As more and more people stay at home and rely on digital communication, your company website is important than ever. It’s your virtual storefront – the very first interaction many customers will ever have with your brand and your services. In our increasingly digital age, it’s crucial to add online booking to your website.

Incorporating an online booking system on your website makes things easier for everyone involved. It allows your clients to schedule appointments or classes with ease, without having to wait for business hours or call your office. And it helps you and your staff be able to stay organized and keep better track of individual appointments, all while saving you loads of time.

There are so many different ways to add online booking to your website. The best option for you and your business will depend on your budget, your website, and your needs. We’ll cover four great ways to add online booking to your website.

1. Link to a Booking Website

Linking to an external website is a quick fix to add a booking method to your website. All you have to do is choose an external booking website (such as Calendly), set up your calendar, then add a link to that calendar to your website. It’s usually free and relatively straightforward.

Of course, a few disadvantages come with this option. It requires you to send people away from your website rather than keeping them on the page. It also causes you to lose a bit of control, especially if the external website fails to work properly. External websites usually aren’t as customizable or integrable either.

2. Embed an External Website

You can also embed an external website with an iframe. This is similar to linking to a booking website. However, you get the added advantage of not sending any customers away from your website. It’s usually free and pretty easy to setup. All you’ll have to do is copy and paste a code into your website.

Though this option does allow you to embed the booking calendar into your website, it still isn’t fully integrated into your own. You won’t be able to customize your calendar to fit your branding or track user activity. Plus, iframes tend to display incorrectly from time to time on mobile devices.

3. Use a Plugin

Plugins are a quick, easy way to add additional functionality to your WordPress website. You’ll find multiple well-developed WordPress plugins, many of which come at an affordable price and even offer free trial periods. They’re very easy to use, quick to set up, and usually optimized for use across devices. Learn how to add a WordPress booking plugin to your website here.

If you choose to go this route, make sure you choose the right plugin. Not all WordPress booking plugins are created equal – some might be outdated, slow, or more difficult to set up. Look for a highly rated WordPress booking plugin that’s customizable and user-friendly.

4. Integrate Online Scheduling Software

Many websites allow you to integrate APIs, or application programming interfaces. This is the most seamless way to integrate an online booking system into your website. As long as you choose the right platform, it doesn’t require a hefty price tag or any complicated setup, either. This option provides more control, a great user experience, plenty of customization options, and the ability to integrate with other platforms you might use for your business, such as Stripe and Zoom.

Online scheduling software can take a while to get used to. Look for an online scheduler that’s known for providing excellent customer service and a straightforward setup process, like Start Booking.

The Best Way to Add Online Booking to Your Website

The best way to add an online booking system to your website depends on your site and your needs.

Integrating online scheduling software into your website often provides the best, most seamless user experience. Just be sure to find one that suits your needs and is simple for your customers to use.

Start Booking’s excellent online scheduling software is customizable, easy to use, and incredibly functional. Start a free trial today.

If your website is powered by WordPress, using an excellent WordPress booking plugin is a fast, easy way to add a great online scheduling system to your site.