Every medical spa needs the right technology to help get as many bookings as possible. Medical spa booking software is part and parcel of this technology, logging all appointments for interested customers. This software is a critical part of every practice and the gateway for every transaction.
Three booking platforms dominate the market in the medical spa industry: Zenoti, Boulevard, and Aesthetic Record. Are they indeed as good as others set them out to be? Or is there something better than all of them? Let’s find out.
What Are Medical Spa Booking Platforms?
A platform can be anything for a medical service provider, from a simple website to a sophisticated, automated online booking service. However, medical spa booking platforms offer a variety of features and benefits that allow more straightforward lead capture and simplified customer service.
Many medical spa booking systems double as electronic medical records for patients. This simplifies the process, allowing your front office to take care of the customer’s needs without bothering you with the details. However, while EMRs and booking systems simplify your process, you need the right booking platform for your medical spa.
You want booking platforms that cater to the needs of your practice. It needs to resolve your pain points and fulfill the requirements you have for your business. Robust appointment scheduling and HIPAA compliance are the bare minimum you want in a booking system that will handle sensitive patient records.
At the same time, you want a system that provides email and SMS marketing on top of customer service features. You want a platform that offers stellar customer service that reduces potential downtime. All this should come in a package that scales for every business type.
With that said, there are three booking platform options that many consider. So let’s give them a good look.
#1 – Zenoti
Zenoti is the top pick for the best booking platform for many medical spas due to its all-in-one solutions. They pride themselves on being a true enterprise system, going beyond the basic appointment scheduling and POS system.
Zenoti has specific features that big practices love, from a custom reporting system that allows for simpler, better-branded records to logging inventory. In addition, practices love its multilocation settings and its mobile platform to simplify many areas that medical spa owners have an issue with daily.
Pros of Zenoti
The client interface of Zenoti for booking and subscribing to memberships can be a wonderful experience. It is a straightforward solution that provides customizability that you won’t find with many other booking platforms.
Many customers dub Zenoti the “Amazon” of booking systems, mainly if you operate multiple locations. Their onboarding process is quite in-depth, and they tend to provide the right amount of support while addressing the needs of their customers.
Cons of Zenoti
One of the biggest issues for Zenoti is its price and lack of scalability. Some smaller medical spas online consider their features an overkill – some even admit that they don’t use all of the features but pay for them in full.
If you’re a small business or a startup, Zenoti can be a daunting software. While it’s fantastic for medium to larger medical spa practices, small businesses will be paying a premium on features they don’t need or use.
#2 – Boulevard
Boulevard is not far behind Zenoti. While Zenoti aims to provide a premium cloud experience, Boulevard is a premium option for small to medium medical spas. It’s a platform-as-a-service.
The company boasts that its booking platforming collaborates with industry-leading owners and operators. This tells potential clients that their product is purpose-built, promising to deliver ease of use while keeping a pleasing aesthetic.
Pros of Boulevard
According to multiple reviews, what makes Boulevard unique is its single, unified design. Their built-in messenger and booking workflow works as smoothly as possible, using an easy-to-use, seamless design. In addition, its messaging center works well to connect with several locations and simplify the entire process.
Customers enjoy Boulevard’s powerful integrations, allowing you to use other apps and connect them with your booking platform. Their onboarding and customer service are also stellar.
Cons of Boulevard
One common issue with Boulevard is its lack of optimized analytical reporting. If you’re a business looking for insights, it can be challenging to produce the correct numbers and analytics to support data-driven decision-making. However, Boulevard recently launched more in-depth analytics and opened up its reporting API.
Another complaint is their POS system, which some users say can be unintuitive. In addition, sync issues can be a problem. However, these are common problems with most POS integrated booking systems and POS systems in general.Â
#3 – Aesthetic Record
Aesthetic Record is a HIPAA-compliant booking platform and EMR system that focuses on simplifying medical record collection. Aesthetic Record works primarily as medical photography, patient management, and clinic management system, providing a mobile app that simplifies procedure administration.
Aesthetic Record offers a cloud-based solution, allowing medical spas to use various communication tools. You can use questionnaires, real-time chat, virtual consultations, and more. They also offer online payment processing and billing history for each client.
Pros of Aesthetic Record
The system is both low-cost and simpler in scope, making it perfect for small businesses and thriving startups that need a mostly leaner system. Compared to its peers, they offer nearly similar services at a fraction of the cost.
It’s an easy-to-install system that provides every feature you’ll need to run a medical spa business without needing any advanced features. From placing product orders to collecting payments, these can appeal to companies that need frictionless software.
Cons of Aesthetic Record
One of the most significant issues that Aesthetic Record lacks is the number of advanced features. Their analytics reporting can lack essential details that can be vital for workflow optimization. Some reviewers also say that it’s a little hard to navigate.
Its low cost gives it a good value for money, with the basic features working fantastic. However, its POS and loyalty program features leave much to be desired, pushing medical spas to opt for other products to do these features.
These Booking Platforms Don’t Help Your Marketing.
While these solutions are acceptable for standard operations, they’re not suitable for medical spa marketing. While they track and provide data, they don’t have built-in email marketing and SMS marketing systems that can help your lead generation.Â
Why not invest in a CRM?
Aesthetix CRM is a robust, professional-grade marketing tool for your medical spa that can help optimize and streamline your marketing efforts. It can boost leads and conversions and connect with your audience through marketing automation via email and SMS marketing. Aesthetix CRM currently integrates with Zenoti, Boulevard, and Aesthetic Record through a Zapier integration.
Get a demo today to see how Aesthetix CRM can revolutionize marketing for your aesthetic practice!
