the button, it will directly send him or her to the scheduling page. The process is simple and easy to set up, and individuals will appreciate the convenience of a direct connection to your scheduler.
As Internet applications increase and encompass more and more of our daily activities, many are finding ways of combining multiple services to improve the way they communicate and interact with customers, clients and peers. Offering online scheduling through a newsletter or other e-marketing piece sounds simple, and it is; however, this small inclusion can dramatically increase the number of clientele who become familiar with online booking software and use it to schedule their appointments and reservations.
