Booking meetings online

LAFAYETTE – Most business professionals do it on a regular basis. Whether it’s with an accountant, a hairdresser, a massage therapist or an auto shop, the business world books appointments.

To make the process a little easier, a Web-based service is now available. Started by co-owners Richard Honey and Alisa Hunt, the system is designed for both businesses and customers.

A former software developer, Honey had been pondering the idea for more than a year. It became a reality only two months ago. Now seeking venture capital funds, the pair plans to launch the site nationally within the next four to six weeks.

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Honey said the inception of Lafayette-based Bookappointment.com (www.bookappointment.com) was “one of those things that takes a while to gel.” In order to make it work, the pair had to create an electronic solution that had sufficient control and lots of features. The system had to be flexible enough for users on both ends and still provide access to various types of appointments.

While most businesses have someone in house who manages appointment scheduling, the pair wanted to create a product that would give professionals more control over how their appointment books work and provide an opportunity for workers who are self-employed or who telecommute to use a scheduling system online.

In addition to individual books, there’s a group set-up for businesses. For the self-employed, it can be used as a business-building tool; for larger operations, as a means to reduce costs.

To compete with traditional systems, the service is not limited to one particular market. Although accountants are the primary target, users can choose from more than 30 different business categories. “It’s a more sophisticated scheduling engine for customers,” Honey said.

The basic service is free for all users, but businesses will be charged for add-ons such as customized reporting and questionnaires and appointment analysis.

Honey plans to turn a profit with a highly focused advertising campaign aimed at consumers. Businesses targeted for advertising will be determined by customers’ appointments.

All subscribers can customize their appointment books. Features allow users to control type, duration, availability and even use. If they choose, business subscribers can screen potential customers before they make an appointment.

The system allows for one-on-one scheduling as well as a group option for conferences or classes.

E-mail is the medium through which users are notified of a confirmed appointment, communicate cancellations or direct other questions. Users also can schedule up to two reminder e-mails to be sent at varying periods before each appointment. All features are applied automatically unless a user decides to make a change.

Businesses subscribers have access to free promotional space on the site and can send an unlimited number of preprinted postcards to their customers. The benefit of the postcards is twofold. Not only does it notify a subscriber’s customers, it markets the service to potential subscribers.

As with other e-businesses, Bookappointment.com has a global reach, but Honey and Hunt are looking to capture as much of the local market share as possible.

A few people have already subscribed to the service. But Honey said the process has been slow, mainly because the public doesn’t know about it yet.

Right now, the closest thing to sites designated for appointment booking is the scheduling option businesses offer customers at their own sites.

“Eventually consumer pressure is going to add to the momentum,” he said. “It’s all about convenience.” And possibly timing. According to Honey, the competition is at the same stage. There are other similar sites, such as eAppointment.com (www.eappointment.com) and Santa Clara, Calif.-based Webappoint.com (www.webappoint.com), but no mature ones.

Officially launching his site last October, Ehud Pardo, co-founder of Webappoint.com, said online appointment booking is the newest thing on the Internet. “Right now there’s about 10 to 15 works in progress. There’s going to be a big competition,” and, eventually, a clear winner.

Although these sites may be competing with each other, Prado said they complement traditional systems. The convenience of an online scheduling service is catching on, but for the most part, people are still sticking with old methods.

Webappoint.com currently has about 50 registered businesses nationwide and 140 users across the globe. Most businesses require a physical presence, and, although the service provides a state-by-state directory listing, it is not limited to one area. So while a subscriber in Switzerland may not be looking for a dentist in Boulder, he may want to utilize the area’s real estate prospects.

Like WebAppoint.com, the availability and selection of businesses on Bookappointment.com’s site is dependent on subscribers. As the number increases, so will the service’s offerings.