It shouldn’t come as a massive shock to hear that we’re going to advocate the benefits of having an online booking system in your business. But not all booking systems are made equal, and simply finding the first (and cheapest) system you find on a Google search will invariably prove to be a false economy in the long run.
Your booking system should be at the forefront of the way you do business, the way you generate income, brand loyalty and repeat business.
Yes, an online booking system should benefit your business. But you need to examine just what benefits you are actually getting, how to maximise these benefits and how they should be working for you in the long term.
The Customer Experience
OK, it’s a phrase that has gradually leaked into techie lexicon more and more over the last five years or so, although this shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Digital platforms have become the norm in almost every aspect of our lives. As this digital ubiquity has taken hold, so we expect to be able to search, book and buy things with a certain degree of speed and simplicity.
It doesn’t matter whether you are booking out rooms, vehicles, events or places on a course, the booking journey you provide your customers needs to be simple and fast, allowing them to get what they want in the least amount of time with the minimum amount of fuss.
Naturally, no two businesses will ever have the exact same customer booking journey.
For example, a parent looking to book their child onto a sports camp will have very different needs to a young professional looking to book onto a training course. Booking a room or a football pitch will be different to renting a mobility scooter or securing a place on a distillery tour.
It all boils down to User Experience (UX).
As a business, you need to understand the primary needs of those who will be using the booking system, along with the expectations they are likely to have that will make their lives easier. If your booking system can match, or better, exceed this expectation, this could very well be, to completely misquote Humphrey Bogart, ‘the start of a beautiful relationship’
Your Booking System – Your Brand
In making the user experience and booking journey meet the demands of your customers, you ignore brand consistency at your peril.
Too many booking systems overlook the critical importance of your company brand, forcing customers into a generic journey that bears little to no relation to the rest of your website or your brand identity.
As any marketer will tell you, brand consistency is a cornerstone when it comes to breeding customer loyalty.
For many businesses, the booking system is the point at which customers engage with them more than any other. So, why would you neglect your brand identity at such a crucial touchpoint?
The thinkBooker Approach
At thinkBooker, the customer experience (your customers) and your brand identity are at the heart of the systems we deliver.
We understand the need to ensure that not only is the booking system meeting the expectations of the modern digitally savvy consumer, but also to the specific needs of your customers.
This means providing them with a booking journey that enhances their experience when interacting (and transacting) with your business, with a booking system that is easy to use, logical to navigate and reflective of the brand that they have chosen to spend their money with.
It’s a philosophy to ensure your clients keep using, keep returning to you, and keep telling their friends all about you.
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.
