I will be honest, I've never been a huge fan of what was on the market for booking calendars for my clients. So much so, we even blueprinted and almost built one of our own (it's really a BIG project). But luckily, we found one that worked well for the majority of our clients, and I will explain why.
But what was so "wrong" with other booking calendars on the market?
- When you click the button to open the calendar, it opens in a new window/domain to fill out. This causes pop-up issues, branding issues, security issues, etc.
- They were hard to use or clunky.
- They wouldn't sync with popular calendar solutions such as Google Calendar or Outlook.
Well, we've solved all 3 and I will explain why.
So let's jump into the real reason you're here. While I advertise it for the hunting and fishing industry, it literally can be used in most business scenarios. Some of the features include:
- It "FITS" into your website as an I-Frame. This keeps your customer on your website, not popping up for another.
- The booking calendar is real simple to use. Choose a service, choose a date/time, add your info and that's it!
- Email marketing is built into the calendar, too! You can capture emails through your email forms and various other ways for marketing later. It's basically you're own contact list of information for any type of marketing.
- Send emails at various periods BEFORE they arrive at your business. While it's often used as a simple reminder, it also can be used to detail instructions on what to bring and what to expect.
- Also sends emails AFTER the visit. These are great for saying thank you, as well as asking for a review somewhere (such as Google).
- Texting is also available for reminders and marketing.
- Take deposits upon booking.
- Syncs with your Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.
- And so much more customizable features!
Booking calendars are FANTASTIC for engagements. While historically outfitters love phone calls, sometimes, people simply want their dates locked down! Whether it's late or night or while you're on the water or in the field, it's available.
And this booking calendar solution is very affordable. No nickel and diming, simply implement a solution that makes sense.
If you'd like to learn more about how this will work for your business, give us a shout.
~ Chris
