Automating your workflow with scheduling apps for product-based businesses is an effective way to free up your schedule so you can focus on the work you specialize in. If you don’t have an assistant, or you’re looking to cut down on time spent on administrative tasks, these apps will help you reclaim your time.

What to Consider Before You Choose a Scheduling App

When you’re choosing a scheduling app, there are many things you’ll need to consider:

• Does the app allow for custom buffer times?
• Does your business offer different appointment types for different purposes?
• Should your potential client access your complete schedule or only schedules reserved for certain services?
• Does your app connect to your personal calendar and alert you when new appointments are scheduled?
• To get a text alert will you need to connect third party software like Zapier?
• In addition, does your calendar allow people to double book appointments?
• Do you need to add code to your website to allow customers to book different services with custom buttons?
• Does the payment software integrate with the theme of your website?

If you’re using a platform like WordPress, additional scheduling software can help you connect with clients.

Zapiet

Zapiet is a powerful tool for product-based businesses. The tool allows shop owners to restrict pick up times in Shopify which gives business owners more control over availability. (You can see the tutorial about adding product date restrictions here).

The software can easily assist with calculating delivery rates based on zip codes. With Zapiet, you can also:

• Block off sections of your calendar to prevent customers from scheduling during certain times
• Create custom buffer times on your calendar to prevent scheduling overlaps
• Create area-based boundaries for product delivery (you can set up a delivery zone, and if customers fall outside of the zone, delivery will not be available)

Zapier

Zapier is a powerful automation tool. With Zapier, you can link to your personal calendar to your scheduling system and receive a notification when someone to schedules a discovery call, books a service, or requests a product pickup.

Helpful Zapier Automation Guides:

Zapier/WordPress Automations

Zapier/Shopify Automations

Zapier/Candely Automations

Acuity

Acuity is a scheduling system designed by SquareSpace that works with Zapier to create customizable business-specific automations.

The app can connect to your personal or business calendar and offers many options to customize the scheduling process. If you’d like customers to answer questions or provide specific information before scheduling, Acuity makes it easy to add forms and custom fields to the scheduler.

Other Apps For Product-Based Businesses

Depending on the platform you’re using to host your website, you may need apps for your email marketing strategy, financial tracking, coupons, discounts, and more.

If you run a smaller businesses, consider a membership platform like MemberPress. MemberPress integrates with WooCommerce so you can sell services as products and create coaching subscriptions. The software also allows you to set up custom discount codes, sales, member-only downloads, and protected membership areas for certain clients.