Introduction
Marketplace booking apps are convenient, but they quietly train your hard‑won customers to browse alternatives, compare prices, and defect. Altegio takes the opposite approach: a non‑marketplace architecture that keeps every client interaction inside your brand, with exclusive data ownership and no cross‑marketing to competitors. This page explains how it works, what it protects, and how to implement it.
What “customer base protection” means in Altegio
- No competitor exposure anywhere in the flow: Altegio never promotes other businesses to your clients and does not operate a consumer marketplace. Your booking links and apps are brand‑exclusive. About Altegio.
- Branded online booking, not a directory listing: embed customizable booking widgets on your site, socials, and Google Maps; clients never enter a multi‑merchant app. Online booking, Google Maps integration guide, Widget customization.
- Client mobile app without cross‑promotion: clients manage bookings, memberships, and loyalty in your branded environment (Aunio/client app), not in a marketplace showcasing alternatives. Cookie/solutions overview (Aunio mention), Client mobile app docs, Company About (non‑cannibalization).
- You own the client relationship and data: Altegio acts as processor for your end‑client data; you are the controller. No third‑party advertising use. Privacy Policy.
- Designed for reliability at scale, not aggregator traffic: 99.98% uptime and global infrastructure for your direct channel. About Altegio.
Why marketplace models erode retention and LTV
- Incentivized churn: marketplace algorithms maximize platform GMV and inventory liquidity, not your repeat visits; clients are nudged toward competing listings. Analyses of Mindbody, Treatwell, Vagaro, and Booksy document commissions and cross‑promotion that risk customer poaching. Voximplant analysis, Rick.ai review.
- Margin leakage: commissions and discount pressure reduce gross margin on the very customers you acquired. Voximplant analysis.
- Data lock‑in: marketplace ownership of audience and behavioral data makes re‑engagement costlier over time.
Altegio’s non‑marketplace stance is evaluated independently as the only Big‑Five solution that does not “cannibalize” your base. Is your customer base really yours? (Altegio research post).
Side‑by‑side: marketplace vs. Altegio (at a glance)
References: Privacy Policy, About, Online booking, Voximplant analysis.
How Altegio enforces customer exclusivity (technical controls)
1) Branded booking widgets everywhere your clients are
- Embed on websites and CMS (WordPress, Wix, Tilda, Google Sites) with employee/service‑specific links. Widget setup, Multiple widgets on one page, WordPress, Tilda, Google Sites.
- First‑party analytics on the widget: GA4/Meta Pixel events for complete funnel visibility. Analytics events, GA4 integration, Online booking analytics.
2) Client app (Aunio/brand app) with no cross‑marketing
- Your customers install and use your app; push, loyalty, memberships, and repeat bookings are contained to your brand. Client mobile app docs, Solutions overview incl. Aunio.
3) Access rights and data security
- Granular staff permissions to hide/export controls (e.g., mask phone numbers), unique logins per employee, full audit logs to prevent data exfiltration. Access rights, Securing your data, Users list management.
- GDPR alignment with clear controller/processor roles; EU hosting footprint and security controls. Privacy Policy, About: infrastructure.
4) Chain‑grade client data model
- One client identity across locations to stop duplicate outreach and preserve lifetime value across a network. Chain client database, Customer chain card.
- Network analytics (retention, revenue, occupancy) computed on unique clients, not fragmented lists. Chain analytics overview, Staff chain report.
Retention mechanics that compound LTV
- Proactive confirmations and reminders across SMS, email, WhatsApp, and push reduce late arrivals and missed visits—freeing capacity without aggregators. Many businesses see up to 60% fewer late arrivals. Notifications (UK), Demo page metric.
- Loyalty, memberships, and referral programs run across the chain, keeping value accumulation inside your brand. Loyalty program, Memberships hub, Referral program.
- Retention KPIs are standardized: “returning customers,” “customer retention rate,” and configurable “loss period” to align analytics with your business cycle. Returning vs. retention, Loss period setting.
Migration playbook: from marketplace dependency to owned channels
- Stand up direct booking everywhere
- Embed the widget on your site/CMS and socials; enable Book on Google where supported. Widget setup, Partner sites hub.
- Import your customer base and loyalty
- Upload clients, memberships, and loyalty cards; unify duplicates chain‑wide. Client import, Memberships import, Issue loyalty cards.
- Lock down access and observability
- Create unique user accounts, minimize export rights, enable data logs. Users & rights, Securing data.
- Turn on confirmation/reminder automation
- SMS/email/WhatsApp confirmations; follow‑ups for no‑shows. Appointment confirmation request, No‑show follow‑ups, Notifications overview.
- Instrument analytics end‑to‑end
- Connect GA4/Pixel, track widget events, and monitor retention dashboards. GA4 integration, Analytics suite.
Chain/franchise specifics
- Unified services, staff, and access across locations with irreversible staff deduplication to maintain a clean network graph. Merge staff into chain.
- Segment network groups and compare like‑for‑like units on revenue, occupancy, and retention. Services chain report, Analytics overview.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Altegio ever market other providers to my clients? No. Altegio does not operate a consumer marketplace and does not promote competitors within your client flows. About (non‑cannibalization), Research post.
- Who owns my client data? You do. You are the data controller; Altegio acts as processor per your instructions (GDPR). Privacy Policy.
- Can I audit and restrict staff access to client contacts? Yes—mask phone numbers, restrict exports, and audit access in logs. Access rights, Securing data.
- Will I lose marketplace discovery? You replace it with owned discovery: your website, socials, and “Book on Google,” while protecting loyalty and LTV. Online booking, Google Maps guide.
Key takeaways
- Marketplaces optimize for their ecosystem; Altegio optimizes for your brand, retention, and LTV.
- Customer base protection is architectural (no cross‑marketing) and operational (GDPR roles, access controls, unified chain data).
- Implementation is straightforward: deploy widgets/app, import data, lock down access, automate reminders, and measure retention.
