As you strive to recover from the lockout and develop your business, you’ll need sophisticated tools to assist you in managing your daily and coordinating with clients and employees.

While this was once merely a handy technique to stay on top of company administration, it is now required to maintain social distance and follow health and safety rules. So, if keeping your store, office, or medical practice from being overloaded is a puzzle, you’ve come to the correct spot.

You need an online booking to secure yet swiftly recover from a lockdown (a.k.a, online booking calendar).

But how can you locate and set up an online booking system that will perform the job well and help your company grow? The answers and best practices that we have acquired over the years are condensed into seven easy steps in our final guide.

What exactly is an online reservation system?

In a nutshell, an online Booking software or online booking calendar is a user interface that allows consumers to schedule appointments for the services you provide.

Businesses and professionals may take control of their time by using an online booking system, which allows them to offer flexible appointment scheduling choices to their clients and automates most administrative work. Many systems also allow you to choose a buffer period for workstation cleaning and set up regular appointments.

How can you choose an online booking system that is right for your company?

Every business is unique, and there is almost certainly no one-size-fits-all online booking system. However, we have compiled a checklist that you may use to determine the best fit for your company.

Make a list of the characteristics you require.

Why not jot down what functionality you’re searching for if you already have a hazy idea? This list might function as a checklist within a checklist, assisting you in making a more or less objective conclusion.

Do you have no idea what you’re looking for? Consider the following to get a sense of what valuable features are available:

Automated SMS and email reminders and other customizable messages for health and safety information — check to see whether they are included in the price (they are often add-ons).

Advanced calendar settings that provide buffer intervals between bookings — so you may clean your desk or take a break.

Intelligent reporting to track your company’s performance – and hunt down contacts.

Examine

Do your research when you’ve completed your list. If you Google ‘best online booking system,’ you’ll find extensive comparison guides from The UK Domain, Fit Small Business, and others. GetApp, for example, has a comparison option that presents the capabilities of several software applications side by side to allow you to compare them easily.

You may also wish to read reviews from consumers who have used the program you will try.

Sign up for a free trial.

Finally, join up for a free trial to access the complete feature set. The longer the trial period, the more time you’ll have to test the product.

If you’re still undecided between two goods, this might be a nice way to narrow it down to a final winner. Not only that, but a free trial may help you determine which features are crucial for you and which are out of your price range.

Is it possible to get a free booking calendar?

You’re undoubtedly curious about the cost of an online booking system and whether you can acquire a booking calendar for free. The quick answer is that you can acquire a booking calendar for free; but, you should be wary of what “free” truly implies. Most software companies would only provide a limited-time trial or a free plan that lacks essential features such as reminders or video conferencing app integration.

Here are a few examples of online booking calendars that provide a Free Forever Plan:

10to8 — Ideal for rapidly expanding enterprises, offers two user logins and limitless services (both 1-to-1 and group sessions). The free plan also includes calendar sync, online payments, and video integrations, as well as SMS and email reminders. 10to8 also provides help for free plan customers, which might be useful when starting.

Calendly: Designed for salespeople, it has a single user log in and one service type (no group bookings). Calendar sync and video conference integrations are included; email reminders are not accessible on the free plan.

Square App: This app is ideal for merchants who need to accept payments for in-store appointments. It offers a single-user login. Calendar sync with only and email reminders are provided, and appointment types are not restricted. However, they add 1.75 percent to each payment.

TimeTap: Best for education providers, with one user login and limitless service; however, the free plan does not feature calendar sync, SMS reminders, or video integrations.

How can I incorporate an appointment calendar into my website?

If you accomplished all of the preceding procedures but still want to check your t’s and dot your i’s, you may add the freshly created appointment calendar to your website. You may accomplish this by:

 include a ‘Book now’ button that links to your booking website.

I use a website plugin, such as the WordPress booking system or the Weebly appointment calendar app.

If you are more tech-savvy, you may also use a customized calendar widget, such as the one seen below.