What makes a booking platform stand out — and what it must do
A good booking platform is much more than just a digital appointment. It combines three core functions:
- Manage listings: Rooms, appointments, courses or vehicles — all bookable units must be able to be maintained and updated.
- View availabilities: Users should immediately see what is available and when — preferably in real time and in as much detail as possible.
- Enable bookings: The actual booking process must be intuitive, fast and as error-free as possible — including payment, confirmation and any rebooking or cancellation.
It is not only the technical implementation that is important, but above all the interaction: A booking platform is good when the booking process is smooth, logical and reliable — both for the customer and for your company.
Example of a booking platform: Chalet Matterhornblick
A good example of a well-thought-out booking platform is our customer project Chalet Matterhornblick. The challenge: The provider did not want to use a generic platform such as Airbnb or Booking.com, but to offer guests their own booking option — embedded directly into their own website.
- Availability in real time
- Direct bookings including online payment
- Management of seasonal prices, length of stay and additional options
- Independence from the (technical) requirements of other platforms
- There is no need to pay any booking fees
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Planning and setting goals for the booking platform — before you think about technology
Creating your own booking platform sounds like a technical project at first. In reality, however, it is a structuring project: You translate an existing or planned business process into a digital interface. This means that the more clearly you know your process, the better the platform will be in the end.
Ask yourself the following questions, among others:
- What exactly should be booked? (individual services, packages, time frames, products)
- How does the booking process work today? What do you want to leave behind?
- Who should use the platform — and with what previous knowledge?
- What information is important before, during and after booking?
- Are there any legal, organizational or seasonal features?
All these answers not only help you to structure the project cleanly — they also give developers the opportunity to build really suitable solutions instead of just designing forms.
Possible range of functions of the platform — your collection of thoughts
Most projects include a whole range of features — some of which are indispensable, others are more optional. Here is a list as a reminder for starting your project:
Core Features:
- Calendar with real-time availability
- Booking form with caches (i.e. cookies to resume the booking later)
- Price calculation depending on date, duration, season
- Online payment (e.g. credit card, PayPal, bank transfer)
- Booking confirmation via email
Administration & backend:
- Management of bookings, cancellations, rebookings
- Adjustment of prices, periods, quotas
- User roles: admin, operator, support, customer
- Statistical functions or export
additional features:
- multilingualism
- Interfaces to calendars or accounting
- Automated emails or text reminders
- Reviews or guest feedback
The more clearly you determine which of these functions you need — and which you don't — the more specifically you can implement or have your booking platform implemented.
Rent, build or adapt? Three ways to your own platform
If you want to create a booking platform, you basically have three options — each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
Technical implementation: As much technology as necessary — as lean as possible
The good news: Not every booking platform has to be programmed from scratch. There is a range of technical approaches — from simple no-code tools to customizable frameworks to completely individually developed full-stack solutions.
Which path is right depends heavily on your project goal:
- No-code and low-code are useful if you have very simple booking logic, want to get started quickly and accept design compromises.
- Modular construction kits or headless systems offer more flexibility but require some technical expertise or external support.
- custom software It's worth it if you need complex processes, special requirements, or long-term scalability.
A complete overview of these technical options — including examples and decision-making tools — can be found in our Guide to creating online platforms.
Budget and resources — build your booking platform cost-effectively
Create your own online platform:
costs: Rather cheaper, but you invest a lot of time. In addition, there are the costs for plugins, themes, hosting, etc.
advantages: You are completely independent and learn a lot. Full control is yours.
Working with an agency:
costs: Depending on complexity. However, you can usually pay monthly or at certain milestones.
advantages: Experience and expert knowledge, avoiding expensive beginner mistakes and pitfalls, faster implementation than you probably could yourself, high quality.
Disadvantages: Higher investment, which, however, usually pays off.
Build your booking platform with Axisbits
As a full-service agency with many years of experience in developing booking platforms, Axisbits covers all areas that will make your project a reality — from concept and MVP to launch and beyond:
- Consulting & concept: We help you define your goals and develop a strategy that is market-oriented and profitable in the long term.
- UI/UX design: Our creative team ensures that your online platform is not only functional but also visually convincing.
- Software development: Low-code as a start and hardcode programming for unlimited growth — we'll show you what works best in which phase.
Here you can access the booking portal of Chalet Matterhornblick Take a closer look. You can find more in our portfolio.
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