What is a booking engine?
A booking engine is an application used by companies to offer customers the opportunity to book an activity or event. Booking engines have two sides: the back-office y what the customer sees. The back-office is used by companies to set up their activities and manage their bookings and the customer-facing part allows customers to self-book any event.
A booking engine can work in partnership through a payment gateway to process deposits and payments. It can also automatically process all online bookings, enter them into the company's system and securely store customer data, as well as provide customers with real-time updates on availability and pricing.
Most customers find online booking a convenient and easier solution, as they can make their reservations whenever they want instead of waiting to speak to someone on the phone. In addition, companies using booking engines mainly benefit from using a system that allows customers to easily access booking and payment systems without the assistance of a travel agent.
How does an online booking engine work?
Many booking engines are web applications that are fully integrated into the company's website; customers do not have to install any software to complete an online booking. When a customer arrives at the company's website, they will be prompted to choose the activity they wish to book. By clicking on an option, customers will be taken to the booking page where they will be able to pay for the activity via a secure payment gateway. The booking process is completed when the customer's payment is transferred to the host company.
Benefits of booking engine software
Increase conversions
- Your business will always be available for booking. A customer is more likely to book through a website with an integrated online booking engine than by making a phone call or sending an email or message.
- Possibility to use several languages and currencies. This will help you get conversions from all over the world.
- Online booking means faster payments. You can ask customers to pay for activities in advance.
Making better decisions with data
- You gain valuable insight into your business.. Analysis of trends and performance of your direct bookings to attract more customers.
- Measure the ROI of your campaigns. With Google Analytics, Google Adwords and e-commerce monitoring you will know where to spend your money to target the right markets.
Save time and money
- Less time on the phone. Your team will spend more time serving customers in person rather than on the phone.
- Save money. Bookings made directly through your website will cost less in commission than those made through an OTA.
Key features of a reservation system
A Top booking engine should include the following features:
- Mobile-first: The calendar displayed on your website should work perfectly on a mobile phone or tablet and be compatible with social media websites.
- Fast loading times: Reducing load time with a better user experience leads to increased conversions and more revenue.
- Payment Gateways: A booking engine should provide you with a variety of reliable payment gateways such as Stripe, Redsys, Global Payment, MyPOS, etc in order to provide a faster and smoother booking experience for your customers.
- Synchronise with online travel agencies: Look for a booking engine that is connected to the most important OTAs in the world: Viator, GetYourGuide, TripAdvisor ,TuriTop.
- Gift vouchers: People love to buy experiences for their loved ones. Offer for sale your activity products such as gift vouchers.
- Commission-free: Look for a booking engine that does not charge you commission for each booking processed. Whether it's a booking made from the back-office, your website, any OTA or agent.