Here are all posts by the author Frank Cort: Page 2 of 7

Entries by Frank Cort

How to Increase Client Appointments with an Online Scheduling Tool

2019 marked the first year that US consumers spent more time on their mobile devices than watching TV. Surprisingly, many appointment-based businesses are still investing in television ads. However, many have not taken the time to invest in an online scheduling system that allows potential clients to schedule services 24/7. To increase client appointments, find an online scheduling tool you can use across multiple digital channels. How to Add Online Scheduling to Google Business Profiles Google added an appointment booking link feature to Google Business Profiles (aka Google My Business listings) back in 2018. This allowed clients to schedule appointments with businesses and providers directly from the search engine results page (SERP). If you already use online scheduling, you can learn how to easily add your unique scheduling page URL to your GMB listing. 3 Reasons Clients Prefer Using Online Scheduling Tools Clients are in front of their screens… all the time. The average US consumer spends almost three hours a day on their smartphone. Add the time many US workers spend in front of a computer or laptop and the story changes. Most Americans spend the majority of their time […]

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Send Texts from Your Business Landline

According to an FCC study done in 2017, only 10% of the 455 million telephone numbers in the United States are landlines. A whopping 75% of numbers are mobile phones. Most of those landlines belong to businesses, while consumers rely primarily on mobile phones for communication. Since many businesses have had the same number for years, and it is one your clients recognize, making the switch to be able to text your clients can be a challenge. But what if you could send client text messages from a business landline? It’s easier than you think. Should you text your clients? If you’ve been living under a rock, here is a newsflash: everyone uses text messages. In fact, 93% of consumers use texting to communicate. But that doesn’t just mean that consumers are using text messaging to talk to their friends and family. Many industries have adopted text messaging as a means to communicate with their clients. What are businesses texting about? Great question. An overwhelming majority of clients text businesses about appointments and scheduling. Since 90% of text messages are read within 3 seconds of being delivered, SMS messaging is […]

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4 Ways To Improve Text Appointment Reminders to Clients

Did you know 62% of no-shows occur simply because clients forget their appointments? We get it. People are busy. Combat forgetfulness with a text message appointment reminder strategy that works. We have four easy ways for you to improve your automated appointment reminder software. 1. Send your automated text message reminder at the right time of day. Though we highly recommend incorporating automated text message reminders into your strategy, many of our clients choose to also use email or voice messages to provide additional details (i.e. directions and instruction, documentation to bring, etc.). To get the highest result, use best practices to send client reminders at the most effective time of day. For instance, SMS text messages sent out automatically at 6 p.m. have a 41.4% higher response rate than messages sent at noon. The chart below shows response rates for SMS, email, and voice calls by time of day. 2. Include the correct information in your automated text message. Are you struggling with what to include in your text message reminder? Remember: this isn’t an email, so only include what is necessary. You can always schedule an automated email […]

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Should I Send Text or Voice Reminders to My Clients?

Sending appointment reminders to your clients is a necessity in today’s busy world. 62% of no-shows occur simply because your client forgot. To combat forgetfulness, send timely appointment reminders with all of the information the client needs to show up on time and be well-prepared for their appointment. How should you send the reminder? Let’s take a look at the difference in the effectiveness of sending a text message reminder versus sending voice call reminders. Why Sending a Text Message Reminder is More Effective US adults check their phones 52 times a day, on average. That’s a lot of screen time you can take advantage of. But they aren’t just using their phone during their personal time. In fact, 84% of working adults use their personal phones during working hours. While answering your phone in a quiet office may be frowned upon, it is very easy to quickly glance at an incoming text message while sitting at your desk. Because of that, many businesses are using text message reminders to get the best confirmation rate on their appointment reminders. Furthermore, 90% of text messages are read within 3 seconds of […]

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Limit Impact of Cellular Carrier Filtering on Your Business Messaging

Recently, Sprint and T-Mobile have increased their text filtering criteria, causing some text messages to fail to send. Unfortunately, our service provider does not always flag failed messages. This means you might not have been alerted to messages failing to send. However, carriers are flagging phone numbers that send text messages to over 200 unique phone numbers per day. Reduce Cellular Carrier Filtering by Updating Hyperlinks The majority of the failed messages are due to hyperlinks. We have found that having a link in your initial text to your clients causes many of the failures we have seen, though it does not cause every message to fail. If you use the default message template, Apptoto automatically populates a link to the appointment page so your clients can add the appointment to their calendars. Alternatively, if you are including a link to paperwork or a survey, that can also cause the message to fail. There is a quick workaround to avoid failed messages. Add the hyperlink into an auto-reply message rather than the initial message. Here is how to set that up: Add Auto Reply/Action in the Auto Messages Tab Select […]

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How to Keep Patient Messaging HIPAA Compliant?

Healthcare professionals spend hours each week sending reminders to their patients. Whether you or your staff are taking care of it, manually sending messages to patients about their upcoming appointments is a huge waste of your time. Did you know that you can send automated HIPAA-compliant appointment reminders? With automation, you can save yourself, your staff, and your practice hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars each year. Why HIPAA Compliance Matters The healthcare industry is typically known as a technology laggard. Though medical advances are cutting-edge, the healthcare technology landscape (like EMR/EHR systems, etc.) is oftentimes lacking. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance is a scary topic for most healthcare professionals. Between malpractice lawsuits and patient data breaches, the liability risk for the healthcare industry is incredibly high. As a result, it can be difficult to choose a new technology provider you can trust to keep your patients and your practice safe. To that end, most healthcare providers we talk to choose to do things the hard way (i.e., the manual way) rather than invest in a HIPAA-compliant appointment reminder service that can save them and their […]

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5 Holiday Campaigns to Boost Your Appointment Bookings

Christmas in October? It might have been over a month ago when department stores started displaying their Christmas wares, but if you haven’t started prepping your business for the holidays, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Many appointment-based businesses see a slump during the final months of the year, which can lead to a stressful January attempting to recoup that revenue. Fear not. We have five holiday campaigns you can quickly send to existing contacts to increase appointment bookings. 5 Holiday Campaign Theme Ideas Customer Appreciation Specials The holidays are a perfect time to show your clients how thankful you are for them! Consider sending a special offer or discount if they book time and complete the service prior to a certain date. That way, you are introducing immediacy and faster revenue while still being able to send a quick ‘thank you’ to your clients. It’s a win-win! Campaign Template Hi {{First Name}}, the holidays are a time for giving thanks and we are thankful for YOU! To show you our appreciation, schedule your next appointment with us this month and receive 20% off your service. Schedule time with us here: […]

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How CPAs Can Use Text Messages for Appointment Scheduling

Starting in the fall, tax firms and CPAs start gearing up for their busiest time: the upcoming tax season. Don’t waste time reaching out individually to remind your clients to book their tax prep sessions. Instead, use text message messaging campaigns to send reminders and scheduling links to your contact list. Clients get a jump start on their taxes, and you and your tax firm fill up your calendar with meaningful appointments. Everyone wins! Why Send Text Messages Instead of Emails 90% of text messages are read within the first three seconds 98% of text messages are read in their entirety. Emails sent by the finance industry have an average open rate of 40%.*, which is very high for emails, but still falls well below the text message engagement rate. How to Send Your Tax Firm Client Text Messages Create a text (or email) campaign cadence from scratch, or use our Tax Prep template. Quickly text your contact list and include a booking link to schedule time with you. Once a client books time on your calendar (either via the booking link or directly through you), they are removed from […]

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87 Appointment Reminder Templates to Send Your Clients

You’re a business owner, not a copywriter. Rather than waste cycles trying to craft the perfect copy for your text or email appointment reminders, just use these 87 industry-specific appointment reminder templates! For all client communication, you need to follow these four simple rules: Keep it Real. You know your clients. Make your reminder sound like your brand! If you’re “hip and with it,” add some spunk to your wording. If you like to keep it classy, do just that. Keep it Relevant. The main function of an appointment reminder is to get your clients the information they need. Don’t convolute the message with unnecessary details like sales and promotions. There are other messaging avenues for that. Keep it Short. Apptoto SMS text messages can support up to 300 characters, but that doesn’t mean you have to use them all. Use what you need to get the information across. Keep it Consistent. Many of your clients will be repeats and will come to rely on your reminders. If you remind them three days before their appointment and then again one hour before, that needs to be the cadence you continue. […]

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New Customization Features for Apptoto Booking Pages

Apptoto’s online scheduling just got better! Now, you can customize the look and feel of your booking pages to match your business’s brand. Another great addition that our customers asked for is the ability to customize your availability for each page. For instance, if you want to create a recurring block for lunch or have a day of the week that your office closes early, you can now easily adjust those times for each booking page. We put together an easy guide to walk you through all of the new features available for your booking page appearance. Booking Page Appearance Tab After navigating to the Bookings Page via the options on the left of your Apptoto portal, click the Appearance tab to see all the customization options. Colors & Fonts Now, you can change the color, font, and layout of your booking pages. You’ve spent years establishing a brand with your clients. Show it off on your booking page! There are many options to customize both the colors and the fonts on your booking page. Be careful not to choose any colors that will be distracting or a font that […]

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