Online booking software

Updated: July 30, 2023

Online booking software is a valuable tool that enables businesses to accept and manage bookings or appointments through their websites or mobile applications. This software automates the reservation process, allowing customers to book services, appointments, or event tickets conveniently and securely online. It offers real-time availability, ensuring that customers can see the latest scheduling options and make bookings at their convenience. Online booking software can be customized to suit various industries, such as hospitality, healthcare, fitness, and professional services, streamlining the booking process and reducing administrative tasks. It often integrates with calendars and payment gateways, enabling businesses to manage their schedules efficiently and accept online payments. By offering a user-friendly and seamless booking experience, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, and ultimately grow their revenue through increased bookings and reduced no-shows.

See also: Top 10 Online CRM software

2022. Boulevard books $70M to help beauty and wellness salons with their bookings



Boulevard, one of the leading software companies at the forefront of digitizing appointment booking, client messaging, and payment processing for beauty and wellness services such as hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, and face and skin care providers, has secured $70 million in funding. This funding round signifies the evolving demand and remarkable progress that Boulevard has achieved within the industry. It's important to note that Boulevard operates in a highly competitive landscape, with notable contenders including Zenoti, valued at over $1 billion by the end of 2020, Booksy, which raised $70 million earlier that year and was estimated to be valued at nearly $540 million in November 2021, and Fresha, valued at over $640 million by the end of 2021, among numerous others.


2020. Zoho Bookings - new online scheduler for the service industry



Zoho has introduced a new online booking software specifically designed for small businesses called Zoho Bookings. This software offers a versatile solution for managing three different types of bookings: appointments, class registrations, and asset rentals. Zoho Bookings seamlessly integrates with seven popular payment gateways worldwide, including Stripe, PayPal, RazorPay, and Authorize.Net. It also synchronizes with your Google calendars, as well as Zoho and Zoho CRM calendars, to ensure there are no scheduling conflicts. For instance, if you have a parent-teacher meeting event scheduled on your Google Calendar from 10 AM to 12 PM on a Friday, that time slot will be automatically blocked off in Bookings to avoid any double bookings.


2019. Facebook unveiled automated ad builder and an appointment manager for small businesses



Facebook has introduced two new offerings specifically designed for small businesses. The first one is Automated Ads. With this feature, business owners can provide some information about their company and campaign objectives. Based on these details, along with data from their Facebook Page, Facebook will generate tailored recommendations on target audiences, budget allocation, and even suggest variations of the ad with suitable messaging. Additionally, Facebook is enhancing its existing appointment booking support on Messenger. Businesses can now seamlessly accept and manage appointments through Facebook and Instagram, streamlining the process. These appointments can be synchronized with the business owner's personal calendar or integrated with third-party appointment tools such as MyTime and HomeAdvisor.


2017. Jimdo adds Booking app



If you have a website created with Jimdo Creator and offer services, events, or courses that require appointments, our new Jimdo Booking app for Android is the ideal solution for you. With this app, you can easily create a booking calendar directly from your smartphone, which will be displayed on your website for visitors to see. Once your calendar is set up, visitors can conveniently book your services directly on your Jimdo website. Whenever someone makes a booking, you will receive a push notification right in the app, ensuring that you stay informed about the number of bookings you have received. Stay up to date and effortlessly manage your appointments with the Jimdo Booking app for Android.


2017. Wix gets online booking feature


With Wix Bookings, customers can effortlessly schedule appointments and classes directly on your website. Say goodbye to endless phone tag and focus on expanding your business. Setting up your working hours, pricing, managing participants, selecting calendar layout, and accepting payments becomes a breeze. You have the flexibility to receive payments on your site through various processors such as Square, Stripe, Wirecard, and more. Customers can conveniently book your solo or group services using the website booking widget on desktop or directly from their mobile devices via the mobile calendar.


2016. Office 365 hets online booking app


Microsoft has expanded its Office 365 suite by introducing a new service called Bookings. This service enables customers to conveniently schedule appointments with businesses using online software, eliminating the need for phone calls. Bookings offers comprehensive appointment management capabilities, including sending confirmations and reminders, handling rescheduling and cancellations, and updating the business staff's calendar. Businesses are provided with a unique web page that is compatible with both desktop and mobile devices. Customers can easily select their preferred dates and times based on current availability, provide their contact information, and book appointments. The system then automates the remaining tasks associated with appointment management.