Ali Ryder
Short version:
it's really clunky to utilize paid scheduling links. The connection between the product and scheduling link is not good.
Here are some things that might help:
  • The connection between product and scheduling link should work in either direction. For example, if someone books using the scheduling link they are directed to the product order form. But if they use the product order form first, and then they go to the scheduler, they are prompted to go back to the product order form a second time. There's no "memory" that the contact just purchased the same product minutes ago.
  • Allow a product to be listed in a catalog but have a button on it that redirects to another URL. Right now there is a "Buy Now" and "Learn More" button. Maybe we could have a setting that allows us to replace the Buy Now button with something else, if we choose to enable it for that product.
  • Whatever the solution, the purchaser should not have to enter their name and email address more than once. If they just filled out the scheduler, and then are redirected to the product order form, it should remember what their name and email address is!
Longer version
(from https://help.simplero.com/forum/posts/165854-paid-scheduling-links):
I have a product that people can purchase. And I need to advertise that this thing exists, so it makes sense to use something like a featured products block, a sales page for the product, the catalog... basically all of the infrastructure that Simplero has to promote products. So option 1 is I direct people to all of the product-related infrastructure, get them to buy the product first, and then after purchase send out an email with a link to the scheduler, or redirect after purchase to the scheduler, or whatever. But on the other hand, I can't use that to prevent them from, say, forwarding the link to a friend or having them sign up more than once. This probably won't be a problem, per se, but I want to make this as smooth as possible.
There's also obviously a scheduling link, and you can collect payment for using the scheduling link. So option 2 is I direct people to the scheduling link, and get them to use the scheduling link first, and then use the built-in "collect payment" option to link it to the product. So they schedule the training, then basically complete the check-out. But the problem with this is there isn't any advertising that supports a scheduling link. No blocks on a page that let me showcase the available scheduling links. I'd have to do it all manually, which is okay, but I mean the products infrastructure is designed for this.
In either case, it's a little annoying that you basically have to register twice. Enter your name and email address for the product, and also enter your name and address for the scheduling link.
Option 3 is to have them buy the product first, then issue a credit. Then they can use the scheduling link, which collect payment of the issued credit. This method combines the sales features of the product, with the gatekeeping aspect of the scheduling link "collect payment," BUT it has the big drawback that they need to basically register THREE times, not two.
Another user suggested their workaround was to create two different products, one that is advertised but unpurchasable, which redirects to the scheduling link, and a second product that is unadvertised but collects payment. This, once again, highlights the fact that it doesn't work well out of the box.