How to set up your first booking page in an hour
Translators, repairers, readers, shoppers and other independents: pick your services, write clear descriptions, open slots, then share your booking link.
7 min read
A first booking page takes about an hour if you keep it simple: list three to five services, write a two-line description for each, open slots for the next few weeks at the times you really want to work, then share the link where your clients already find you. You don't need every option on day one. Start small, watch the first bookings, and adjust after two or three weeks.
Step 1: choose a few services (15 minutes)
Write down what clients actually book you for, not everything you could do. A translator might list "Certified translation: document drop-off", "Interpreting: first call" and "Proofreading session". A watch repairer might list "Watch assessment", "Battery change" and "Collection of a repaired watch". A personal shopper might offer "Wardrobe review" and "Shopping session".
Three to five services are enough to start. Each gets a name clients understand at first glance and, if you want, a price. On Book, the price is optional: leave it empty for services priced on quote. If a service comes in versions, like express and standard, create them as separate services so each can have its own slots and price.
Step 2: write descriptions that answer questions (15 minutes)
The description appears on your booking page under each service. Two to four lines are enough. Answer the questions clients would otherwise ask you by message:
- what happens during the appointment and how long it lasts;
- what to bring or prepare (documents, the object to repair, photos);
- where it takes place, or that it's by phone or video;
- what to write in the booking note.
Step 3: open slots (20 minutes)
Slots are the times clients can book. Each slot belongs to one service, has a start and an end, and sits within one day. Open them only when you really want to work: it's easier to add slots later than to cancel bookings you regret.
For a regular week, create a slot once and repeat it on the weekdays you choose until an end date, for example every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon until the end of next month. If a service can take several people at once, like a workshop or a group reading, set the number of places on the slot: each person books one place, and when it's full, the slot is no longer shown.
| Your situation | How to open slots |
|---|---|
| One-to-one appointments | One place per slot, at the length of the appointment |
| Group workshops | One slot with several places |
| Drop-off or collection | Short slots, one or more places |
| Occasional availability | Single slots on the dates you choose |
Step 4: check the details (5 minutes)
Your page shows times in your business's time zone and displays its name, which matters if clients book from abroad. Connect your calendar to Google, iPhone or Mac so bookings appear where you already look. Then make a test booking yourself to see what your clients see: they book without an account, with first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note, and receive a confirmation email. You receive an email for each new booking.
Step 5: share the link (5 minutes)
A booking page only works if clients find it. Put the link where they already look for you: your website, your social media bio, your email signature, your Google business profile, a card at your counter or a sign in your window. When someone calls or messages to book, send them the link, or book the slot for them yourself from your calendar.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Opening every free hour. You end up with bookings at times you didn't really want. Open the hours you'd choose, and add more later.
- Vague service names. "Consultation" says little; "Translation quote: 20-minute call" tells the client exactly what they book.
- Forgetting the link. A page nobody sees gets no bookings. Share it everywhere clients already contact you, and repeat it in your replies.
The first weeks
Watch what clients book and what they ask about. If the same question comes back, add the answer to the description. If a slot never fills, move it; if a day fills fast, add a few slots. When a booking has to change, reschedule or cancel it from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email them when a booking changes. Book doesn't take payments or send reminders, so keep those as you handle them today.
Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission and no contract.