68% of all sales in travel & tourism are handled in the online world. Because of that, having a simple, straightforward, and painless experience is the way to go (if you want to get more sales of course). It includes ensuring that your online booking system functions flawlessly on various devices, provides both desktop and mobile eCommerce conversions, and is capable of adapting to future advances.
That is why hotel management often has a hard time choosing the best booking software for their website. To make your search process easier, we've prepared a guide to pick the right online booking software.
How Does Online Hotel Booking Software Work?
Online booking systems are usually featured as cloud-based SAAS. The system is incorporated into your existing website and, sometimes, social media pages. A booking system is divided into two parts: the back end and the front end.
The backend is often a dashboard management tool that allows you to configure and evaluate inventory and reservations. The system's customer-facing end should preferably be a two-step process of booking and paying.
Advantages of Having a Booking System
Hotel booking software is more than just a payment engine for your consumers. In reality, it affects nearly every area of the company's operations.
Wide Range of Filters
Your clients are likely to have a wide range of demands and preferences when booking their stay. They may need to bring children or pets, have unique accessibility needs, or an airport transfer may be required. The finest booking systems have a plethora of filters to assist users in narrowing down their search.
Easy Comparison
Your online display of rooms and services should be provided logically and transparently, allowing the customer to compare the options and pick the best one.
Automation
Booking Software automates routine administrative chores, increasing overall staff productivity. For example, markups and margins can be created automatically after the company's starting specifications have been defined. You may configure the system to cancel unconfirmed bookings or make changes automatically.
Improved Process Management
The software automates corporate processes by removing the need for human data input, handling bookings, monitoring inventories, providing reports, and processing payments. Aside from that, when consumers book their accommodations online, the cash is automatically deposited into your account.
Reporting
Dashboard and reporting capabilities enable customers to get insights into earnings and sales, as well as produce bespoke reports that may be used to impact future initiatives.
Online Hotel Booking Software Features to Pay Attention to
Since reservation software is a revenue generator for your company, it must be perfect, trustworthy, and easily accessible to users. As a result, it’s necessary to treat the selection process extremely carefully. Here are some of the most critical points to consider when making a choice.
UX Provided
Users should feel comfortable navigating through your website. To convince guests that their reservation has been taken into consideration, the website should be speedy and provide an email confirmation. Aside from that, it should be mobile-friendly and feature a bilingual interface.
A handy calendar front-desk view would be a tremendous help in the reservation process. The program must have a plugin or javascript that may be integrated into the hotel's website. Alternatively, it should be capable of redirecting visitors to an online microsite or gateway where they may finish their bookings. Besides that, the booking engine should include all the information your guests may want, such as rates, packages, accommodation types, and other data.
Online Payment Integration
Integrating an online payment with your hotel reservation system will not only make the booking process more convenient for visitors but will also help you satisfy the policy requirements. Mind that the funds acquired through online booking should be registered automatically in financial reporting.
Automated Communication
Communication automation is an absolute must in the service business nowadays. After reserving a stay, guests anticipate a confirmation email. Confirmation emails should be personalized and clearly reflect the hotel's brand image and voice. For example, if requested, you should be prepared to give travel suggestions and details about local events and landmarks. The hotel reservation system should also allow the scheduling and editing of these emails.
Central Reservation System
Travelers like to make bookings from a variety of sources, including the hotel's website, online travel agencies (OTAs), and the front desk. Managing these bookings may be difficult, and mistakes such as double booking, overbooking, or failing to confirm a guest's reservation can result in negative reviews and loss of clients.
A centralized online booking system linked to a channel manager can assist in efficiently managing these issues. This way, you’ll have real-time information on room availability and rates across all booking channels. Such a system also assists hoteliers in increasing staff productivity by allowing inventory and rates to be updated from a single platform.
Review Management
Reviews are critical to a hotel's reputation. They are the most effective marketing tool for your business. According to brightlocal, 79% of buyers value internet reviews as much as personal recommendations. A sophisticated hotel booking system allows you to both record and respond to the comments provided by the customers. Genuine and timely feedback response has the ability to convert guests into devoted consumers.
You should encourage the visitors to post internet reviews as a hotelier. Make an effort to interact with those reviews by responding to them. Your guests will have a better experience since they feel noticed and valued.
Reporting
Make sure that reporting is among the online hotel booking software features. Having the proper and thorough data may help you enhance business performance and provide a more personalized experience for the guests.
Hotel reservation software with a sophisticated reporting system is essential for assisting businesses in making better decisions. You should be able to obtain information on pending payments and tabs, sales, budgeting, rate management, and personalized guest data.
For example, having a booking system that supports Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager can dramatically improve your results and let you track your conversions.
Languages Supported
Your hotel booking software should allow visitors to make bookings in the language and currency of their choice. Guests who make bookings in a specific language should also receive email or text message confirmations in that language. This may increase reservations from all over the world.
Since hotels often seek to appeal to a larger global audience, and many of their clients are tourists, it's crucial. Ideally, booking software should be able to automatically define the language and currency according to the IP address.
Discounts and Special Offers Management
Providing special promo codes or discounts is an excellent tactic when it comes to growing income and keeping the guests pleased. A sound hotel booking system should allow you to generate and use promotional coupons. In addition to basic and easy discounts, you should be able to tailor discounts and promotions depending on many parameters, such as the time of booking, customer loyalty, number of guests, and so on.
Final Word
The key online hotel booking software feature you should look for is ease of use. The most successful eCommerce organizations make the booking and payment procedure exceedingly straightforward, reducing the number of irritated clients who can abandon the purchase.
In that regard, Booknetic is an excellent booking system that can help you set up an automated system and focus on more important things, like providing the best experience for the guests!