Here are all posts by the author Frank Cort: Page 4 of 7

Entries by Frank Cort

How to use Apptoto Webhooks

Apptoto Webhooks allow you to integrate Apptoto’s Appointment Messaging & Scheduling Platform further into your workflow by triggering things to happen when certain events happen in Apptoto (e.g., when someone books an appointment with you or when someone is a no-show). Recently we took our Webhook platform out of BETA and made it generally available to all users. You’ll find the settings for this feature on the Settings > Integrations > Webhooks section of your Apptoto portal.  You can also find more information about webhooks in our reference manual. What are Webhooks? Webhooks are a powerful technology that allows a cloud service, such as Apptoto, to communicate (in real-time) with another cloud service or an on-premise solution. Basically, a Webhook is a way to tell Apptoto to visit a URL (like you would in a browser) automatically whenever a specific trigger happens in Apptoto. That can be used in conjunction with other services that offer special URLs to be visited in order to trigger things to happen in those services. For example, with Apptoto Webhooks, you can tell Apptoto to visit a specific URL that triggers a message to be […]

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New Auto Messages Editor

We’ve recently started rolling out a new version of our “Auto Messages” tab inside of the Apptoto application.  All new users have access to it, and all existing users can now try it. This blog post will cover some of the changes to how the Auto Messages editor works and how you can use it to simplify scheduling automated messages. But first, a quick overview of automatic messages At its core, Apptoto is an automatic messaging platform for your calendar. Apptoto aims to provide businesses with an easy-to-use, easy-to-customize, and easy-to-orchestrate mechanism for communicating with clients in their appointment book. The main reason that users want such a system is to send automatic messages before every appointment to A) remind the client and B) establish a way for the client to reply back and confirm, cancel, or reschedule more easily. But there are other reasons you might want to send messages before or after appointments on your calendar.  You might want to follow up with clients to remind them to do something or to book their next appointment.  Or you might want to send a message in the evening after […]

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Staff Messaging with Apptoto’s “To: Field” feature

We all know now just how powerful and flexible Apptoto’s automated messages are for reminding clients about appointments, but what if you or your staff also need to receive reminder messages for all appointments?  You can now use Apptoto’s “To: Field” feature to send automated staff messages or reminders to yourself. You can utilize all of the same customization features available for “Auto Messages” when setting up staff messaging.  For example, you can create a rule/condition that tells Apptoto only to send messages to your staff when the appointment on their calendar contains the phrase “initial consultation.”  You can also fully customize the message, including timing and content/language. If you are a service business, this feature is exceptionally handy for sending reminders to field agents who may not have their calendars on hand! Enabling the “TO: Field” feature To get started with this feature, you’ll first need to turn it on.  You can do so by going to the “Settings” > “Advanced & Privacy” tab in your Apptoto account. From there, check the ‘Enable the “To:” field in Auto Messages’ option and click “Save Settings” at the bottom. How staff messaging […]

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Feature Update: Apptoto Voice Call Message Enhancements

If you’ve used the compose button on the Agenda or Inbox/Outbox view lately, then you’ve noticed that you can now send Voice Call messages to one or more recipients easily from your Apptoto phone number. The Compose button can be used to send messages to contacts who have appointments with you (by clicking the checkboxes on the left and then clicking Compose) or to contacts who are not on your calendar. Here are three ways you can use the Apptoto Connect voice call and messaging reminders for your scheduling. 1. Easily send your own voice (MP3 messages) Once you click “Compose” you have the option to choose which type of messages you want to send.   With our latest release, if you choose “Voice Call” only, then you are given the opportunity to upload an MP3 file to send as the content of the message.  This lets you send your pre-recorded voice instead of using our Text-to-Speech engine. You can interweave Text-to-Speech content with MP3 too!  Just type out the full message that you want to send (and add any dynamic fields you want included).  Then highlight the part you want […]

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What is Apptoto?

Apptoto is an automated appointment reminder and online scheduling solution for appointment-based businesses. The robust appointment management platform was born out of our founder’s passion for helping businesses communicate more efficiently with their clients while improving their financial health. Apptoto integrates with many popular calendar systems, allowing businesses to automatically send SMS, email, and voice reminders to their clients. In turn, businesses reduce no-shows and ensure appointments are kept. In addition to reminders, our incredibly robust platform also provides online scheduling, two-way business text messaging, automated messaging campaigns, and appointment booking payments. We’re focused on remaining the technology leader that appointment-based businesses use to: Knock-Out No-Shows Improve Communication Boost Profits Do more with Existing Clients Eliminate Mundane Tasks Tyler Blair has been an account executive/support specialist with Apptoto for almost three years now.  Recently, Tyler spoke with Jim Hacking on Maximum Lawyer’s podcast.  Tyler does a great job explaining what Apptoto is and the basics of how it works!  You can listen to the podcast here: Apptoto: Online Scheduling Service for Lawyers. Thanks for Sharing Share on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share by Mail  

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Calm the Calendar Chaos: A Comparison of 8 Top Appointment Scheduling Apps [2024]

A Side-by-Side Comparison of 8 Appointment Scheduling Apps in 2024 Just a few years ago, businesses thought that offering online appointment scheduling to customers was more of a “nice-to-have” than a necessity. Fast forward to the present, and online appointment scheduling is indispensable to businesses and customers alike. Studies across industries have shown that around 70% of people now prefer to book appointments online. And, more than 50% of 25 to 55-year-olds would switch to a new provider that offered online scheduling. There is no shortage of online appointment scheduling apps catering to a diverse array of industries. Therefore, the key to selecting the perfect solution is to find the app that best fits your business’s existing needs, processes, and tools! But, given the number of products, services, and integrations many online booking platforms now provide, finding the right solution can seem nearly impossible. That’s why we’ve analyzed the best online appointment scheduling apps of 2024 to help you find the perfect solution for your appointment management needs. Check out the top features, services, and integrations offered by 8 top apps and see how Apptoto compares (hint: we’re proud of […]

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The 5 Best Apps for Small Business Owners

With at-your-fingertips access to everything from shopping to medical services, the modern business landscape is all about efficiency and customer service. Whether you’re selling artisanal soaps or architectural design, you need the right mix of software and easy-to-use apps to keep pace with your competition and provide optimal experiences to your clients. The good news is that many of these services are so multifaceted that you can use one service to handle a variety of tasks. For instance, good accounting software can help you manage your budget and pay your employees, while an appointment management system can also provide automated appointment reminders to your staff and clients. To help you choose the right digital blend for your needs, we’ve put together a list of the 5 best apps for small businesses. Here is a list of essential apps and software your small business should consider implementing to thrive in this on-demand era of service and performance. Appointment Scheduling App Managing the calendar for a busy business can be a full-time job all on its own, but not all businesses can afford to hire a person just to keep track of […]

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3 Ways Proper Scheduling Can Help You Nail Your Sales Pitch

Picture this: Your ideal sales scenario. Think about the time you need to prepare, the optimal setting, and the model client. Are you seeing it? The friendly banter, the clever pitch, the handshake that seals the deal? While it may be more fun to focus on the presentation and pageantry, don’t forget to think about what it takes to schedule such a flawless sales meeting. You want to ensure the date, time, and place work for you and your client. Once the meeting is set, it’s a good idea to provide a follow-up appointment reminder and maybe some helpful details about the meeting. This is where great client scheduling software can save the day and help you deliver the perfect sales pitch. Here are three ways that sales appointment management systems like Apptoto can help create your ideal sales scenario. 1. It Demonstrates Professionalism When it comes time to present your pitch and nail your sale, you want a captive audience that’s ready to listen and in the mood to say yes, so creating a positive experience right out of the gate can add immense value to the exchange before […]

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Customized Appointment Reminder Timing Options

When setting up your Apptoto account, you may ask yourself – how will Apptoto fit my unique workflow? In most cases, the default Automated Appointment Reminders templates provided by Apptoto will be all you need to get started. These basic reminder templates are built to alert a client to their appointment’s start time, as shown on the calendar.  However, timing can often be more complex than that. For example, clients might need to come to their appointments early to complete paperwork or get settled.  If you’re in the service industry, you may want to provide an arrival window to clients as opposed to a specific time.  These are just two of the specialized automated Appointment Reminders that Apptoto can send for you!  Apptoto utilizes the Liquid Templating language to allow you to customize the messages that are sent. Read on to learn how to set up your Apptoto account and send automated appointment reminders exactly the way your clients want them! Can I Ask My Client to Arrive Early With Automated Appointment Reminders? With a simple template change, Apptoto can remind clients to show up to their appointments several minutes […]

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How Text Appointment Reminders & Confirmations are Changing Business for the Better

Want to know the one thing less convenient than leaving a detailed appointment reminder voicemail? The answer is taking time out of your busy day to listen to that voicemail while scrambling for a pen or a note-taking app, then listening to it again to make sure you wrote down the details correctly, then confirming those details in your calendar, and then calling back to confirm or cancel said appointment. It’s a lot of touchpoints and a lot of unnecessary back and forth. But that’s just how it’s done, right? Wrong. At the risk of sounding like a late-night infomercial host: there really is a better way! Appointment reminders are meant to be a convenience to your client and to your team, but with so much time and energy required of both parties to make so many phone calls, it’s easy to see why automated text reminders are surging in popularity. Keep reading to learn more about how text appointment reminders are reshaping how businesses communicate with customers. Phone Reminders are Impractical Have you ever covertly answered the phone during a meeting or while on the clock? It’s a tricky […]

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