The advent of digital technologies gives companies a wide range of opportunities for better work efficiency and enhanced customer experience. For instance, it is hard to imagine any thriving hotel, medical center, or repair shop without the possibility of making an appointment on the web.
We have become so used to online booking that the lack of such a service may threaten businesses with significant losses of potential customers and profits. Thus, unsurprisingly, such a solution often becomes a priority objective.
According to the Business Research Company, the reservation and online booking software market is expected to grow to $120.62 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.4%.
This article highlights a range of tools that can facilitate the implementation of functional capabilities widely used in modern booking apps.
Booking Functionality
It is a centerpiece of any availability calendar solution. This functionality should combine an intuitive UI structure with features for convenient booking such as various filtering options, localization, user-friendly reservation form, etc. So, there are some useful tools aimed to help in the delivery of such complex features.
If the project involves a lot of specific requirements such as custom settings or certain styling, it is better to use flexible stand-alone components like the DHTMLX Booking widget. It is a JavaScript UI widget that offers full control over the system’s look and feel and options for deep customization.
The extensive API allows for defining rules for time slots and adding a needed filtering mechanism. This lightweight widget is also notable for its responsive design, built-in themes, and cross-browser compatibility.
The product comes with well-written documentation and numerous online samples. Apart from that, it can also be smoothly integrated with a more advanced DHTMLX Scheduler for comprehensive solutions.
However, if you are looking for an out-of-the-box solution with minimal technical involvement, it is reasonable to consider SaaS platforms such as Appointedd, Calendly, and Scheduly. These products may not provide the same level of flexibility and customization as the DHTMLX Booking widget, but they can be the right choice when speed and ease of deployment are the main priorities.
User Authentication
In booking calendar apps, you’ll certainly need a tool to add a user authentication feature required for a secure and personalized experience. It ensures that only legitimate users can access personal data and reduces the risk of data breaches and other threats.
There are many various tools and services that simplify secure access management. For instance, you can count on Firebase Authentication designed by Google. It supports popular authentication methods such as email/password, social (Google, Facebook, etc.), and even custom options.
Alternatively, you can consider another popular authentication and authorization platform called Auth0. It also provides a number of authentication strategies that can be seamlessly implemented in a web app.
A robust authentication mechanism is also important for other popular booking calendar features such as payments and integration with third-party services that will be discussed below.
Real-Time Updates
It is essential to maintain the reliability and responsiveness of your booking app, and real-time updates have a vital part in it. This feature ensures that any changes in the booking system will be instantly visible to all users.
It is crucial for time-sensitive services with high loads such as medical appointments or event reservations. Real-time updates help avoid unpleasant things like double bookings and increase user satisfaction and dynamic experience.
Tools like Socket.IO and WebSockets significantly simplify the implementation of real-time communication between client and server.
Integration with External Calendars
In today’s fast-paced world, it has become common for individuals to use scheduling calendars to arrange their day-to-day activities. Therefore, it can be very useful if your booking app offers seamless synchronization with popular platforms like Google or Outlook calendars.
To enable end-users to view their bookings via popular calendar tools, you must use Google Calendar API, Outlook Calendar API. Thus, you’ll be able to make your booking app more appealing to potential users and provide a unified scheduling experience.
Online Payment
It is often the case that booking apps are requested to be able to process paid reservations. Such payment solutions should meet some common requirements for covering end-users’ needs related to handling transactions within the booking system.
So, instead of investing time and effort into customization, you can make it much faster with time-tested tools such as PayPal, Stripe, and Square. They offer built-in features required for a robust payment gateway.
Notification Channels
When working on a booking app, it is necessary to take care of notification channels that should be integrated into the system to inform end-users about their bookings (confirmations, cancellations, reminders, etc.). There are several popular options that can be integrated into the booking system using special tools:
- email alerts (SendGrid, Mailgun),
- push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging, Notification API, Push API),
- SMS (Twilio).
With these notification channels, end-users will receive timely updates on their bookings, enhancing your app’s usability.
Maps and Geolocation
If you are working on a booking calendar solution that offers location-specific services (clinics, barber shops, etc.), adding the possibility of using interactive maps would be nice. This feature enables end-users to search for nearby locations, view directions, and estimate travel times.
The most popular choice for implementing this functionality is Google Maps. Also, you can estimate popular mapping libraries like Mapbox and Leaflet.js.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, booking calendars may include various useful features. Implementing these capabilities from scratch makes sense when many custom features are required, otherwise, it can be done faster and more reliably with special ready-made tools like the ones reviewed in this article.
It is a thoughtful approach that helps avoid many potential issues during development and ensures that your booking app is functional, responsive, and user-friendly.
This article was originally published on Medium.
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