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Abstract

ngs us to our next point, mobile-friendliness.</p><h2 id="5a9e">Mobile friendly</h2><p id="2fc6">Your WP booking plugin should be mobile friendly. The <a href="https://swagsoft.com.sg/blog/how-mobile-apps-can-boost-your-business/">importance of mobile</a> in online business is immense and experts believe it will only rise in the future. In fact, according to research by Statistica, there were over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/">3.8 million mobile users</a> worldwide in 2019.</p><p id="3470">What’s more, the vast majority of appointments are made on smartphones. Specifically, <a href="https://financesonline.com/appointment-scheduling-statistics/#:~:text=45%20hours%20is%20the%20average,found%20to%20result%20in%20appointments.">76% of clients use mobile</a> devices to book appointments. If your booking plugin isn’t adapted to mobile, you’re missing out on a huge portion of potential clients.</p><h2 id="a112">Confirmations and reminders</h2><p id="4e13">Confirmations and reminders are essential components of any worthwhile WP booking plugin that will help you <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-customers-dont-come-understanding-and-tackling-no-shows-44bdf07f58ea">tackle the nasty no-shows</a>. It works great for both customers and professionals you hire: imagine the embarrassment and reputation risks that follow when a professional forgets to show up for an appointment with a client. Now, when so many meetings are scheduled and <a href="https://customerthink.com/hacks-to-increase-the-effectiveness-of-online-consultations/">carried out online</a>, this is more than possible.</p><p id="ecf4">A WordPress scheduling plugin should give you the way to ensure you and your clientele get confirmations and reminders on a variety of platforms and make their appointments in a timely fashion. This is a valid way to make sure everyone is up to date.</p><h2 id="7d74">Customizable fields</h2><p id="4a7f">If your business offers a wide variety of services and unique deals or multiple service providers, like a gym with several different trainers, it’s recommended to use a WP booking plugin with customizable fields. That way there will be no confusion over what the customer wants and when the appointment is. Drop down menus with a list of services or service providers lets them choose what they want themselves. A WP booking plugin

Options

with such a feature is a big plus and might free you up from managing telephone calls or hiring another employee to handle client requests.</p><h2 id="eecd">Integration with Google Calendar</h2><p id="f994">We’re all on a different schedule, and many of our schedules change from day to day, even by the hour. That’s why clients really appreciate it when your booking system <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-calendar-tips">integrates with Google Calendar</a>. This gives the clients and the employees the freedom to adjust multiple plans for the day and be more productive. The most feature-rich WP booking plugins will provide you with such an opportunity.</p><h2 id="936a">Ways for customers to edit appointments</h2><figure id="55ab"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*7bri8nqhNpjSTGm4nFOxVQ.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="bce8">Another feature you’ll want your WP booking plugin to have is a way for clients to see and edit their appointments online. This takes some of the work out of your hands and lets the customers change their appointments manually. If your <a href="https://community.solutionreach.com/s/article/Strategy-Guide-An-Effective-Cancellation-Policy">cancellation policy</a> allows doing so, your plugin can automatically update bookings upon customer requests and keep you up to date with the changes. Without such a feature, you’ll waste time taking calls from clients and adjusting the booking yourself.</p><h2 id="b76e">Customer Resources Management</h2><p id="96af">Another top-notch feature a WP booking plugin might have is the ability to use your online booking system as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management">CRM tool</a>. This means that it should allow you to safely store client contacts along with comprehensive information on his use of your services all in one place. Such data is priceless for launching loyalty programs and other marketing purposes.</p><h1 id="0126">Conclusion</h1><p id="4276">Hopefully, our WP booking plugin advice has got you re-evaluating your own booking plugins. With so many to choose from, no one has the time to try them all. We hope our tips have helped you shortlist the best WordPress plugins to use for setting up a quality booking system on your website. Now get out there and let your clients book some appointments!</p></article></body>

Choosing the Best WP Booking Plugin: A Checklist of Must-Have Features

A booking plugin is much more than just a calendar with a form. Depending on the business, booking plugins can vary widely. For example, most salons have multiple stylists. Each of these stylists has to have their own schedule posted on the website. A different business like a doctor’s office might instead have hours of availability and services offered.

That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to the features of a WP booking plugin you might use to automate your SME. This way you can make sure you have all the functions you need to grow your business and manage booking-related processes.

8 Features Than Make WP Booking Plugins Rock

Customizable booking forms

Every business is unique, and they all have different scheduling needs and processes. You might have already spotted that thinking about how to sell your services online. You want a booking plugin that takes this into account and allows you to style your forms to fit you the best way possible. A men’s barbershop appointment and a hotel reservation can be made online, it doesn’t mean the two booking forms can be the same though.

Multiple payment options

Next, the best WP booking plugin should have multiple payment options. You would hate to lose business because a client only uses Mastercard, so be sure to include all popular payment methods in your booking plugin. These include but are not limited to: credit cards, banking transfers, mobile payments, e-wallets, direct deposit, and cash.

Having multiple payment options will take some of the stress out of acquiring business. Knowing that you have all payment bases covered, you can focus on more important business aspects. This brings us to our next point, mobile-friendliness.

Mobile friendly

Your WP booking plugin should be mobile friendly. The importance of mobile in online business is immense and experts believe it will only rise in the future. In fact, according to research by Statistica, there were over 3.8 million mobile users worldwide in 2019.

What’s more, the vast majority of appointments are made on smartphones. Specifically, 76% of clients use mobile devices to book appointments. If your booking plugin isn’t adapted to mobile, you’re missing out on a huge portion of potential clients.

Confirmations and reminders

Confirmations and reminders are essential components of any worthwhile WP booking plugin that will help you tackle the nasty no-shows. It works great for both customers and professionals you hire: imagine the embarrassment and reputation risks that follow when a professional forgets to show up for an appointment with a client. Now, when so many meetings are scheduled and carried out online, this is more than possible.

A WordPress scheduling plugin should give you the way to ensure you and your clientele get confirmations and reminders on a variety of platforms and make their appointments in a timely fashion. This is a valid way to make sure everyone is up to date.

Customizable fields

If your business offers a wide variety of services and unique deals or multiple service providers, like a gym with several different trainers, it’s recommended to use a WP booking plugin with customizable fields. That way there will be no confusion over what the customer wants and when the appointment is. Drop down menus with a list of services or service providers lets them choose what they want themselves. A WP booking plugin with such a feature is a big plus and might free you up from managing telephone calls or hiring another employee to handle client requests.

Integration with Google Calendar

We’re all on a different schedule, and many of our schedules change from day to day, even by the hour. That’s why clients really appreciate it when your booking system integrates with Google Calendar. This gives the clients and the employees the freedom to adjust multiple plans for the day and be more productive. The most feature-rich WP booking plugins will provide you with such an opportunity.

Ways for customers to edit appointments

Another feature you’ll want your WP booking plugin to have is a way for clients to see and edit their appointments online. This takes some of the work out of your hands and lets the customers change their appointments manually. If your cancellation policy allows doing so, your plugin can automatically update bookings upon customer requests and keep you up to date with the changes. Without such a feature, you’ll waste time taking calls from clients and adjusting the booking yourself.

Customer Resources Management

Another top-notch feature a WP booking plugin might have is the ability to use your online booking system as a CRM tool. This means that it should allow you to safely store client contacts along with comprehensive information on his use of your services all in one place. Such data is priceless for launching loyalty programs and other marketing purposes.

Conclusion

Hopefully, our WP booking plugin advice has got you re-evaluating your own booking plugins. With so many to choose from, no one has the time to try them all. We hope our tips have helped you shortlist the best WordPress plugins to use for setting up a quality booking system on your website. Now get out there and let your clients book some appointments!