Marketplace vs independent website
Marketplace profile or your own booking website?
Both have real advantages. This page explains the difference honestly — so you can decide what works best for your business at your stage.
Marketplace (e.g. Fresha, Booksy)
A marketplace is a platform that lists multiple businesses in one place. Customers search for a service in their area and see a directory of available providers. Your listing sits alongside competitors.
·Can help new businesses get discovered
·Customers come from the marketplace directory
·Your listing is one of many
·Booking URL belongs to the marketplace
·Commission or platform fees may apply
Your own booking website (Nextro)
Your own booking website is a standalone page with your own URL. Customers who visit see only your business — your services, prices, portfolio, and reviews. You own the experience.
✓Works best when you share your link directly
✓Customers see only your business
✓Your URL — nextroapp.com/book/yourname
✓No competitors visible on your page
✓Flat £29/month — no commission
When each approach makes sense
Marketplace: useful for discovery
If you're new to an area or just starting out, a marketplace can bring in first-time customers who wouldn't otherwise find you. This is the genuine value marketplaces provide — an existing audience searching for your type of service.
Own website: better for returning customers and brand
Once customers have experienced your service, they'll rebook directly. An independent booking website — shared via your Instagram bio, WhatsApp, and Google — builds a loyal customer base that books you directly, without platform intermediation.
Both together: a common approach
Many established service businesses use both — a marketplace listing for occasional new customer discovery, and their own booking website for returning customers and social media-driven bookings. Your Nextro booking link goes everywhere your audience already follows you.
How they compare
Your own booking URL
Customers only see your business
Marketplaces show competitor listings
Business-owned customer data
Marketplace retains customer relationships
Your branding and identity
Cancellation policy you set
Portfolio and reviews owned by you
Commission on bookings
Flat monthly pricing
Discoverability for new customers
Direct customer relationship
This comparison describes general marketplace models. Individual platforms vary. Always review the current terms of any platform you use.
What you own with an independent booking website
Your customer relationships
Customers book with you directly. Their contact details, booking history, and preferences are yours — not stored by a platform.
Your cancellation policy
You set and control your cancellation and refund rules. No platform can change them.
Your reviews and portfolio
Reviews left on your Nextro booking page belong to your booking website, not to a marketplace's directory.
Your booking URL
nextroapp.com/book/yourname is yours. Share it anywhere. It's your asset.
Common questions
Answers about booking, payments, and getting started with Nextro.
Should I use a marketplace or my own booking website?
There's no single right answer — it depends on your stage and goals. Marketplaces can generate discovery for new businesses. Your own booking website gives you brand control, direct customer relationships, and no commission. Many established businesses use both: a marketplace for discovery and their own booking website for returning customers.
What does a marketplace actually do differently?
A marketplace lists your business alongside other businesses in its directory. Customers who search for a nail tech or barber in their area may discover you through the marketplace. The trade-off is that they also see competitors, and the customer relationship is partly owned by the platform.
What's the main advantage of your own booking website?
Control. You own the URL, the customer relationship, the brand presentation, and the cancellation and refund policies. Customers who visit your booking website see only your business. No competitors. Your pricing is yours.
Can I use both a marketplace and Nextro?
Yes. Many businesses list on a marketplace for new customer discovery while directing returning customers and social media followers to their Nextro booking website. Your Nextro booking link goes in your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, and WhatsApp — where your existing audience already follows you.
What happens to my reviews if I leave a marketplace?
Reviews left on a marketplace stay on that platform — they are not transferable. This is one reason many established businesses prioritise building reviews on their own booking page and Google Business Profile alongside any marketplace reviews.
Create your own booking website
14-day free trial. Then £29/month — no commission, no marketplace.