How to Set Up Online Booking for Your Business in 10 Minutes

Step 1: Create your account (2 minutes)

Open the booking platform, enter your email and create a password. Name your business and select your industry category (salon, personal trainer, clinic, yoga studio, etc.). The category determines your default terminology and settings, so a salon sees 'stylists' while a clinic sees 'practitioners'. Add your business address or service area. The whole process takes about 2 minutes because there is nothing complicated to configure at this stage. Most platforms offer a 14-day free trial so you can set everything up and test the booking flow before paying anything.

Step 2: Add your services (3 minutes)

Click into the services section and add your offerings. For each service you need three things: a name, a duration in minutes, and a price. Start with your 3-5 most popular services. You can always add more later, but getting the core ones right first means you can start taking bookings immediately. If you offer different tiers (a standard cut vs a premium restyle, or a 30-minute massage vs a 60-minute one), create them as separate services with clear, descriptive names. Clients should be able to understand what they are booking just from the service name without needing additional explanation. In Better Bookings, adding a service takes about 20 seconds: type the name, set the duration with a dropdown, enter the price, and save. Three services takes about a minute.

Step 3: Set your hours (2 minutes)

Set your working hours for each day of the week. Monday to Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-2pm, Sunday closed, for example. Block out your lunch break (the system prevents bookings during this time). If certain days vary, set different hours for each day. These hours become your availability. Clients browsing your booking page only see time slots within these windows. They cannot book during lunch, before opening, or on your days off. If you have staff members, each person can have their own schedule. One stylist might work Tuesday to Saturday while another works Monday to Friday. Each schedule is independent, and the booking page shows availability per staff member.

Step 4: Share your booking page (1 minute)

The moment you save your services and hours, your booking page is live and accessible at a unique URL. Copy this link and put it everywhere your clients might see it. Your Instagram bio is the most important placement for most service businesses because that is where clients go to find your contact information. Your Google Business Profile should have the link in the 'booking' field so people searching for you on Google Maps see a 'Book Online' button directly in your listing. Send the link via WhatsApp to your regular clients so they can bookmark it. If you have a physical location, generate a QR code (most booking platforms include this) and display it in your window, on your business cards, or at your reception desk. The link works on any device. Clients do not need to download an app or create an account. They just click, book, and they are done.

Step 5: Customise your branding (2 minutes)

Your booking page should look like it belongs to your business, not like a generic scheduling tool. Upload your logo (it appears at the top of the page), select your brand colour (buttons and accents match your brand), and add a short business description that tells new visitors what you offer. If you have photos of your work (before and afters, your space, your team), add gallery images. These build trust with first-time bookers who want to see what to expect. The whole branding step takes 2-3 minutes and makes a significant difference in how professional your booking page feels. In Better Bookings, branding options include logo upload, accent colour picker, custom fonts, gallery images, and a bio section. Your booking page URL includes your business name for a clean, branded link you can share confidently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a website to take online bookings?

No. Your booking platform gives you a public booking page with its own URL. Clients can book directly from the link - no website required.

Can clients book without creating an account?

Yes. Most modern booking platforms support guest booking - clients enter their name, email, and phone number, and they're booked. No account required.

How much does online booking software cost?

Prices range from free (with limitations) to £20-40/month for full-featured platforms. Look for flat pricing with no per-booking fees or per-staff charges.