How to take salon bookings online

Step 1: write your service list properly

1. List each service with a price and a realistic duration, including clean-down time.
2. Group them into categories so the list is easy to scan on a phone.
3. Add a one-line description where clients often book the wrong thing.

Step 2: set the hours you want to work

Give each staff member their own days, hours and break. Then block out what is not bookable: school runs, training, the hours you keep for walk-ins. Repeat blocks weekly so you only set them once.

Step 3: set prices and times per person

Where a senior and a junior charge differently or work at different speeds, set price and duration per staff member. Clients then choose a named person, or the first available.

Step 4: add forms where you need them

For colour, lashes or any treatment that needs a patch test or consent, attach an intake form to the service. The client fills it in while booking.

Step 5: decide how you approve bookings

In BookBook each new booking arrives as a request with an email alert, and you confirm or reject it with one click. Check your email at set times of day so clients get a quick answer.

Step 6: test it as a client

Book yourself in from your own phone. Check the durations, the confirmation email and how the booking appears on your side. Fix what confused you, because it will confuse clients too.

Step 7: tell clients, one appointment at a time

At the end of each appointment, show the client how to book the next one online. Put the address of your booking page in your Instagram bio, on your Facebook page and in your Google Business Profile. Expect regulars to take a few weeks to switch.

Frequently asked questions