It doesn't matter if you're running a small business on your own or managing a growing team: making use of an online booking system is a crucial aspect of running your business in this day and age. From streamlining the booking process to facilitating administrative tasks, here are nine ways an online booking platform will help you gain hours back in your day.

1. Your customers can book on their own, 24/7

Revenue generated from online travel bookings has risen more than 73 percent over the previous five years, with 57 percent of all travel-related reservations taking place online, according to research group Statistic Brain. That number is only expected to continue growing — worldwide. Today's consumers are looking for a quick, no-hassle way to book their trips, tours, and experiences. So if your customers aren't able to easily book your experiences online, you are likely losing business to your competitors.

If your customers aren't able to easily book your experiences online, you are likely losing business to your competitors.

By using an online booking system, you allow customers to check your availability, select their preferred dates and times, add their details, and make the payment — all from your own website. Added bonus: you'll capture customers who want to book on their own time, outside of your business hours and while you sleep!

2. You don't have to be on the phone all day

Tour and activity operators receive ceaseless array of phone calls throughout the day, it seems the only way to handle them is hiring additional staff members. It's a fact of the trade — there just aren't enough hours in a day to handle each and every phone reservation coming through.But with an online booking system you can have a calendar. Having a booking calendar on your webpage is just like having a call center handling reservations 24/7. With more customers booking online, you'll reduce the number of phone reservations. And, for the phone reservations that you do take, just click to add new bookings that sync to your calendar and dashboard.

3. You'll give customers your real-time availability - without having to tell them

Many of your customers call or email you to ask that one question: “Do you have availability on this date?" An online booking system, which shows customers your availability in real time (and keeps that information accurate and updated), cuts through that confusion. Making it that much easier for potential customers to find the information they need will lead to a boost in bookings. A study by Corporate Executive Board found that businesses who made the purchasing-decision search easier were 86 percent more likely to make a sale. So that little bit of clarity goes a long way.

4. You don't need to confirm or remind

Your customers may forget what day they booked or other details about their reservation. You may also spend hours sending reminders, information on where to meet and what to bring, and directions to customers. With an online booking system, you can customize emails that will automatically confirm the reservation and send your customers the details about their reservation.

With an online booking system, you can customize emails that will automatically confirm the reservation and send your customers the details about their reservation.

In addition, you can create and set an automated reminder email a few days before arrival to ensure they know what day they are coming and where to go when they get there. This is a simple process that is essential to your productivity and gives customers a professional first impression of your business.

5. You'll have booking and revenue reports at your fingertips

Online booking platforms like Peek Pro allow you to view all pertinent information you'll need for current and future reservations. As soon as a customer books with your company, the reservation details including customer information and payment history is recorded in the system. With just the click of a mouse, you can extract your customer database, review revenue for the previous year, or check statistics such as how many people booked a specific product during the last two months. This will allow you to fine-tune your offerings to increase your revenue.

6. You can find a reservation in record time

You've been there before: A customer calls or emails to modify their booking. Even if you keep detailed records on your computer, you'll spend a decent amount of time searching for the reservation and customer's details. An online booking system eliminates that hassle. With a booking system, quickly look up your customers by name or reservation number. This not only saves you time, but it greatly improves customer service. And since a study by ZenDesk found that 55 percent of people switched companies for a product of service due to a poor customer service experience, this image of professionalism is all-too important.

7. You always have all the required information

An online reservation system not only streamlines the booking process for consumers, but also requires customers to enter all the information you need to complete a booking. That means customers' information (name, email, telephone number, etc) is at your fingertips — and searchable— should you need it. You can even include custom questions in the checkout process for miscellaneous information that you want to gather, such as food allergies, expertise level for the activity, or T-shirt size.

8. You solve the issue of no-shows

It's a scenario no business enjoys, but one all too common in the tourism industry: no-shows. A customer booked with you, doesn't show up, and doesn't inform you. For the business, that means a loss of both time and money. Not only that, but it also means you missed an opportunity to give that spot to another customer. A booking system will give you the option to ask for a deposit, and get paid immediately using PayPal or a credit card. It's easy for both you and your customer, and at the same time it ensures you don't lose money when there's a no-show.

9. You'll attract quality customers while spending less time on marketing

You may be spending too much time and money with social media marketing and online ads without seeing significant conversions. Peek's online booking platform offers a unique way to guarantee large amounts of bookings. Called Peek Pro, it's the only merchant marketing program for activity providers that guarantees large amounts of bookings to ensure that your empty spots are filled throughout the year. You can check it out to learn more about how you can be a part of this program.

When it comes to marketing your business, there's no better way than through word of mouth. Recommendations from friends and family are the most effective way to earn trust in your business, as, according to Nielsen, 84 percent of people find them to be most effective. But how can you ensure people are passing on the message? Here are three ways to get people talking about your outdoor activity business, both online and face-to-face.

1. Highlight Your Strengths

The number of people participating in outdoor activities continues to rise, with nearly 50 percent of Americans participating in more than 12 billion outdoor activities a year. So it's vital to highlight what makes you unique. What experience do you provide that people can't find anywhere else?What's something your business does that no one else has thought of?For instance, on the website for Dylan’s Tours, a San Francisco business that offers minibus and bicycle tours, the company clearly highlights what makes it stand out. On the site's home page, a video explains how all of Dylan’s tour guides grew up in San Francisco, providing an authentic local experience. Also highlighted on the site is the uniquely intimate size of the company’s small group minibus tours. Dylan’s Tours illustrates what differentiates it in its messaging, which you should also be doing.

2. Work With Your Visitors Bureau

When you search the website of the visitors bureau for Ashville, North Carolina, you'll find a whole page dedicated to No Taste Like Home. The page offers a detailed description of the company and what makes it unique (founded by internationally-known forager Alan Muskat; ranked one of five best travel experiences by Southern Living; founded the first "forage-to-table" program in the United States).It also features special offers, event listings, and photos. This makes it easy for travelers to discover and learn about No Taste Like Home when searching for local experiences. Says Alan Muskat, “chief edutainment officer" of the adventure tour company, “That's been our most consistent bread-and-butter." It pays to build a relationship with your local visitors bureau, and keep them updated on tours, special offers, and events you have planned.

It pays to build a relationship with your local visitors bureau, and keep them updated on tours, special offers, and events you have planned.

3. Solicit and Feature Testimonials

Visit the site of Global Rescue — a company that provides medical and security evacuations to adventure travelers around the world — and you'll read about John Searles. While on safari in Ethiopia, Searles suffered a stroke. With the help of Global Rescue, he was evacuated and underwent life-saving procedures under their doctors' care. Ann Shannon, manager of public relations at the company, says that sharing the stories of people the company has rescued helps spread the word. “It makes my job easy," she says. “The word-of-mouth effect from these members, their friends, family, and colleagues is far-reaching."Generating word of mouth is one of the best things your company can do.You have happy customers — you just need to give them the tools they need to share their experiences and accelerate your growth. How has your tour or activity company succeeded in getting the word out? Share in the comments below.

At the San Diego Zoo — where animal tours run all day, every day — there's one tour guide who generates rave reviews: Chris Clobber, better known as “Zooman." If Google him, you'll find comments calling him “hilarious," “fabulous," and “amazing." He's so loved that he's even earned his own show at a local comedy club.People describe Zooman's tour as “the best they have ever had" — words that carry significant weight for tourists who are planning their next weekend adventure. In creating a name for himself, Zooman brings one-of-a-kind marketing value to the San Diego Zoo.And with 74 percent of consumers identifying word of mouth as a key influence in their purchase decisions, it's critical for all businesses to create incredible experiences. Tour and activity operators, especially, are uniquely positioned to create an emotional connection with customers.Luckily, you don't need to be a stand-up comedian to make a lasting impression. Whether you’re running a thriving local business or just getting started, we’re ready to help.See Also: 5 Strategies to Generate Customers Before Peak Season

Offer a unique perspective no other business can replicate.

The best way to stand out from your competitors is to identify what differentiates your business, and make it a core part of the experience you provide.

The best way to stand out from your competitors is to identify what differentiates your business, and make it a core part of the experience you provide. For example, take the Chinatown Ghost Tour, a walking tour that dives deep into San Francisco's history by taking groups through the lesser known streets of Chinatown. What makes the tour truly memorable is the tour guides' own supernatural experiences and references to folklore. Their captivating stories of Chinatown’s history has earned the tour coverage in local media like The Examiner and the San Francisco Bay Crossings.For more inspiration, take a look at Bhagavat Life's vegetarian cooking class in New York. In addition to teaching culinary skills, the class offers new perspectives on how people can think about food in making healthier life choices. Participants learn about Ayurveda, a 5,000-year old system of natural medicine from India, and how to apply its principles to any type of cuisine.This depth of education that extends beyond cooking skills leaves a lasting impression among customers, which in turn generates strong referrals and word-of-mouth. Offering a unique experience like this will help you build an organic growth engine for your business

ASK YOURSELF:

How can you give your customers a more personal, behind-the-scenes look into your world? What are the most interesting stories or unique lessons you can share?

Give customers a way to relive and share the best part of their experience.

It's not every day that a person gets to climb a mountain, try a flying trapeze or take a cheesecake-making class. The thrill of a new life experience is something that happy customers will want to share with their friends and family.You can capture your customers’ experiences with a GoPro camera, and later, upload their photos and videos to your website. By doing so, you create a platform where customers can easily share content with their friends and family — in other words, a low-touch system for free word-of-mouth marketing.Skydive Taft is a California-based skydiving school that features videos of customers' free falls on its YouTube channel (with permission). This not only encourages those customers to share the videos, but allows prospective customers to preview what their experience would be like.You might also like:The Essential Ingredient for Building a Successful Tour BusinessIf you're looking for a solution that will both save you hours in your day and give you that extra marketing edge to attract quality customers, check out Peek Pro here. You can request a free 15 minute demo to see if Peek Pro makes sense to you.

No business finds success without overcoming a hurdle or two.Just take North Bay Brewery as an example. In 2010, craft beer enthusiasts James Holt, Robert Watkins, and Ron Holt created a brewery-tour company that quickly grew into a thriving venture. But when it came to scaling their operations, they found it challenging to sustain the same level of success.So if you're ever stuck in a rut or facing a problem that you're not quite sure how to solve, just remember — the best small businesses have been in this exact scenario. Perseverance and creative problem-solving are key. The following stories from North Bay Brewery Tours, wildlife tour operator Point Reyes Safaris, and food experience merchant Chow SF showcase why.

1. The struggles of scaling

"When we started, Rob, Ronnie, and I were able to be on every single outing that our bus made," says James of North Bay Brewery Tours. "Since we were utilizing our personal experience and contacts in the beer industry, we knew that having one of us on board would make for an educational and fun tour."But as the popularity of the business continued to grow, James, Robert, and Ron found themselves in a dilemma: they needed to grow the company and hire more employees, while also maintaining the same level of quality and experience they'd been personally providing."Our headache grew when it first became a reality that logistically, we would need to teach others to become rockstar tour guides," says Holt. But they worried: "How do you teach someone to know the people we know, share the knowledge and jokes and stories we want our customers to hear, and keep groups entertained, served, and safe?"Their solution: scaling slowly. The team started by hiring friends and acquaintances in the industry. Over time, the company created a training and on-boarding process to help new team members learn quickly. And it paid off. "They all found a unique voice and perspective," says Holt. "Every tour is a truly unique and different experience, and the number of return customers we see is a testament to that," says James.

Action Tip

Focus on empowering your employees. Give them some freedom to take the reigns and let their personalities shine. Hire a passionate and dedicated team, and give them a chance to lead. To preserve the quality of your experiences and brand as you scale up, consider creating the following tools:

• A training manual and on-boarding process for new hires.
• A one-pager about the history of your business and how it all began to get new hires up to speed. (They should be prepared in case a customer asks.)
• A "cheat sheet" with fun facts for new tour guides to share.
• A customer feedback survey that new guides can use to guide their learning processes.

Hire a passionate and dedicated team, and give them a chance to lead

2. The ability to embrace unpredictable conditions without stressing

Wildlife photographer and tour operator Daniel Dietrich has spent years perfecting his wildlife tour — understanding animal patterns related to hunting, grazing, and sleeping. "Wildlife is unpredictable," says Dietrich, owner of Point Reyes Safaris. "There is no schedule. So there is always that nervousness before each safari. I think I will always have that nervousness."Even though he "does his homework," he's still nervous about each and every tour. But Dietrich explains that the best solution for this nervousness is confidence in his passion, capabilities, and work. He has spent years of his life getting to know the wildlife in Point Reyes Park and remains committed to nature — he will never use bait, lures, calls, or any other method of manipulating an animal."I've put in an incredible amount of time understanding the wildlife my clients hope will see," says Dietrich. "And so far, so great."

Action Tip

There will always be unpredictability for outdoor businesses. Be prepared by taking these steps:

• Have customers sign waivers, and let them know if there's a chance that a tour will be canceled.
• Create a back-up plan (if possible).
• Establishing a network of partners and fellow tour operators. In case bad weather or conditions force you to cancel, you can offer your customers a referral to another opportunity.

3. Acquiring customers and making sure every empty seat is filled

When Andrew Friedland and his team launched Chow SF, an upscale cooking class in San Francisco, he thought it would be easy to fill classes of 40+ people. But despite investing heavily in promotional programs when Chow SF launched in early 2015, customers weren't coming."Based on all my previous experiences and my team's market intelligence, I was confident that there was pent-up demand for upscale chocolate and cheese-making classes," says Andrew. "We have a value proposition that no other cooking course can offer in that we work with chefs who are renowned in their fields."Instead of giving up in frustration, Andrew and his team decided to streamline their customer acquisition process. Rather than making multiple direct sales, the team is now finding opportunities to drive more sign-ups from fewer sales."In starting a company from scratch and with limited resources, it's very challenging to get the word out and drive demand," says Andrew. "We have to be as smart about our sales as possible."

Action Tip

If you're struggling with customer acquisition, here are a few tactics you can try:

• Partner with a local tourism board.
• Target companies or groups rather than individual consumers.

Final thoughts

If you have something to worry about, you're on the right path. All successful businesses face challenges — and these moments will only make you stronger. Rely on the experiences of others to learn as you go. Focus on learning and implementing solutions. So long as you're growing, you'll be successful.

While there are many factors to building a successful tour or event business, City Wine Tours' success stems from one simple concept: employee and customer happiness.The company, which was founded in Boston in 2011 and expanded to New York City in 2013, provides walking tours that give an insider's look at specific neighborhoods. Along the way, guests also visit upscale wine destinations where they sample and learn about premium wines.The company's happiness approach is two-fold: ensuring customers know their satisfaction is important to you, and creating an environment where employees enjoy working. This philosophy seems to be working, as, according to City Wine Tours CEO and co-founder Dan Andrew, over a 2 year period the company saw 25% and 60% revenue growth respectively from the year prior.Here's how City Wine Tours promotes employee and customer happiness (which often seem to go hand in hand), and how you can too.Delight customers with unique experiences through partnerships.City Wine Tours partnered with local businesses and online marketplaces to create a truly unique experience customers couldn't find elsewhere. These partnerships fall into two groups: Third-party vendor websites that help sell their tickets and market their product, and restaurant and wine shop partners. “We drive marketing value and real revenue to our partners, and we're really thankful to the restaurants and wine shops that have supported us," Andrew says. By working together, City Wine Tours and its partners can achieve their mutual goal — to better serve the local community and make customers happy.

Action tip:

Gauge what your market is missing, and identify the critical partnerships that can help you best serve customers to create a truly unique experience that attracts and retains customers.

Give customers personal attention, and let them know you value their input.

Andrew says his staff makes it a point to always answer the phone when it rings. “It's a small thing, but it goes a long way. We've gotten great feedback on this. We employ a similar strategy with email replies," says Andrew. "Our No. 1 company value is putting our customers at the center of everything we do. Our COO obsesses about the quality of our product and the experience of our customers, often to the detriment of short-term revenue gains." To ensure they know what's working — and what isn't — they ask customers to provide honest feedback about their experience, and then use that input to guide changes or future decisions.

Action tip:

Encourage your customers to share input about what they liked (or didn't like) about their experience, and then use that feedback to guide future improvements. With an online reservation software like Peek Pro, you can easily include a link to a feedback survey in every thank-you email your customers receive.

Make your company a place people enjoy working.

When employees love what they do — and where they work — it shows, and that happiness tends to radiate to customers

When employees love what they do — and where they work — it shows, and that happiness tends to radiate to customers. At City Wine Tours, all internal communications tools are cloud-based, allowing employees to work from home 50% of the time. Full-time employees get health benefits and a 401k option, but there are perks even for part-time workers. “We have a lot of part-time managers and part-time tour guides who have full-time jobs but are looking to pick up 'passion' work when it comes to wine," says Andrew. "This allows us to pull from a wider and deeper talent pool without over-committing on salary lines. Our employees are happy because we've created a concept that pays them for something they are passionate about — teaching people about wine."

Action tip:

Invest in employee benefits and perks for both part-time and full-time employees if you can. But while perks will help improve employee happiness and loyalty, remember that happy workplaces start with the hiring process. Make sure you hire people who are truly passionate about their jobs and the industry. Their positive attitude will be contagious, resulting in improved customer service and productivity overall.

Scale your business with the help of your most seasoned employees.

When expanding to New York, City Wine Tours initially hired a NYC-based general manager to try and recreate its Boston business model. That tactic failed — twice. “In hindsight, it was unreasonable to expect a brand new employee to build something in NYC that had taken our team three-plus years to get right in Boston," Andrew says. Instead, they used some of their veteran Boston employees to get the new branch established. They discovered that loyal and seasoned employees are willing to go the extra mile in order to help the company grow and better serve the customers.

Action tip:

Don't expect new employees to be the silver bullet. Empower loyal employees by allowing them to step into new roles. If they're happy and fill fulfilled, they'll be invested in your company, and do all they can to help it grow and thrive.The best tool for both customer and employee happiness? An online booking system.An online booking system will save your staff hours in their day, while also giving customers a great first impression of your business. “These days, customers buy your products on dozens of different websites. Streamlining all of these different sites and companies into a single online booking process is an ongoing challenge," Andrew says. "Finding a platform that works perfectly for your small business is the holy grail." This not only makes things easier for customers, but it also alleviates considerable stress for employees by saving time and reducing potential mistakes or confusion.

Action tip:

Look into finding the best online booking system that's easy for customers to use and efficient for your business. If you're looking for a solution that will drive quality customers to your business in addition to managing your reservations, check out Peek Pro here.By following City Wine Tours' example, you will likely find that happy employees in turn lead to happy customers—and both are essential for growing a thriving business.

Online booking systems bring tour and activity business owners into the 21st century. And when you pair the technology with old-school customer service, your business gets an exciting edge for selling services and filling activities. But before you choose a provider, it's a good idea to consider the advantages and disadvantages of using an online booking system to make sure the software is right for you.

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Advantages of Online Booking Systems

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1. Your business is open around the clock.

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Customers who make a decision to book a tour or rental don't want to wait until you are in the office — they want to lock in the activity on their own schedule. Using an online booking system means that your business is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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2. You can maximize reservations.

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Customers who book their own reservations are more likely to show up, making no-shows a thing of the past. If a customer does need to cancel, the spot automatically opens online, giving another customer the chance to book it. By maximizing your reservations, you won't leave unused activity spots or rentals on the table.

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3. You get paid quicker.

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With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster.

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With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster and helps make sure that on the day of the event you don't have to worry about payment — giving you and your customers more time to have fun.

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4. You're not tied to a phone.

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If a customer calls a tour or activity company and gets routed to voicemail, they may call back later — or they may call their second-choice. Online booking means you capture more potential business because reservations and information are always available. It also means you won't get caught in a dreaded game of telephone tag.

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5. You can effortlessly up-sell add-ons.

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You can always add more guides, offer more activities, or expand your hours to grow your business, but all of those take work. By adding additional perks to your customers, you can easily add extra revenue for your business. Fun extras like photo packages or memorabilia, you can include options to these items in your online booking checkout.

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6. It's easy to manage your calendar.

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Online booking systems allow you to check your reservations and availability wherever you are using any mobile device. You always know the status of your business, and your schedule can be easily managed from a convenient location.

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7. You get valuable insight about your business.

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An online booking system provides you with a dashboard of analytics that help you grow your business. Quickly determine your most popular sellers, the most requested time slots, or even the most popular add-ons by using an online booking system with robust insights. Take advantage of knowing what your customers want most — saving you time and money on offerings that don't help your business grow.

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Disadvantages of Online Booking Systems

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1. You need Internet access.

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If you run tours and activities in remote areas where you aren't able to get on the Internet, online booking might not be for you. You'll need reliable Internet access to check your reservations and to add bookings that are made online.The good news for Peek Pro users is that our mobile apps work offline. This means that you can connect to the internet, sync your bookings, and go to areas with bad reception. In those areas, it doesn't even matter if your internet cuts out - the Peek Pro apps will work.

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2. You need to be ready for an influx of new customers.

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Online booking software is a great way to attract new customers, many of whom prefer booking online from their computers and mobile devices. However, if you're running a small operation without enough staff members or resources to expand your activities, growing too quickly may pose a challenge.

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3. Not all online booking systems are created equal.

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If you choose a provider that offers poor customer service or only a few features, an online solution might be frustrating — especially when you're ready to grow your business. It's important to do your homework upfront and choose an online booking system that is committed to supporting you and your business for the long haul.

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4. Avoid booking systems that don't bring you new quality customers.

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If you're going to invest in a new technology platform and take the time to train your staff, we recommend you choose a booking system that fits all of your business needs — including bringing you a stream of new, high-quality customers. Some booking systems include distribution channels, but they may not attract quality customers who will give you great reviews and refer your business to friends. Make sure you do your research to find a booking system that guarantees a consistent stream of quality customers.

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Now that you've read the advantages and disadvantages of using online booking systems, is the technology right for your company?

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Be sure to check out Peek Pro today, the only online booking system that guarantees new and high-quality customers. Not only will you get our award-winning platform, you'll get online training, 24/7 customer support, and access to millions of potential customers who are looking to book an experience like yours. Learn more about Peek Pro and how it can fit your business.

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Read about Zipline Utah and their success story moving onto an online booking system