Network trumps all-in-one: Why integrated booking systems are the future

bookingkit, one of the best European booking system, is breaking new ground in the digitalization of booking and marketing processes in the world of attractions, tours and activities with its App Marketplace. While we continuously develop the best possible booking solution and our wide-reaching channel manager, we open up to related activity areas and other software solutions. This way, we want to enable our users to not only continue using proven tools together with bookingkit. But also to get the most out of their business with the help of new, networked solutions. Why this step and why now? We will clarify that in this blog post.

All-rounder vs. specialist

Specialization and division of labor is not only a tried-and-tested approach in nature. It has also always helped mankind to work more efficiently and become more productive. A specialist in a certain field uses fewer resources and is faster, and the quality of results is higher. In addition, specialists are better able to adapt themselves and their product to changing environments.

It is true that individual entrepreneurs and small businesses should have knowledge about their product or service and also have a basic understanding of, for example, accounting processes, legal frameworks, marketing, etc –in some circumstances, basic knowledge of digitization is also an advantage. However, all of this has its limitations.

Investing in innovations

As already indicated, a specialized company generally succeeds much better in developing further on the basis of its accumulated knowledge and experience. In other words, every minute and every euro spent on further development, you will better spent at a specialized company.

What does this have to do with the digitization of booking and marketing systems? 

In recent years, many different digital tools have emerged: Software for accounting, newsletters, and customer management, digital platforms for ticket sales, digital access systems–and of course digital booking systems. We have reached a point where there is a large enough group of specialists that can work together thanks to digital interfaces and online access. For bookingkit and all other tools, it is therefore a logical step to concentrate their own resources on their own product–and to leave adjacent subject areas to the true specialists.

bookingkit as the core of an integrated booking system

In our role as the leading European booking and marketing system, we have created a huge potential of know-how and experience since our foundation. Therefore, bookingkit remains specialized in booking and marketing tickets for attractions, tours, and activities, but additionally focuses its resources even more on networking with other tools and thus producing a true end-to-end solution–a booking system with bookingkit at its core.

Given the fast pace of innovation, it is becoming increasingly difficult for even the smartest all-round solution to keep up with every step, let alone achieve excellence in all areas. What’s more, every day new ideas for experiential offerings also create new challenges, problems, and corresponding solutions. Much of this, we cannot even predict today. 

Niche and preference for your booking system

What is the best solution for workforce planning, newsletter creation or contact management? Depending on the size of a company, we can answer this question differently. Sometimes the best solution is one that best suits the employees involved or one that people within you company already understood. Depending on the preferences and needs of the niche in question, you may need some functions more than others. In order to be able to work optimally, every company should be able to put together the set of software tools that best suits its individual needs. This is simply not possible with a single, large suite in this diverse experience industry. 

Integrated booking system: Flexibility and speed instead of rigidity

The days of large, powerful, all-in-one solutions from a single source are therefore over. In the future, we will see a further growing variety of highly specialized software solutions that are linked and communicate with each other through open interfaces. These booking systems can reduce manual processes to a minimum and this network of solutions will deliver an optimal total solution in every phase of a business–with unprecedented flexibility. Within this network, bookingkit takes care of the digital, automated management of bookings as well as the distribution through an international network of reseller channels, while our partners digitize other areas, such as contact management, newsletter marketing, access control, accounting, and many more topics.

So, in order to ensure the best possible booking system in the future and to offer a complete set of tools to operators of attractions, tours, and experiences, networking and connectivity is our way forward. Therefore, it will be important for us to be in very close contact with our customers and to always have an alert, creative team around us that can react quickly to new requirements. The core of our work is to provide added value to our users and to do so sustainably and increasingly. 

Top five advantages of the networked approach of an app marketplace:

1. Higher quality through specialization in core areas of booking and marketing
2. Faster adaptation to further developments in its own core area
3. Cooperation with the best solutions for related business areas, e.g., marketing, accounting, access control, etc.
4. A broad selection of different tools across very specific requirements and preferences
5. Easy addition of further tools for new requirements

So why should we develop ourselves

When Zapier allows networking with more than 5,000 apps?

Advantages of integration your booking system with Zapier

• Save time and money by automating repetitive processes across your organization.
• Create automated “Zaps” for more than 5,000 of the most popular online applications 
• Unlimited possibilities to create individual bookingkit Zaps for all your favorite applications
• Convenient templates for e.g. calendar entries, contact management, email marketing and customer service
• Customization without any programming skills

Zapier use cases

• Automatically create an appointment in your calendar (e.g. Google Calendar) for every booking via bookingkit – or delete appointments when a booking is cancelled. Go directly to the Zapier template…
• Automatically add the contact of a new booking via bookingkit to an email list in your newsletter sending tool (e.g. Sendinblue). To the template…
• From now on, your customers will also receive an automatic confirmation of their booking via SMS. To the Zapier template…
• Your team will be notified directly in case of a booking via a messenger of your choice (e.g. Slack or MS Teams).

When HubSpot already offers a simple, comprehensive CRM solution?

Advantages of integration your booking system with HubSpot

• Easily transfer all contact details of your existing and new clients from bookingkit to HubSpot.
• Automatically create a new contact in HubSpot for each new order (including first and last name, email address, phone number, company name, and full address).
• All bookings, including experience name, booking date, and booking amount, are sorted directly to the correct contact file in HubSpot by creating a “Note”. 

HubSpot case studies

• Create appealing emails with the simple drop-and-drag email editor and send them directly in HubSpot (big plus: the email marketing function is also included in the free version). 
• Filter your contacts by location and set up specific email campaigns for certain regions. 
• Conduct A/B tests and test different content and offers. This function is also included in HubSpot and is very easy to implement.    
• Install the chatbot on your website and get in direct contact with your website visitors.  

When Beckerbillet has already created an innovative booking system?

Advantages of integration your booking system with Beckerbillet

• Integration with Beckerbillet enables your business to synchronize all bookings, availabilities, and cancellations from bookingkit with Beckerbillet, allowing your customers to use Beckerbillet access systems. 
• Automatic synchronization of orders generated via bookingkit, including appointments, as well as the bar codes required for access, directly into the Beckerbillet system.
• Automatic synchronization of free appointments and remaining availabilities from the Beckerbillet system towards bookingkit.
• The purchase and use of additional access devices or scanners is no longer necessary; no double validation is required.
• Your guests gain entry faster and more comfortably and you keep the complete overview in your bookingkit.

Beckerbillet case studies

• All orders created in bookingkit (via widget, marketing channels etc.) can be used at the Beckerbillet hubs based on the ticket codes.
• Event tickets allow access to a specific event area on a specific day as well as at a defined time.
• Day tickets allow access to a location or attraction on a specific day without time restrictions within the opening hours.
• Guest tickets for a specific region allow access to different venues and can be used once or several times.

Megara already operates a POS system that works with all Apple iOS devices?

Advantages of integration your booking system with Megara

• Megara, an easy to use POS system that operates with all Apple iOS devices
• Megara allows you to streamline your processes on site by syncing your online and offline sales as well as handling the access to your location.
• Ticket codes of tickets sold online with bookingkit (website or reseller) are automatically transferred and available in Megara.
• Record the flow of your visitors by easy checkin and checkout of tickets.
• Integrate your access systems such as barriers, doors and lockers.

Megara use cases

• Easily sell tickets on site. Availabilities are automatically updated in bookingkit with zero risk of being overbooked.
• Scan all ticket codes provided by bookingkit at your venue with Megara admission scan without any hassle.
• On-site payment of tickets booked online and automatic synchronisation including prices and additional information.