5 Best WordPress Plugins for online booking.
1. Bookly – Responsive Appointment Booking Application
Bookly plugin is the most popular WordPress plugin for online booking. It enables automatic booking services, which saves time and money. This plugin allows you to manage appointments, customer base, and email messages. The booking form is responsive, it works on every device, making it easy for customers to make reservations on phones and tablets. Form layout can be tailored to individual needs. You can also mark the required fields. Without completing them, the customer will not be able to make a reservation. An extensive email database, allows you to set up various automated messages to customers and employees. For some users, a good solution may be the configuration of the SMS system. Management becomes easier and you can be sure that no reservation will be omitted.
Who will benefit from this plugin?
Bookly plugin is designed for all companies that need online reservations. It works in beauty salons, hairdressing salons, beauty centers, spa and massage parlors, medical clinics. Educational centers, language schools, fitness clubs, gyms, trainers, photo studios may also use this plugin. Bookly is useful for booking hotels, holiday resorts as well as cleaning companies.
Front for customers
Most noteworthy, Bookly system allows you to place orders for both logged-in users and guests.
- an easy way to book online – without the need for direct contact with employees;
- booking a reservation from any device – customized form;
- choice of employee – in addition to service;
- select a reservation period – the system shows only available dates/hours;
- simple contact form;
- email and SMS notifications.
Back-end made for users
Using the Bookly plugin does not require the user to have any technical knowledge. The plugin can be customized to suit individual needs. You can easily change:
- the appearance of the form visible to customers,
- functionality,
- choose automatic or manual booking confirmation,
- set individual hours and days for each service offered,
- assign employees to service
- set holidays.
The booking payment system allows you to connect with multiple gateways. You can customize the payment system to suit your needs. Bookly has a WooCommerce plugin configuration, which is very convenient for companies that already use WooCommerce on their site. Of course, we can set a payment for the service on site. An extensive messaging system allows for automatic configuration of email for customers and employees. In addition to the confirmation message, you also have the ability to set up automatic reminders before the meeting.
Add-ons to the basic version
Add-ons for the basic plugin allow you to create an individual booking form. The most popular are:
- Service Extras
- Locations
- Special Hours
- Special Days
- PayPal Standard
2. Booked Plugin
Booked is an example of another frequently used (and loved) plugin for online bookings. The plugin is very easy to use for both the end user and the creator of the form. The whole process of creating a booking form has been simplified to the maximum. After selecting the date and time, you just have to fill in a contact form and you are done! That’s it. This plugin is a very good solution for companies that need a fast and simple reservation system.
Easy front-end for customers
Customers receive a simple booking form, consisting of a calendar. When you select a meeting date, the available booking hours are displayed. The last step is to fill out contact details, name, email address and optionally the phone number. Guest customers and users can use a booking form designed for mobile devices.
Simple Back-end
Booked plugin configuration is straightforward, but the plugin is not very customizable. We can determine what information is displayed, and specify the fields in the contact form. The number of automated messages has been simplified to the most important information. Admin is unable to send notifications of the upcoming meeting. In addition, we have no way of configuring SMS messages. For customers to make online payments, you need to configure the WooCommerce plugin.
Add-ons to the basic version
The Booked plugin has built-in add-ons ready to install:
- Payments with WooCommerce
- Front-End Agents
- Calendar Feeds
3. Pinpoint Booking System
Pinpoint Booking System plugin is the easiest system for online booking. The design for some may be too simple, but it does have very robust functionalities. Admin panel is easy to use and does not require coding knowledge. The booking form available in the plugin has been adapted for use on mobile devices as well. In addition, it has a Pinpoint.world feature (currently in beta) that gives you new opportunities to advertise your business.
Front-end
Customers receive a form with a calendar view, in which different colors represent different available meeting dates. The client has a preview of all appointments both available and reserved. To book a date you need to choose the date, then select the meeting time and fill in the contact form next to the calendar. Quick and comfortable.
Back-end
You may freely modify the displayed information on the booking form. Configuration settings are very intuitive. We can set up automatic confirmation of your booked meetings or confirm them manually. User has the ability to add:
- promotional prices,
- the number of meetings available,
- set the same time for the entire calendar,
- set individual hours for individual days.
The system allows the administrator to set any date that will be displayed first on the calendar. We also have the option to display information on the booking calendar if the customer wants to check in the afternoon and check out in the morning. As a result, the hotel industry is likely to favor this feature. Firthermore, the Pinpoint can be configured with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Airbnb.
Add-ons to the basic version
Add-ons for Pinpoint Booking System plugin are payment gateways setup with the WooCommerce plugin.
Learn More4. Appointment Booking Calendar
Companies that need an online reservation system often choose BirchPress Scheduler plugin. Guests and customers can use the booking form also on mobile devices. The system is easy to use and requires no coding knowledge.
What the basic version has to offer?
If we go for the basic version of the plugin we will be able to:
- set up multiple locations,
- set up multiple services and assigned employees,
- customize service price, duration, break,
- manage reservations,
- manage staff,
- change calendar view,
- add, delete, edit appointments.
BirchPress Scheduler – Premium version
The premium version offers a lot of new options:
- Plenty of automated email messages,
- automatic filling of the contact form for registered customers,
- custom booking forms,
- group booking,
- many online payment systems,
5. Appointment Calendar
Finally, the last plugin I would like to present is Appointment Calendar. Although it is not as popular as the rest of plugins I have highlighted previously, it might be the best solution for your business. Inserting a reservation form is very easy. It uses shortcodes, so you can place it anywhere on the site. There are two basic shortcodes – [APCAL] for large screens and [APCAL_MOBILE] for mobile devices.
Basic version Appointment Calendar
After purchasing the basic version of the plugin you receive:
- possibility to translate into one of many languages,
- easy to create and manage services,
- simple reservation management,
- a possibility of setting breaks,
- sending email to customers.
Premium version
Thanks to the premium version, you can:
- customize employee management panel,
- adjust the working hours of your company and your employees,
- manage booking stories and customers,
- sync with Google Calendar,
- add online payments using the Paypal gateway,
- add news for employees,
- possibility to export the list of guests.
Conclusion
There are now a lot of WordPress plugins available for online booking. If you need an extensive system and want to use complex functionality, the best choice would be the Bookly plugin. If you do not mind the simplified reservation form, use the BirchPress Scheduler plugin. When you care about simple panel support, choose Booked plugin. As you see, the possibilities are almost endless. Therefore to make the right decision you have to think about what will be best for you and your customers.
