Potential customers may find and book your services or accommodation through one of the big
OTA's, but what if they come directly to your website?
The most basic method is that they find your contact information on your website and then
call or email you. You would then make the booking manually via telephone or email. However
this is not ideal as it relies on you being available to interact with the potential
customer.
These days guests prefer instant availability check-in and booking. When they come to
your
website, they want the opportunity to check availability dates and then make a booking right
away.
To do this, your website should include an online booking/reservation system.
What is a hotel booking system?
Guests will be able to instantly book online with a hotel booking system. It is a software application that allows you to sell your rooms or services through your own website, and third party sites that your hotel is listed on (eg. Facebook).There are a wide range of systems available: some can be very simple – just showing whether there is availability or not, while others are very complex and powerful, combining a booking system with a channel manager and property management system. (More about these in future lessons).
Today's hotels, guesthouses and homestays are expected to have booking systems in place, because it's more convenient for guests as well as staff. Instead of having to wait for you to be at your desk, guests can quickly check your availability, book and confirm their stays – all without speaking to you.
In this lesson we'll look at two options: integrating with WordPress and Wix websites, although there are many other options available.
WordPress
Adding an online booking system via a plugin is a simple yet very effective way to integrate such a system directly into your WordPress website. There are a wide range of such plugins available; some free and others at a cost for premium features.For example, see 5 Best Free WordPress Booking Plugins for Hotels, Vacation Rentals and B&Bs.
We're going to look at an example of one of these: Motopress Hotel Booking - which comes in a free (lite) version as well as a premium (pro) version. The lite version includes a host of useful features. (Note: This is not necessarily the best plugin for your site, but provides us with an example of what is possible.)
Find this plugin to download at WordPress.org
Once you've installed the plugin, you easily personalise the booking system via the WordPress admin interface:
See this video for an overview of all the features: https://youtu.be/TmKqVH7o8ds
Wix
Wix Hotels is an all-in-one online booking system available as an app that can be added to your Wix site (or, if you've chosen one of Wix's accommodation-specific templates, it may already come included). It lets you add rooms and rates, and allows guests to book accommodation through a built-in calendar.Whether you have a homestay, apartment, boutique hotel or bungalow, you can manage all aspects of your business with Wix Hotels, and allow your guests to make reservations directly on your site.
Be aware: while there is a free version of Wix Hotels, it gives you just enough to try it out and get a feel for how it works. You won't be able to accept bookings, so you will eventually need to upgrade to a paid Wix Hotels plan.
See How to add Wix Hotels to your website
https://youtu.be/UfNA4P4HSSk
If your business is not accommodation related, Wix Bookings may be better suited to you:
Wix bookings allows customers to book and pay for appointments from your website. Ideal for tour or adventure companies, surf or sari-wearing class bookings, or any kind of service-related business.
For more detail on Wix Bookings, see: The easiest way to get booked and paid online.
Summary
- Today's hotels, guesthouses and homestays are expected to have booking systems in place, because it's more convenient for guests as well as staff.
- Online booking systems are software applications that allow you to sell your rooms or services through your own website.
- There are a wide range of systems available.