Let alone naïve users, experienced users are accustomed to doing loads more with their mobile applications regarding them as the collective “go-to” for everything necessary to enjoy the daily routine with everything organized and optimized with a few clicks. This results in consumers’ deeper engagement “in-app” at precisely the same time that more marketers are looking beyond the download and the installation of the app.
(Image Source: https://www.emarketer.com)
A Bit of Research on Booking App Market
It’s a dynamic that pushed down the cost to acquire users who will convert the chances of many app categories – booking app to top the list! According to the mobile app, trends report 2019 by Liftoff, the global app economy is projected towards an incredible $156 billion by 2023. Mobile apps will continue to grow towards the dominance of the advertising industry. Applications that enable users to book a Dinner, Flight, Hotel, Tutor, Salon or cab pooling/booking service benefit from low acquisition costs and high engagement. Drawing from the internal data global e-commerce rose from 20.7% to $3.535 trillion. Global e-commerce will approach $5 trillion by the end of 2021.
The Main Purpose of an Online Booking System
A booking app is used to manage the reservation process of a Cap/Taxi/Flight/Hotel Room/Restaurant Table etc. Such applications allow tour and activity operators to accept bookings online and in managing their phone and in-person bookings in a much better way.
Major Benefits of Online Booking App:
To increase overall bookings
To save a lot of time
To increase the efficiency of the operations
To get smarted insights into the business
Zero investment in training of the users of this application as the entire application is browser-based
This decreases the overall order processing cost.
Interacting with customers becomes easy and economical.
User statistics reports can be used for effectual utilization of the products and services.
Easy reservation/booking of hotels, caps, tables and other on-demand services.
Booking apps provide a platform for entire reservation activities with a single login
The cancellation of booking is easy within the stipulated time.
Booking apps are an extension of business providing greater exposure resulting in increased revenue.
It is easy to access and maintain data in real-time.
Making use of geo-targeting to trigger booking reminders
Easy booking with a streamlined booking form
Offers loyalty points for in-app bookings
Regular Push notifications to encourage future bookings
Major disadvantages of the online booking system:
It takes a lot of time to get and set up
Staff needs to be trained.
Typical User Complaints with Booking Apps
Cancellation of booking
A Bug within the app
Complaints with the deals and offers (seasonal or personalized)
Review visualization (Fake or Real)
Highlighting the Feedback and Considerations from Users
Users compare and conclude about the average prices of the booking platforms
It is difficult to find negative feedback about the properties (in case of hotel booking apps). The system is structured to highlight positive feedback.
It is very difficult to approach the host and get responses from them.
Users often feel that the booking app looks old as compared to prevalent platforms and almost everything looks like a deal. It always seems that the host is trying to sell off something.
Types of Booking Apps
Booking apps can be divided into two categories:
On-demand Booking Applications
Such applications are fast and provide services that can satisfy customers’ needs in no time. A user has options to choose from a good or a service, order it, track its delivery and receive it.
Industries that particularly get benefitted from the on-demand economy are:
User Dashboard – Offers and Deals as per Artificial intelligence
Search Widget – according to the Geo-location, radius, and number of travelers
Hotel/Cab List – with de-duplication, reviews and ratings, maps, photos, amenities, and some more
Booking Availability – confirmation, the policy of hotels, Cancellation.
Secure Payment – on the Booking Website/Mobile apps
Notifications – on registered email and mobile number as a reminder of booking with all details.
More Features for Online Booking Websites
Adequate tools and techniques make it easy to create a booking website or an app in hours. Some tweaks and timely changes into the website or app can change the response. Here are some of the quick features which will certainly give great results:
Easy search (Search box with indexed and keyword search)
Intuitive navigation
Proper categorization
Responsive and cross-browser compatibility
Availability Calendar
Complete Verified Details
Relevant Images of the bookable product or service
Facility to cancel service and clear refund rates/terms.
Call Support
Easy to use, easy to pay
A calendar
Multiple payment options
Discount & Gift Vouchers
Real-time booking
Email automation
Channel management
Third-party integration
Reporting options
Reservation facility
User-friendly interface
Travel Arrangements
Comprehensive Payment system
Offline booking capability
Multi-linguistic and multi-currency support
Management of Room facilities
Handy Search engine
Weather updates
Integrated third-party map service
Image Gallery
Discounts and deals
Multi-booking system
Social Media sharing
Online Chat
Straightforward calls-to-action on the app main screens
Flexible, personalized, and effective search engine
The simple and transparent payment process
Inspirational visual content
Informative push notifications
Mobile boarding passes in airline apps
Secure checkout process
Event Venue/Hotel/Cab comparisons
Cab/Accommodation search
Hotel/Cab Reviews
Filters by price
Book a last-minute trip or far in advance
Search hotels by city, attraction, landmark, or hotel name with just one tap
Last Minute Booking Cancellation
Get paperless confirmation
Make changes whenever, wherever
Accepting multiple currencies
24/7 customer service in more than one language
Contact your host, view check-in times, and write reviews
Omitting booking or credit card fees
Additional Points to Be Considered While Creating a Booking App
An app that is designed and created with users in mind always uplifts the industry.
The visual content, the way the search results will be displayed, sorting and filtering of results, any other parameter that might affect the conversion – might be alpha/beta test first.
The most popular app pages must be prioritized – There must be a focus on improving the pages that require most users’ attention.
Integrating mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Google Pay, etc.
It is important to incorporate explicit feedback functionality on the app to collect detailed information from users that want to share their ideas.
Adding push notifications to update the trip status, flag the flight price changes, suggest discounts and offers, post additional reminders about booking in progress, etc.
Business Models Followed by Booking App Development Services
Three predominant business models that propagate Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s)/Online Booking App Development Services are:
Advertising Business Model: Followed by apps like TripAdvisor
Agency Business Model (based on commissions): Followed by websites like Booking.com, Airbnb, Hostelworld, Kayak, and Agoda, etc.
Merchant Business Model: Followed by apps like Expedia.
All these three are demand-aggregation platforms and have excellent prospects in highly fragmented industries. All these business models can help compare, meta-search and in-demand aggregation of the business site in general.
How to Make a Booking App?
Stepwise:
Hotel Search – Initiate search, get status, get results
Cab/Room List – Initiate search, get status, get results
Get pricing – Get price
Do the booking – Initiate booking, get status
Cancellation – Initiate cancellation, get results
Technologies Stack for Booking Portal App Development
Frontend: Swift, Objective-C, angularJS, Flutter, CSS3 and beyond, ReactJS, etc.
Backend: PHP (Latest version), Python, Node.js, .NetCore, Postgress etc.
Database: MySQL, MongoDB etc.
Scripting Language: JavaScript, HTML/CSS
Frameworks: Ruby on Rails, Flask, Django, Ember, Backbone, or Angular
Server Providers: Apache, Nginx, etc.
Libraries: jQuery, React.js, Zepto.js
Konstant provides seamless integration of API of all the suppliers and their inventory to be displayed on the website. Few suppliers that we often use in creating booking portal:
GDS Suppliers
Non-GDS Suppliers
3rd Party Suppliers
Hotel Beds
W2M
Aggregator of Travel Service i.e. Zumata, Tavisca, TravelGatex, travelutionary, etc.
Booking.com
SMYROOMS
Hotel de-duplication API
WelcomeBeds
RESTEL
Rating API
Priceline
PAXIMUM
Reviews API (like Tripadvisor etc.)
TBO
ROOMSXML
RTS
SABRE
AMADEUS
GALILEO
WORLDSPAN
EXPEDIA
(Subject to change as per requirements and availability).
Cost to Make Hotel Booking App like Booking.com
A normal booking application (web, android or iOS will consist of two dashboards: one for the customer and the other one for the hoteliers. The cost of developing a booking app depends upon the features in the app, technology stack, budget and time constraints, geographical location of the development team.
Customer dashboard features Signup, Personal profiles, User dashboard, Search system, Geolocation function and maps integration, Ratings and reviews, Notifications.
Additional Features: Searching through the app, front-end submissions, low tariffs, instant confirmations, securing the order, calculating the order fee, support 24*7
Examples of Some of the Booking Apps We Have Developed
SPACEIT PLUS – Events Venue Booking Marketplace Website
Jam Spot – An Android app for booking the best, biggest and fully equipped rehearsal rooms in the UK! (Android)
HOTBYM – A website for hotel booking that provides hourly bookings. (Web)
ZULO – A platform that makes your life easier giving the flexibility to book different sized vehicles to transport your goods at the tip of your fingers. (Android)
Examples of Best Reservation Software 2020
Trivago Hotel Booking PWA
Pinterest PWA
Tinder PWA
9Gag PWA
OLX PWA
Starbucks Coffee PWA
Forbes PWA
Booking.com
HotelsCombined.com
Agoda.com
TripAdvisor
Hotels.com
Priceline
HostelWorld
Trivago
Hotwire
HotelTonight
Why is a mobile booking app worth?
It is important to consider the initial investment in terms of both time, money and efforts involved in converting an idea into a feasible project, setting up the business that can bring potential benefits to the company. Mobile applications make it easy to book a cab, book a hotel or register a venue for your event with just a click. On-demand booking apps give the most needed convenience, thus offering win-win solutions for businesses and customers. Filling the knowledge, communication, design, standards, and performance gap – Konstant is prompt to deliver on their service standards, managing service designs, processes, and systems. Enquire about last-minute hotel booking apps and likewise here!
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Vipin Jain is the Co-Founder and CEO at Konstant Infosolutions and is in charge of marketing, project management, administration and R&D at the company. With his marketing background, Vipin Jain has developed and honed the company’s vision, corporate structure & initiatives and its goals, and brought the company into the current era of success.
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