The challenge for any business selling bookings, be it for courses, rooms, facilities or events, is to maximise the amount sold. Introducing an bespoke booking system should, if implemented correctly and with appropriate tools, provide your business with a platform to help you transform visits to your website from luke warm enquiry to confirmed sale.
Consider the User Experience (UX) for Each Visitor
Not everyone will be visiting your website with the exact same motivations. Some may just be browsing or looking to find out more information before making a decision, whereas others may be coming onto the site with the intention of trying to make a booking.
If it’s a new visitor, still in the consideration stage of their buying journey, then you should be providing clear, concise content, offering relevant information to help them make their decision. This is the starting point of their sales journey, so you don’t want them bogged down with impenetrable content, or have them scrolling through pages to find the information they need.
Your landing pages should also have clear and simple navigation from information to action through BOOK NOW buttons and similar calls to action, clearly visible at every touchpoint.
These calls to action also enable those who are already at the intent to buy stage to not be side-tracked by unnecessary content, directing them straight to the booking journey.
A Fast-Track to Check Out
Modern consumers don’t want long-winded processes.
While informational content can help convince visitors that you are offering the right product for them, then once they are into the booking journey, they will want the transaction to be as swift as possible so they can go on with their day.
The Self-Service Factor
Forget the adage that customers want to deal directly with a human for every service or transaction they carry out with a business.
It is ever more the case that customers prefer the speed and convenience of searching for what they want and proceeding with the booking. If you want proof of this, then look at the travel industry where 82% of transactions in 2018 were made online, without any human engagement (Source: Treksoft).
By the way, this DOES NOT mean it’s curtains for us of a decidedly organic origin.
Us humans are still the crucial piece of the puzzle, with the best companies striking the balance between people and technology, with the tech taking the routine bookings to allow the people to focus on the relationships and delivering high-end customer service.
Real-Time Availability
Too many businesses tend to go half-way when it comes to proving online facilities for their customers. They’ll showcase their courses or facilities in all their glory and they may even have a highly-visible call to action button, prompting visitors to BOOK NOW.
Only to lead said visitor to an enquiry form, which they will have to fill in and wait for a reply to find out if there is any availability for the time they want.
These people want to book, are ready to commit.
How long will they have to wait for a reply?
Often, long enough that they will have abandoned and booked somewhere else.
With an online booking system such as those we provide at thinkBooker, the visitor can see an instant and real-time view of availability, empowering them to be able to select and book there and then.
No waiting, no risk of the space going in the meantime, and less reason for them to abandon ship and head elsewhere.
At thinkBooker, we provide booking systems that place the needs of both your business and your customers front and centre. Systems that ensure that your customers can book in the way that suits them best: be it via the website, on the phone or in person.
And systems that take the workload away from your staff, creating an efficient and easily managed process that ensures your team can put their talents to the best and most commercially effective use.
If you want to learn more about our online booking systems and how they work across a multitude of sectors, then get in touch via our contact form .
At thinkBooker, we specialise in online booking systems for training courses, classes, activities and events – optimised for efficiency, growth and ongoing client satisfaction.
Browse the site to learn more about course booking systems, sports booking systems, event booking systems and more, or get in touch directly to find out how we can help you.
For more tips on boosting conversions via your booking system, have a look through the blogs below:
Why Reducing Barriers in the Booking System Leads to Better Sales
10 Ways You Can Improve Your Online Booking
3 Reasons Speedy Booking System Earns More Money
