One-to-one appointment
Occupies a professional's or resource's time for a defined duration.
How to choose an online booking system for your business
If you sell classes, appointments, courses, experiences or spaces, check how a tool handles capacity, time and payments before you choose it.
Please note that Aforo works in Spanish: the dashboard, your booking page and the messages your customers receive.
An online booking system connects your offer, availability and bookings.
Customers choose a service and see when they can book it. The business can then check who's coming, which place or resource is occupied and whether payment is due or collected. The public booking page is what customers see; the calendar and management tools are for the business.
Different bookings occupy different things.
Ask to see these cases using your own services. A feature list cannot show whether the calendar handles them properly.
Class or activity
Several people share a session; the number of places left changes with each booking.
Course or regular place
A booking may cover several dates or repeat each week.
Experience or space
Availability depends on a date, capacity or a space that cannot be sold twice.
What to ask for in a demo before signing up.
- 01
Your service types
Set up a class, an appointment and a space booking. Check that each has its own rules.
- 02
Capacity and availability
Make a test booking and see how it changes places left, team calendars and public availability.
- 03
Public booking page
Open the link as a customer. Check dates, times, places, required details and the mobile experience.
- 04
Payments and costs
Separate the software subscription, payment processing fees and any booking fee charged by the platform.
- 05
Changes and messages
Try a cancellation and a time change. Ask who receives confirmation and which messages cost extra.
- 06
Taking your data with you
Ask which data you can export and how future bookings would move if you switched systems.
Frequently asked questions
Questions worth asking.
How is it different from an appointment calendar?
An appointment calendar books time slots. If you offer group classes or experiences, you also need to manage the capacity of each session and the places left. Test both journeys in a demo.
Do I need a website to take bookings?
Not necessarily. A public booking page can be shared by link. If you already have a website, check how customers will find the booking option there.
What should I compare besides the monthly fee?
Check booking fees, payment processing charges, included messages, locations and the features you'll need as you grow. Ask for a breakdown for your business.
Can I switch systems without losing bookings?
That depends on what your current provider lets you export and how the new one imports it. Review future bookings, payments and active passes with both providers before switching.
Want to check it with your services?
Tell us what you offer and we'll show you how it would work in Aforo. You can decide whether it's a fit before you commit.
Request a demo ↗Please note that Aforo works in Spanish: the dashboard, your booking page and the messages your customers receive.