We live in a digital world and it is fair to say that a considerable percentage of businesses and professions have become in part, if not entirely, virtual.
There’s nothing better than the combination of flexible working hours and the convenience of your home. Therefore, it is no surprise that many entrepreneurs and consultants are looking for job opportunities in the virtual space.
However, if you want to optimize your time as much as possible, stop distractions and be productive, you will have to rely on one of the many online consultation platforms on the market.
Table of contents
What is an online consultation?
Online consultation is a meeting carried out remotely usually via video call. It allows your customers, patients, students, or potential clients to meet with you without leaving their homes.
It’s an easy and convenient way to provide your consulting services, enjoy your autonomy and grow your career remotely.
How do online consulting platforms work?
In general online consulting platforms allow you to list your services online and get booked for services needed.
Most of the online consultation platforms out there come with scheduling and booking features that make it easy for your clients to choose the most convenient time to meet you.
Furthermore, if the platform allows it, you can offer free and paid consultations and collect payments during the booking process.
3veta, for example, does this and also allows you to host video calls within the platform keeping your consulting business as cohesive as possible.
Once a client picks a time and date and finalizes the booking, they’ll receive a confirmation email with meeting details including a meeting link. Then again, depending on the online consultation platform, they’ll also receive email reminders for the upcoming consultation.
What should you know when looking for online consultation platforms?
Firstly, it is important to know what features your home-based consultancy requires so that you can run it smoothly.
For example, if you are a music teacher you might need good-quality audio and the ability to switch between devices during a video call. If you are an art teacher, however, your video streaming should be impeccable.
💡 Pro tip
Consider what will be in favor of the consulting services you’ll be providing and focus on that. See what are the most common features consultants need.
Apart from this individual aspect, here are some features that all home-based businesses need:
In-browser video meetings
No need to download any additional software nor oblige your clients to do so. In-browser video meetings allow you and your clients to meet virtually. They save time and money on travel and make it easier for clients to attend meetings from any location with a good internet connection.
Well-synchronized online calendar.
You might be using a few time-management platforms already and it’ll be way easier for you if the consulting platform combines the information of them all.
Booking page
You are a service provider. You need people to be able to ‘buy’ what you have to offer as easily as possible. Having a booking page will make it much easier for potential customers to schedule appointments with you. Furthermore, it will help you to organize your schedule more effectively.
Seamless online payments
Speaking of offerings and purchases, getting paid online could be tricky. Choose a consulting platform that facilitates the payment process.
Website builder
When you are a self-made entrepreneur you have to acquire a lot of skills to keep your business afloat. Knowing how to code as an IT specialist should not be one of them.
Branding and personalization
This one might not be of utmost importance for the success of your business but having the option to easily brand your booking page and video calls is extremely helpful for small businesses.
What do we offer
With 3veta everything happens in your browser, so we’ve covered the first one. However, if you’re on the go and you can’t use your computer/PC, you’re more than welcome to download our mobile app and use your phone instead.
As for our calendar affordances, we allow integrations with other apps so that you can have everything in one place. All you need to do is connect your profiles and you’ll be able to see what you’ve planned for the day. Different colors will be assigned to the data from each calendar to avoid confusion.
Additionally, our online consultation platform sends your clients reminders and notifications about upcoming meetings so that you stop worrying about no-shows.
We also allow you to create a booking page in a matter of minutes and start working right away.
You can set your availability time slots and people will be able to book you for a meeting. You’re also free to organize webinars with up to 100 people and individual or group video calls.
Here’s how my booking page looks like.
You won’t have to worry about getting paid for your services either.
Our online consultation platform is designed so that you can set a price and time limit for each session and your client will be asked to transfer you the money before entering the meeting. Online payments are handled by Stripe for extra security.
To be honest, we’re also very proud of our website builder. You can customize and choose between different designs to compose a website that represents your vibe within a few clicks.
There’s nothing complicated or confusing. After your website is set and running you can also add meetings that are open for signing up.
Finally, we want you to have the full experience with us so we’ve made it possible to integrate your own logo into the video meetings and the website.
Unlike other online consulting platforms, you won’t be seeing watermarks everywhere. Nobody likes attention-seekers, right?
What to do next
Okay, we covered what you need and where to find all of these features. Now, what’s next?
It’s a no-brainer actually!
It takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to register, connect to Stripe and all your online calendars, set up a booking page together with a website, and be ready for action.
We are fully aware that the abundance of options regarding online consulting platforms could be overwhelming.
But if you are short on time and are ready for the best-in-class software to help you create your online consultant platform, simply give it a try!