Nigel Wilkinson
Managing Director of Daneswood. Nigel has been in sales and marketing since the 1980's and run digital marketing agencies since 2000.
Booking systems are no longer just for theatres and cinemas, almost any customer facing business can now benefit from this form of digital record.
Infact, booking systems are becoming more important than ever over the previous year as they provided businesses with a safe and manageable way of welcoming customers back.
But what actually is a booking system integration?
Well, simply put it is an area on your website which allows your customers to view and make a booking with you, for your services.
There are a huge range of ways in which a booking system integration can display, and this will depend entirely on what it is being used for, how you are integrating it and even your websites design.
However, most will follow a similar framework of, activity, number of people, date and time. A checkout may or may not be included in this, it is not a necessity.
What are the benefits to using a booking system integration?
By having a booking system integrated into your website you are benefiting both your business and your customers. How? Well, let’s take a look…
Convenience
An online booking system can be used at any point during the day, or night, without any need for human interaction.
This makes it extremely convenient for customers who may have been working all day, come across you during their evening scroll or are simply night owls.
Making it quick and easy to book at any time of day means you are far more less likely to lose potential customers due to having to wait to book in person during opening hours
Cost Effective
While it may initially cost you money to get up and running, having an online booking system is actually far more cost effective in the long run.
This is because of the pressure it takes off staff that no longer need to handle this area of the business manually, allowing them to spend their time more effectively.
Brand Reputation
Like it or not, we are fully in the digital age, where food can be ordered at the touch of a button, businesses are contactable on social media, and a nail appointment can be booked at midnight on a smartphone.
Customers expect to be able to do simple things like booking appointments online, and not being able to makes them frustrated and potentially motivated to look elsewhere.
Having a modern, easy to use booking system integrated into your website shows you are wanting to make the process of purchasing your service as quick and easy as possible. Helping to increase conversions and improve your brand reputation
Easy Management
A big upside to booking system integrations is the huge amount of time and stress they eliminate when it comes to managing appointments and reservations. Rather than trying to organise all your customer visits with paper and pen, your booking system does this for you automatically and you don’t have to worry about double ups or over booking.
It’s a stress-free solution that also provides the best customer service.
Upsell
Something that not many people think about when considering whether they should be using an online booking system is the opportunities it provides to seamlessly upsell to customers.
When a customer uses a booking system, they are often already committed to making a purchase, whether that is there and then, or on the day of the booking.
Now is the best time to offer upsell opportunities, such as a room upgrade, half price treatment or branded accessories.
How and what you upsell will obviously depend on your business and services, but the opportunity remains the same.
Booking System Integration Options
There is no one size fits all option when it comes to the way in which you integrate your booking system.
It will depend on your requirements, website and budget. Some options include external websites, Iframes, plugins, APIs and custom code.
Choosing how to integrate a booking system is something that you will need to speak to a web developer about. Daneswood can offer advice and assistance in finding the best solution for your needs.
Contact our team today on 01392 248365.