Booking System for Yoga Studios: What to Look For

Date Published

Buchungssystem fürs Yogastudio: Darauf achten

Your 10-class passes live in a spreadsheet. Sign-ups come in via WhatsApp, email and phone. And on Thursday three mats still stay empty because someone cancelled at the last minute.

Many yoga studios know this situation. A booking system takes a lot of this work off your hands. But not every system fits a yoga studio. In this article we show you what really matters when you choose one. At the end you’ll find a checklist with ten questions you can ask any provider.

Signs that your studio needs a booking system

If one of these points sounds familiar, it’s worth looking into a booking system:

  • You track class passes by hand and calculate remaining credits yourself.
  • Students message you to ask if there’s still a spot in a class.
  • You hear about cancellations just before class or not at all.
  • Freed-up spots stay empty, even though others would have liked to come.
  • You spend your evenings answering messages instead of running your studio.

A booking system doesn’t solve every problem. But it brings sign-ups, spots and payments together in one place.

The key criteria for your choice

Many booking tools are built for single appointments, for example for hairdressers or medical practices. A yoga studio works differently. There are groups, limited spots and recurring classes. These are the points you should check.

Drop-in classes and class series in one system

Most yoga studios work with two formats. Students attend drop-in classes spontaneously and one at a time. Class series run over several weeks with a fixed group. That could be a beginner course or a prevention course.

A good system handles both formats. For a class series, students sign up once for all dates. If you have to create and book every session separately, things get messy fast.

Class passes with flexible validity

5-class and 10-class passes are very common in yoga. Check whether the system manages class passes and deducts the remaining credits automatically.

Validity matters too. Some studios offer three months, others six. You should be able to set this yourself. And your students should be able to see their balance at any time.

Waitlist with automatic notifications

Popular classes fill up quickly. With a waitlist, people can still sign up. If someone cancels, the next person is notified automatically.

Pay close attention to this point. Some systems have a waitlist, but you still have to notify people yourself. Then you end up writing messages again.

Cancellation deadlines you set yourself

Last-minute cancellations cost you spots. That’s why many studios work with cancellation deadlines. Up to a certain time before class, cancelling is free. After that, the spot or the credit on the pass is lost.

A booking system should apply this deadline automatically. Then you don’t have to explain the rule case by case. Important: Also state your cancellation policy clearly in your terms and conditions.

Pay online or at the studio

Some students like to pay right when they book. Others prefer to pay at the studio. A flexible system lets you choose.

For online payments, the payment provider usually charges a fee per transaction. Ask how high it is and who pays it.

Booking directly on your website

This is where systems differ a lot. Some send your customers to a third-party site or an app. Others integrate booking directly into your website.

The difference is bigger than it sounds. Every switch to another site is a point where visitors drop off. And people who book through a marketplace often see offers from other studios there too.

Data protection and GDPR

A booking system stores your students’ names, email addresses and payment data. So check where the data is stored. Also ask whether the provider offers a data processing agreement (DPA). Servers in Germany or the EU make things easier.

And find out in advance whether you can export your customer data. That matters if you ever want to switch.

Easy to use on a smartphone

Most bookings happen on the phone. Often in the evening on the sofa or on the train. So test the booking flow on your own smartphone. How many steps does it take to complete a booking? Do people have to create an account first?

Ease of use matters for your team too. Adding a substitute teacher or a new class should take just a few minutes.

Three ways to offer online booking

Roughly speaking, there are three approaches. Each has its pros and cons.

Booking platform with a marketplace

Large platforms bring many studios together in one place. That can bring you new customers. Depending on the provider, you pay commissions or fees per booking for this. And your customers book on the platform, not directly with you. Part of the customer relationship stays with the provider.

Standalone booking software

Here you set up the software yourself and connect it to your website. There’s often a free entry plan and monthly pricing. You keep more control. In return, you take care of the connection to your website yourself. If design and flow don’t fit together, your customers will notice.

Website and booking from one provider

Here the website and the booking system come from the same provider. Booking is part of your site from day one. If something goes wrong, you have one contact instead of two. The downside: The upfront costs are higher than with a pure software subscription.

Which way is right depends on your studio. If you already have a good website, standalone software often works well. If you’re starting from scratch or planning a relaunch anyway, a complete solution saves you time and coordination.

What does a booking system cost?

Prices vary a lot. So don’t just compare the monthly fee. Add up these items:

  1. Monthly or annual software fee
  2. Transaction fees from the payment provider
  3. Commission per booking, if the provider charges one
  4. One-time costs for setup and website integration
  5. Your own time for maintenance and manual work

The last point is often forgotten. A cheap tool that you have to fix by hand every week isn’t cheap in the end.

We explain what a website costs in general in our article What does a website cost. You’ll find our fixed packages for website and booking on the page Website with booking system for studios.

Checklist: 10 questions to ask every provider

  1. Can I create drop-in classes and class series?
  2. Are there class passes and can I set their validity myself?
  3. Is there a waitlist with automatic notifications?
  4. Can I set my own cancellation deadlines?
  5. Can customers pay online and at the studio? What fees apply?
  6. Does booking happen directly on my website?
  7. Where is the data stored and is there a DPA?
  8. Can I export my customer data?
  9. How many steps does a booking take on a smartphone?
  10. Who helps me when something doesn’t work?

How we solve this with Slotlify

Slotlify is our own booking system. We built it for yoga, Pilates and fitness studios. Here’s what Slotlify can do for your yoga studio:

  • Drop-in classes, class series and workshops
  • Class passes with a validity you set
  • Waitlist with automatic notifications
  • Cancellation deadlines based on your rules
  • Payment online or at the studio
  • Gift vouchers
  • Automatic emails and PDF invoices
  • Servers in Germany, a DPA and export of your customer data

Two things are not included as standard: Monthly memberships and online classes. We can build both as custom features on request.

You can see what booking looks like for your students in our demo.

Depending on where you’re starting, there are two options:

Conclusion

The best booking system is the one that fits how your studio works. For a yoga studio that means: Drop-in classes and class series, class passes, a waitlist and clear cancellation rules. Plus a booking flow that works in just a few steps on a phone.

Take the checklist with you to every conversation with a provider. And if you’d like to talk to us: The first consultation is free and without obligation.

Let’s talk about your project