Tracks the Bookings In Real-Time
Modern technologies are now widely implemented into any industry and neither is an exception. Huge improvements were noticed in the check-in and check-out optimization in hospitality, product booking in the eCommerce, the internal services automatization in IT, etc.
However, the biggest benefits still refer to the online booking software implementation. According to Statista, the revenue of booking holdings has already reached $15 billion, and these numbers are only increasing.
More and more key figures in the various industries realize the importance of the online booking system implementation for increasing the business income.
Today, we will look deeper into the benefits of the online booking software application and find out why companies need it and how to improve the existing booking system.
Online Booking System: Definition & Important Features
Now people tend to reserve rooms, order the services with a few clicks, and buy tickets for their vacation using smartphones. This tendency has resulted in the most numbers of clients now coming out of online bookings.
So, the online booking system is the software that allows automating the booking process in the hotel industry and greatly optimizes the internal formalities processing in this procedure.
According to Forbes, only 23% of small businesses used an online booking platform, which means the other 77% missed a huge opportunity of reaching new customers for their business.
By integrating the online presence of your business you can significantly improve its overall performance and increase the ROI.
For instance, the biggest increase in revenue in the pest control industry after online booking system implementation has reached 120%. That means an online booking platform can give you a perfect chance to enhance your business.
Online Booking System Features to Implement During the Development Process
In fact, there is a huge number of benefits and important features businesses get with the online booking system application. Here are the major elements of any online booking services to consider for the business owners:
#1 Tracks the Bookings In Real-Time
For the modern business, it is crucial to always track the performance, detect any existing problems and improve the business growth plan.
One of the best ways to always have the information about the number of bookings, visitors, and the monthly revenue up to date is to implement the online booking software.
With an automated booking system, it becomes much easier to allocate the resources needed for providing the highest level of service to your customers.
#2 Provides Different Currencies & Languages
The online booking software is also a great method to offer your services and products on the global market.
By providing your potential guests with information about your company, prices in different currencies, products, and other excellent features, you will be able to draw a wide audience’s attention and boost the number of loyal customers as well.
Besides, if you facilitate the language barrier issue by providing all core information in different languages, the customer is more likely to choose you than your competitor, which is critical for the business growth.
#3 Supports the Booking Management
Nevertheless, to stay always connected with a customer is a pivotal point for any business. By offering your customers to feel free to control their reservations, you can significantly increase the level of their comfort, and turn one-time visitors into loyal clients of yours.
The online booking software can provide 24/7 access to the reservations, edit, and add extra services they want to get while using your products or services.
The device optimization of your business software can also have a significant impact on the client’s final decision as well.
#4 Includes a Smart Calendar
Using the intelligent calendar can greatly optimize the business workflow by showing the critical data needed for all services functioning.
For instance, you can get the total number of bookings, capacity, and turnover for the required period within a few clicks.
That will not only simplify the internal processes but help you plan the resources and be always aware of the business stage of development.
#5 Completes the Payments
With the online booking system implementation, it becomes much easier to automate not only the booking process but also to complete the transactions for your services.
Thus, you will facilitate the employees’ work and greatly optimize the entire business management system.
Besides, you will be able to get a great benefit from your guests ordering additional products or services while planning or managing their booking online.
In fact, that can be another huge source of providing the best services and getting more revenue from your business.
#6 Offers the Vouchers and Extra Products & Services
There are lots of reasons businesses promote special offers to their clients. This has a stimulating effect on the marketing and the company income as well, so most of them just send a bunch of push notifications on social media platforms or else emails for encouraging the client to use their services or buy products.
However, you can use the software for this purpose and forget about the customers searching for their screenshot of the offer they’ve got last month. Thus, it will be more comfortable for both sides to enjoy the convenience.
Benefits & Challenges of Online Booking System Features
After you know the core features you can get from the online booking system implementation, it’s time to look deeper into the benefits you can get from this software.
In fact, there are plenty of issues you can easily resolve with the software. So, let’s analyze some issues the online booking system utilization can assist your business with.
Challenge 1. Ensure the Safety
For any business, safety is a pivotal point to focus on, no matter which kind of safety is that: the employees’ health, customers’ service, or company’s financial safety. But, with an online booking system, you can greatly secure all these issues.
For example, by minimizing the offline interaction with your clients, you will ensure your employees’ will be safe during the working process.
If focusing on the customers’ safeness, the payments made via an online booking system can minimize the risks of getting cheated and losing their costs.
Last but not least, the company will prevent losing the investments if some of the clients refuse to receive their order. So, you won’t need to pay extra money for shipping the product back.
Challenge 2. Automate the Workflow
Another big challenge from using the online booking system is that you can automate the transactions. For example, the PwG company has recently implemented the Purchase to Pay program, which implies the hotel booking and payment process across the region.
As a result, the software has automated all the invoice uploads and facilitated the process of streamlining the hotel booking via an online booking management system.
The new program has resolved the huge challenge of fraud prevention across the market by providing virtual cards as cards-not-present-transactions.
Challenge 3. Overcome the Barriers
The language barriers, information barriers, or those connected with the customers’ trust - all they become invisible for you and your customers’ comfortable serving and cooperation.
Therefore, the issue of misunderstanding or lack of communication can be easily resolved with the online booking services utilization.
Besides, with having different promotions sent in the client’s native language, you are more likely to encourage them to choose your business services or just purchase the product.
Once you have established communication with the new client regarding any question, it is much easier to get their loyalty.
Furthermore, with an online booking system implementation, you will be able to reach potential clients from different countries and take your business to a whole new level.
Where to Hire the Best Online Booking System Developers
So, there are a lot of ways of implementing the online booking system. You can hire someone from the ads and risk your entire company, its image, and investments, or else hire a professional company whose experts know all the nuances and pitfalls of the online booking system implementation.
Nowadays, there are a big number of trusted software development outsourcing providers who offer you the most qualified industry experts who can come up with innovative solutions for the hospitality industry.
For instance, the team of experts at Intellectsoft can quickly examine all the peculiarities of your business and come up with the best option exactly for your business.
Another good thing about hiring professionals is that you can get step-by-step instruction on adapting your current business model to the online booking system.
The team of developers will also research the other trends and improvements you might be interested in for enhancing the company’s performance and get giant progress at its ROI.
Summary
As you can see, custom software development for travel and hospitality allows businesses of any range to make the most of the workflow optimization.
With this software implemented, it becomes much easier to perform complex tasks, enhance the business performance and increase the revenue for any company.
The Intellectsoft team empowers hospitality companies and their workforces with innovative solutions and approaches. Are you and your business looking for some?
Talk to our experts and find out more about the opportunities for hospitality digital transformation and how your company can start benefiting from it today!
