What is a meeting room booking software?
The meeting room booking system allows users to schedule online bookings for meeting rooms, internal spaces, and offices in a single platform. Whether you are an individual looking for a meeting room, or a business trying to maximize the usage of your space, meeting room booking software offers an efficient way to fulfill your requirements. With an efficient booking system, you can simplify the complexity of meeting room scheduling by bringing in the smarter booking process, reducing manual administration time, and effortlessly managing reservations and services.
Features of meeting room booking software
A meeting room booking software must have all the standard features for efficient management of online booking of meeting rooms and payments. Users must be able to book rooms, manage multiple meeting rooms, adjust time schedules, etc. on the platform. There are three types of users in such a booking system and the features for each of them are as follows.
For customers
Sign up and log in
The registration process is the most basic yet significant process. Add the convenient option of logging in via Google and Facebook to eliminate the traditional form filling.
User profiles
Generally, user profiles will have basic and personal information of a user, like name, age, country, profile picture, etc.
User dashboard
A dashboard will contain all information about bookings, reviews, and wish lists created by a user.
Advanced search system
After registering, users can start their search for available meeting spaces. The search bar required basic info like dates, the number of people and rooms, time, etc. Search systems must be simple and easy to navigate and must have advanced filtering to make searching more accurate.
Geolocation and map integration
An efficient meeting room booking system identifies user locations and offers map integrations to search for a particular landmark. This feature makes it a convenient feature for users who are looking for a specific address near a particular place.
Notifications
A meeting room booking system notifies customers through SMS and emails about booking, special deals, recommendations, coupons, and promotions. It can also use Push notifications to maximize productivity.
Ratings and reviews
Ratings and reviews are an important part of any marketplace. It categorizes services according to their quality. The review section will be displayed in all meeting rooms, co-workspaces, and office listings Ratings and reviews will help to build trust among customers and motivate service providers to improve their services.
For rental service providers
Property management
Service providers have to create an account and register the properties they want to rent. Generally, a property management dashboard will have information like the number of rooms, facilities, description, photos, accommodation availability, payment details, etc.
Booking management
When a customer books an available meeting room, it must be confirmed immediately. Rental providers can manage the booking from their profile and cancel when required. They can also track their upcoming bookings in the reservation tab.
Notifications
When a customer makes a booking on the site, the rental provider will be informed about the same via email, SMS, and push notifications.
For admin
Admin panel
Admin dashboard is the space where everything from bookings to commissions is handled. An admin panel helps to manage all types of users, verification of service providers, managing service provider accounts, feedback, reviews, complaints, etc.
Monetization channel
A meeting room booking software comes with monetization channels like taking a share of commissions and transaction fees from both users and service providers on every booking made on the platform.
Building the best meeting room booking software
There are two different ways to build an efficient meeting room booking software- Building it from scratch or using rental marketplace software. Let’s explore both to understand which methods suit you the most.
Building it from scratch
To build a website that connects an owner of a rental property and renter of that space is now quick and easy with a meeting room booking system. Building an efficient system requires high-end technology.
Here are some of the modules that make up the estimate to build the best meeting room booking software:
Project management & business management: 330-800+ hours
UI/UX: 400+ hours
Quality assurance: 500+ hours
Front-end development: 300+ hours
Backend development: 500+ hours
If you want to create a room booking software from scratch, it will take you 2000-3000 hours approximately. An average hourly rate for software development ranges from $20-$50 per hour or more. Using these figures, we can estimate the minimal price, which starts from $40,000- $150,000.
Rental marketplace software
Rental marketplace software or ready-made scripts are ideal to create meeting room software. An Airbnb clone script works perfectly to build a meeting room system. Like Airbnb, which offers a platform to rent apartment spaces, room-booking software allows users to book meeting spaces, private offices, etc.
Meeting room booking software functions as an Airbnb for office space. Similar platforms can be designed with Airbnb clone scripts that would replicate the exact system while leaving room for any level of customization required.
Your website will have the same potential to earn equal benefits and profits. Desirable features you must look for in Airbnb clones are:
Streamlined workflows, monetization options, secure payment gateways, multipurpose booking system, and more. When it comes to the cost of building the meeting room booking software, clone scripts just come around $1000.
Revenue streams of Meeting room booking system
Generally, room booking systems offer free property listings but take a small percentage of the booking and financial transactions done on the platform. Each customer pays a service fee of around 6%-12% of the total booking if we consider what Airbnb does in its home rentals. Service providers also pay a 3% transaction fee and a commission of 10% for every confirmed booking.
The primary source of income of room booking systems could come from service fees and commission, but you can customize the monetization channels according to your requirements, too. For instance, you can charge service providers to create listings or for promoted listings. You can make changes accordingly while building your software, and such customizations are easier with ready-made rental marketplace software.
To wrap it up
Building a room booking software simplifies booking co-working spaces for meetings or events. Create a user-friendly and easy to navigate meeting room booking software that works on all devices. Real-time display of available spaces with a display module and some interesting features will make you stand ahead of the competition in the industry.
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Author Bio:-
Shirley Stewart currently a business consultant & marketing head for RentCubo which is specialized in eCommerce rental marketplace.