In this section, I will explain which service providers should look for in online booking systems or booking software so that customers can easily make a reservation online on websites, media platforms. Social and booking portal.
Ten to fifteen years ago, customers had to go to a travel agency or make phone calls to book flights and stay at hotels. Today, most travel arrangements are made online and service providers in all industries have realized the advantages of simple online booking. After all, the ability to book services online is not only beneficial for the business but also the customer. The demand for reliable online booking software is therefore increasing. The online booking system allows customers to schedule their next appointment at a barbershop, make a reservation at their favorite restaurant or book a canoe ride – and all of that, from the comfort of a computer their personal or smart phone. Meanwhile, each industry has its own requirements for the right booking software. Example: Businesses offering mountain bike trips only offer tickets for fixed days. Hence, calendars containing available dates in fixed schedules is an essential feature in their particular booking engine. However, homeowners who offer motels only need one calendar that shows how long the property is offered for sale is available. The vast majority of booking software vendors specialize in industry-specific booking solutions. The other online booking systems are multifunctional and cater to a number of industries. Such offers range from simple WordPress plugins to more complex booking systems including participant or date management modules. Regardless of their industry-specific requirements, service providers must always pay attention to a number of important features before settling on the reservation system.
Nowadays, the booking system exist 2 types: Booking system software and online booking system. So, what is the different between 2 types of booking system. Let’s see more detail in this post.
Software-as-a-Service booking solution or booking software installed on your computer?
Today, entertainment providers do not spend time working on a landline, but have to manage their business on the go via smartphones and tablets. With the Cloud-based booking system, you can access your online booking software from anywhere in the world, while taking advantage of automatic updates. This web-based booking software is also known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which means software and IT infrastructure is provided and maintained by an outside provider. Hence, the online booking solution is a time-saving and cost-effective alternative, especially for small businesses that cannot afford to use custom programmed booking tools. And more often than not, Software as a Service solutions are provided free of charge. The administrator or website owner pays a small commission for every online booking made through the booking engine. This means that you don’t have any fixed costs and pay only whenever the customer pays you.
Custom programmed booking engine or all-in-one online booking system?
The all-in-one solution booking system has several benefits:
- They help you manage all of your online bookings and bookings thanks to the actual booking software features. For example: Confirmation of reservations, cancellations, and invoices are sent automatically.
- Professional booking software that accepts payments online by working with famous partners such as PayPal, Visa Card, MasterCard or EC direct debit. Usually, payment service providers charge for each online payment – these costs are already covered by SaaS charges per booking.
- Professional booking solutions have stood the test of time and are constantly being improved through customer feedback. This ensures intuitive use of the booking engine’s UI. In contrast, programming your own online booking system using PHP and MySQL takes a lot of time and effort.
- Sooner or later, users request customer support when having problems with the software. Custom-programmed booking software does not usually come with the kind of assistance that a professional booking system provider can provide. Direct phone support and online help desk provide instant troubleshooting and ensure that you get help when you need it.
Tip: When you check your booking software, always check out the support features!
- Professional booking tools ensure that your offer shows up on booking portals like TripAdvisor, Viator or Even Tim Guide. This allows you to reach many new customers with no effort at all. Tip: Make sure that your booking system provider is independent and not individually connected to a particular booking portal.
Online booking software for different CMS systems
CMS (Content Management System) provides a relatively simple way to build and maintain a website. The most popular providers are WordPress, Jimdo, Joomla, and Typo3 (open source CMS [Content Management System]). Each CMS can be tailored through multiple plugins (which are an extension to the basic version of your CMS). Specific plugins allow you to embed an online booking form into your website. Professional SaaS booking software vendors also develop plugins that you can easily integrate. Example: Bookingkit offers a plugin for WordPress. Hence, you can combine both the online booking engine and the online booking calendar directly through the WordPress back-end and then manage your dates in WordPress through our booking software.
Booking software: The most important features
Real-time online booking: Your customers can view all available dates and make a reservation instantly. As soon as the date is gone, the high-performance online booking software blocks the date from any other booking requests.
Language and currency: Many providers, especially in the travel and entertainment sectors, are interested in reaching international customers. Hence, it is extremely important that people can make a reservation in English or even better in their language and pay in their currency. Ideally the online booking system recognizes the customer’s location via their IP address and adjusts the language setting.
Flexible payment options: You can choose the payment options (PayPal, credit card, EC direct debit, spot payments, etc.) that you want to offer to your customers. Tip: PayPal is a safe, simple online payment solution that is preferred by most customers. Hence, PayPal should always be a payment option in any professional online booking system.
Customizable: Customizable booking software allows you to visually integrate a booking form into your website, so it comes with your brand identity – you can always choose a color Your own colors and fonts and use your own .css file. Furthermore, you will have the option to enter your own text and create additional fields in your booking form.
Collecting customer information: You decide what specific information you need from your customers. Customer data contains insights that are valuable to a business and often undervalued. A professional booking software provider gives you a clear picture of your customer’s data profiles, so you can tailor your marketing strategy accordingly.
Compatible with mobile devices: More and more customers are browsing the internet on their smartphones and tablets. It is therefore important that your booking websites are responsive and automatically adaptive to the different screen sizes. High quality booking software designed to work across all online devices.
Increase sales with promo codes: All customers love coupons. That’s why your booking engine should always have a feature that allows users to apply a promotional code. With first-class online booking software, you can easily manage your promotions. Additionally, you will be able to import coupons from external coupon portals like Groupon, so that your customers can use them when booking your services online.
SEO Optimization: Ideally your website’s booking software is optimized for search engines, so all potential customers can find your service through Google & Co.
Show availability and booking schedule: The most important features
Organize your availability: Your booking software ensures that your availability calendar is up to date.
Plan better with smart features: A smart digital booking calendar gives you all the important data, including date, time, participants and billing information. Marked areas usually indicate available time slots. Your booking software gives you full control over other factors, such as price adjustments depending on the number of participants. Information provided through the booking engine is essential for planning success.
Look: A special booking software that syncs your booking schedule with other digital calendars, such as Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, so you never lose track. Professional booking systems also link your offers to other booking platforms and automatically add external bookings to your booking schedule.
The right schedule: Your reservation system should provide the right calendar type for the service you provide. Here are the most commonly used calendars:
Event schedule: Book tickets for fixed dates (e.g. tours, classes, events)
Calendar available for daily rental offers (example: motel, bed and breakfast)
Calendars available for specific times (example: bike rental, mountain pass)
Show availability and booking schedule: The most important features
Organize your availability: Your booking software ensures that your availability calendar is up to date.
Plan better with smart features: A smart digital booking calendar gives you all the important data, including date, time, participants and billing information. Marked areas usually indicate available time slots. Your booking software gives you full control over other factors, such as price adjustments depending on the number of participants. Information provided through the booking engine is essential for planning success.
Look: A special booking software that syncs your booking schedule with other digital calendars, such as Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, so you never lose track. Professional booking systems also link your offers to other booking platforms and automatically add external bookings to your booking schedule.
The right schedule: Your reservation system should provide the right calendar type for the service you provide. Here are the most commonly used calendars:
Event schedule: Book tickets for fixed dates (e.g. tours, classes, events)
Calendar available for daily rental offers (example: motel, bed and breakfast)
Calendars available for specific times (example: bike rental, mountain pass)
Online Booking System & Software: The Most Important Interface
Payment options: PayPal, EC direct debit, Visa, Mastercard, purchase on bill, instant transfer, pay on the spot
CMS Provider: WordPress, Joomla, Jimdo, Strato, WIX, Web.de, Typo3, 1 & 1 MyWebsite
Reservation Platforms: e.g. TripAdvisor, The Eventim Guide, Viator, Jollydays
Online / Preset Calendars: Apple, Google, Outlook
Social commerce: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube
Application for selling tickets on mobile devices: Passbook, Pass Wallet, Apple Watch, QR-Code
Analytics-Tools: Google Analytics
Open API for complex websites
Interface with accounting system
Conclusion
We see that, the online booking system and the booking software, both of them is plays a different role in the management. Each of them having the features that almost helps the way to control the service field. Because of that, the way to select the best kind is always becoming the smart user and contacting with the company, which supports the product about booking. Having the way to sold this problem
Actually, we must to spend time to select the best answer for our service. Although Online Booking System or Booking software, the result is make the business is better through revenue and working process.
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