Big business has found ways to integrate tech for decades. They’ve built increasingly sophisticated digital experiences that often blend seamlessly into in-store experiences.

Thanks to the impressive technological advances in recent years, small business owners now have just as much ability to turn their storefronts into mini digital platforms. In fact, this isn’t just possible. In many areas, having a blended digital and in-person experience is becoming more important.

This article will look at consumer expectations around digital experiences for local businesses and how booking apps and similar service-based platforms are helping business owners use this digital “front door” as a way to help stay ahead of the competition.

People already go online before going in person

It’s no secret that customers want to visit a store online before going in person. That has been a trend for years. Individuals will check out ratings, reviews, hours, menus, offerings, and photos on their smart devices before leaving the house. Some will take advantage of purchasing and pick-up options, too.

This continues to be a popular behavior in recent years. In early 2026, some sales research revealed a few key facts in this area:

  • 86% of people start researching a product online, even if they’re going to eventually buy it in a store.

  • 55% of shoppers go to a retailer’s website before entering a store.

  • One in four people will return to the website while in the store.

Of course, the focus here is on products. What about service-based retail? That’s where booking apps and similar dynamic platforms come into the picture.

Consumers expect to engage online

An individual checking if a store is open before driving there is a simple sequence of events. Even placing an order for a product and then going to pick it up is pretty straightforward. But the line between digital and in-person is blurring more and more all the time.

The ways you can engage with a business continue to expand, and consumer expectations are shifting with it. People expect to get more than store hours and basic information when they use online channels. They want to take action, too, even when they’re looking for a professional service.

This expectation for deeper, more in-depth experiences has made it possible for service-based companies to use technology in more sophisticated ways. Fast food brands have trumpeted their apps as a way to improve the in-person experience and, in some cases, even track deals and special offers to help combat things like inflation.

Squire, for instance, is a successful barbershop booking platform, demonstrating how this applies to more service and booking-based businesses than just food service. Website builders are similarly offering software for local service-based businesses, from personal trainers to contractors and everything in between. It is helping them build scheduling calendars, maintain customer profiles, and accept payments.

The most interesting thing about the ongoing evolution in booking apps and similar tech tools is that they aren’t just empowering smaller businesses. They’re helping them consolidate their tech stacks, too.

Apps are becoming more comprehensive

Stand-alone platforms can help with specific issues. But they can quickly create inefficiencies and redundancies. In the last couple of years, consolidation has become the name of the game. All-in-one platforms aim to bring multiple functions together into single systems that can help:

  • Reduce cost in areas like licensing and maintenance

  • Improve security and compliance through simpler tech stacks

  • Improve data management by avoiding siloes and reducing the need for integrations

This is the big takeaway for developers and business owners alike. Tech solutions can no longer work in a single area. They need to be comprehensive and bring everything together in a single experience.

Again, this isn’t a nice bonus. At the rate AI is advancing, feature-rich, all-inclusive platforms are becoming more and more desirable. Every platform doesn’t have to do everything, but they should strive to cover as many bases as possible. This turns modern booking apps into one-stop powerhouses that can orchestrate impressive, high-quality data sets within an app.

This ability to access clean, clear data has a synergistic effect that allows a platform to support users who are both owners and customer-facing users. Squire, for instance, is dual-sided. The barber side helps owners run daily operations more efficiently and helps increase revenue. At the same time, it operates a consumer marketplace that allows clients to discover barbers, book appointments, and make payments — all before they physically arrive.

The unexpected (and growing) role of apps for local businesses

It’s hard to imagine how powerful something as simple as a booking app could be just five years ago. Originally built to serve a specific function (booking appointments), many of these tools have grown into platforms that are empowering owners to run businesses efficiently and stay focused on the services they offer.

This is helping them build sustainable, scalable businesses that offer tangible, in-person experiences in a digital-first world. It is a shift that is quietly reshaping how local entrepreneurs design their operations, manage their tech stacks, and compete with one another on a daily basis.

VentureBeat newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.