Having an online booking option on your website is very beneficial for users. Everything is organized and the users get the best experience, as well. As for WordPress, it is quite easy to implement this option on your website as there are various booking plugins for this purpose. And among these plugins, we have chosen one with great functionalities and ease of use. So, in this article, we are about to review the Start Booking online scheduling software.
What are Start Booking’s Features
There are many features you will definitely appreciate.
Online Booking
Through this tool, you will enable your website users and customers to make appointments, join classes, as well as edit already made bookings with ease. The process does not require any communication between the user and admin. So, they can book a service without talking to anyone else. For business owners, Start Booking offers good functionality to design a booking calendar that will match your brand.
Appointments and Scheduling
This enables your customers to book services or anything else on your website any day or time they wish. In addition, they’ll receive reminders through email and SMS. Furthermore, you are able to determine different types of classes, events, and offered services for booking. The plugin will manage the registration process and help you collect payments immediately.
Classes and Group Bookings
With this function, you can receive bookings for classes or events. So, each of the users is able to book a place or a seat for this or that class through your website. Due to the plugin’s advanced settings, you can customize the classes, choose their corresponding titles, instructors, etc. Besides, you may make the signup process even easier which will engage with more of your customers. In addition, the presented event will not be overbooked. As the plugin will inform you how many places remain free.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
The CRM system will not only help you to manage your customers but also make them return to your website in the future.
Customer Communication
Although the users are able to complete the booking process with ease they might want to interact with you for any purpose. With Start Booking, the process becomes very convenient. The clients can choose to communicate with you via Inbox.
Payments
With Start Booking, you will not have any issues taking payments. This is beneficial for not only your customers who are going to pay for the booked items but also for you to withdraw the paid amount.
Integrations
One of the most important integrations of Start Booking is WordPress. Yet, it also integrates with other platforms and tools. So, let’s review the list:
Zoom – you can easily connect your Zoom account to the Start Booking plugin and organize unlimited virtual meetings automatically.
Stripe – the speedy transactions are connected to the available Stripe payment method. It allows you and your customers to make a secured payment and competitive charges.
Google Analytics – for necessary stats and insight you will highly benefit from this integration. You can view your customers’ behavior while they are passing through the booking process. As well as you can check how your booking flow works. Besides, you are able to receive service impressions and clicks, some eCommerce metrics, etc. By this, you will track the whole booking process and fix the issues if necessary.
MailChimp – Connecting your MailChimp account to Start Booking will assist you to choose the right target for your clients, and prepare newsletters and personalized automated appointment reminders for them.
Google Calendar – You can integrate your personal Google Calendar to your Start Booking account. But you should note, that the plugin’s smart system will not let the users book your personal appointments.
WordPress Booking Plugin Overview
Among all the great functionalities, Start Booking’s integration with WordPress might excite the users most. The free version of the plugin scores over 2,000+ active installations and many 5-stars on WordPress. Its purpose is to assist the users and business owners make an excellent booking platform for their website customers so that they are able to make appointments, offer and sell services.
What is more important about the Start Booking plugin is that it is totally compatible with the majority of WordPress themes. As well as it suits your WP theme style.
One of the key benefits of this plugin is that it does not demand any setup fees. Instead, you get constant updates, easy and flexible online scheduling, and other must-have features to operate on your WordPress site.
Unlike other WordPress booking plugins which do not integrate your WordPress website or expect the site owners to organize the booking processes inside the WordPress Admin Dashboard, the Start Booking plugin manages the process in a different way.
The customers place their appointments directly with you. Meanwhile, they do not leave your website. Moreover, you are not obliged to manage your business inside the WP Admin.
So, the WordPress Start Booking plugin is highly Customizable. And you can use this totally customizable plugin to optimize the booking flow anywhere on your website.
It tends to boost the conversion rate on your website – None of the customers will leave your WP site without being engaged in the conversion.
Furthermore, the plugin is focused on excellent performance. So, you will basically take any chance to convert and interact with your WP site users.
Other Features
Along with all these features, the plugin provides you with these essential functions, too:
- Customer management – records of clients’ profiles and appointment history.
- Staff Management – managing personal and multiple-user accounts, as well as time management regarding the users working and break hours.
- Services Management – regarding assigning different users for a certain bookable service, grouping the services based on their types, determining the booking process mode either online or internally, etc.
- Booking Appointment and Calendar
Moreover, the plugin is tested to work with the latest version of WordPress and totally supports the Gutenberg Block Editor.
Proceeding With The WordPress Start Booking Plugin
So, revealing the plugin’s main functionalities, it is time to see how you should run the process initially. This step-by-step guide will definitely assist you.
Step 1
After installing and activating Start Booking, you must choose your website post or page where you would like to show all your services.
Step 2
When your customer chooses the service from the provided list and the date that is most convenient for them, the system automatically removes the date from the available list. So, due to Start Booking, you will never receive the same date double booked. So, the user will not be misled.
Step 3
When the customer selects a time, the checkout flow picks the customers’ and their appointment info.
The booking flow which is a very significant component of the booking process can be also customized.
And all these thanks to the flexible form editor offered by Start Booking. The customization includes booking flow steps configuration, determining what is needed to be displayed, changing colors or styles, etc.
As you see, the process is very easy and clear. So, you do not need any additional tools to approve a smooth user experience on WordPress.
Pricing
The Start Booking plugin offers a very flexible pricing strategy. Here are the pricing plans:
- Basic – $25 per month (billed monthly), $20 per month (billed annually)
- Business – $75 per month (billed monthly), $60 per month (billed annually)
Before upgrading to one of these plans you should note, that you have a 14-day free trial period. And during this time frame, you will get access to all the available features.
Besides, you should note that you are able to change your activated plan anytime you wish without even talking to anyone else. And if you think you need a custom plan or enterprise configuration then you can surely contact the Start Booking’s Enterprise team.
Moreover, you can confidently use Start Booking for your clients and provide them with great tools.
We would like to mention that no matter what plan you choose you will definitely access the below-mentioned features:
- Online Booking
- Scheduling and Appointments
- Classes and Group Bookings
- CRM
In Conclusion
So, we have reviewed the Start Booking software and its great integration with WordPress. It is super easy to operate with this plugin and manage the whole booking process without issues. Not only your users but also the business owners will highly benefit from this plugin. And as you noticed the pricing plans are also very flexible including also a 14-day free usage period to try all the features.
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Always like the scheduling option especially on the website. Highly enjoyed your article. Thanks)))