Looking for an online booking website for your rental business?
When choosing an online booking website developer there are some critical elements to look for.
Whether you offer villas, rooms, boats, cars or anything rental you will certainly want to make the online booking process as innovative and easy for your customers as possible.
Why? Because customers nowadays are used to booking hotels with their Smartphones, reserving tables in restaurants and buying tickets for concerts online with a few clicks – whether from home, on their laptop or on the move. And they also expect this option for leisure activities. This is where an online booking system comes into play.
When choosing a suitable booking website there are a few things that you really need to think about. Because a good booking tool should not just offer functions which make life easier for your customer, but also some which relieve you of and time-consuming jobs.
So to help you a bit more, we have listed the must have features which you definitely should take into account in choosing your online booking website:
1. Online bookings in real time.
One of the greatest benefits of a booking solution is that customers no longer have to first make enquiries and then wait for your response. And you don’t have to process these enquiries manually.
Instead, your customers will be able to see all the available dates instantly and make a booking. If there is no availability on the chosen dates this will show as unavaialble in real time to prevent further bookings, without you having to lift a finger!
2. Various languages
Most organisers of leisure activities also want to reach international customers. So it is really important for them to have the opportunity to book in various languages and in the best case scenario in their own language.
Ultimately there is a risk that if a customer cannot understand what or how he can book because of a language barrier, he will simply book with a competitor. Ideally, the online booking system will detect which language and currency should be used from the customer’s IP address.
3. Voucher generation and management via the online booking system.
For many reasons vouchers are extremely important for business. These include not only gift vouchers which can be purchased, but also special promotions which have a stimulating effect on the marketing of your experiences.
Whatever kind of vouchers you use, it should be possible for them to be generated and managed efficiently in a clearly understandable way in the booking system.
4. Payment via PayPal
PayPal is a secure and simple way of paying online, which is why it is used with increasing frequency. And by users from anywhere in the world. It proves that you value your customer’s security and privacy, which creates trust.
At the same time, you have the assurance that you will receive guaranteed online payments direct from your customers . PayPal as a payment option should therefore not be missing from any good online booking system.
5. Intelligent calendar - sync with AirBNB, Booking.com and more
An intelligent and easy-to-understand booking or orental calendar provides the user with a summary of all bookings, capacity and turnover for the required periods at a glance. This will greatly simplify your resource planning.
Automatically sync your online booking website calendar across multiple platforms (works with any website that supports iCalendar feeds) so your bookings are always up to date on all platforms e.g. AirBNB, Booking.com etc.
6. Support for website
Sooner or later you always reach a point where you need assistance from the web developer. At those times there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to get the help you expect or even help which was promised.
A good developer will maintain your website in the background with updates on a regular basis. Also, be available quickly when you need them for support. Choosing a local company is of great value.
One little tip, when you are testing, test the Support function too!
7. Automated e-mails make management easier
Sending out regular standardised e-mails, such as booking confirmations, reminders of a reservation, cancellations etc. takes up far too much time.
It is tedious and tiring work, which should certainly be automated by a booking system. A booking confirmation, for instance, should be sent to the customer immediately after the online booking. This gives the customer certainty that the booking has actually gone through.
The booking system should not just send confirmation e-mails to your customers but also send to you.
8. Booking management via Smartphone and Tablet
People offering outdoor activities in particular do not sit at a PC all day long, but often have to run their businesses on the move via a Smartphone or Tablet. This is why the online booking system should run on a Cloud. Then it will not only be accessible worldwide, but also be automatically updated and maintained.
Any questions, contact us