How to set up availability for online bookings?
Fotostudio offers a module for creating availabilities for your online bookings. This module allows your clients to easily select their time slot and rate, provide their personal information, sign the contract, and pay the invoice online, all in a smooth and integrated process.
In the menu Settings > Data > Pricing and Billing, create one or more rates for sessions that can be booked online. Your clients will then have the option to choose from these rates when making their booking.
IMPORTANT: To ensure the proper functioning of the module, it is essential to set a default schedule on your rates.
In the menu Settings > Modules > Online Booking, you have the option to create one or more session or appointment schedules.
Each schedule can be customized with specific parameters (name, type of session, recurrence, etc.).
Name: the name of your schedule. You can create multiple schedules according to your needs (for example, photo sessions, various appointments).
Shoot Type: add all the shoot types configured for this availability (for example, you can create availability for all your studio sessions, which will have the same schedule, and a different availability for sessions to be scheduled at other times).
Recurrence: you can choose between a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.
Break between bookings: you can set a specific time interval between two consecutive bookings. This break is intended to provide a buffer period for various activities needed between sessions or appointments.
Offer slots every: allows you to define how often booking slots are available for clients throughout the day. (For example, if availability is from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and this field is set to "30 minutes", clients can choose a slot at 9:00 am, or 9:30 am, or 10:00 am, etc. - depending on the duration of the session)
Booking deadline: this field allows you to define how far in advance clients can book the session.
Max booking date: this option allows you to define until when clients can book in advance. For example, if you set this option to 6 months, your clients will only be able to make appointments for the next 6 months.
Maximize number of bookings in a single day: if you check this box, fewer slots will be offered to your clients. The goal is to maximize the number of bookings over the given period.
Limit number of shoots per day: if you set a maximum number of shoots per day, a date will no longer be available for booking as soon as it reaches this number of shoots.
Active: this checkbox allows you to quickly deactivate the availability without having to delete it, and to reactivate it easily without having to recreate everything.
You can define your availabilities on each day of the week.
Note: if you have set availability shorter than the duration of your sessions, no availability will be shown to your clients. (For example, if you have set availability on Mondays from 9:00 am to 10:00 am but there are no sessions that last an hour or less, this availability will not be shown to clients.)
Add exceptions for specific dates where your availability differs from the usual schedule. You can also block entire days as days off directly in the schedule, which will only block the day off on this schedule, or on the general booking page, in which case the day will be blocked on all schedules.
With the 'Settings' button, you can set the URL of your booking link as well as the option to automatically release incomplete or unpaid bookings after 15 minutes.
On the main page of the module, you can get your booking link. You can choose one booking link for all your shoot types, or one link per shoot type, then click Show and retrieve the URL of the opened window. This link is to be shared with your clients (via Facebook, email, SMS, or any other means of communication).
By clicking on this link, your client will arrive at your booking page. They can then choose a session type, a rate, and products, and choose their time slot based on your availabilities. Then complete their details, sign the contract, and pay their invoice online.
Let Fotostudio work for you and receive notifications to alert you of each booking.
1. Create your rates
In the menu Settings > Data > Pricing and Billing, create one or more rates for sessions that can be booked online. Your clients will then have the option to choose from these rates when making their booking.
IMPORTANT: To ensure the proper functioning of the module, it is essential to set a default schedule on your rates.
2. Define your availabilities
In the menu Settings > Modules > Online Booking, you have the option to create one or more session or appointment schedules.
Creation and management of session schedules:
Each schedule can be customized with specific parameters (name, type of session, recurrence, etc.).
Name: the name of your schedule. You can create multiple schedules according to your needs (for example, photo sessions, various appointments).
Shoot Type: add all the shoot types configured for this availability (for example, you can create availability for all your studio sessions, which will have the same schedule, and a different availability for sessions to be scheduled at other times).
Recurrence: you can choose between a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.
Break between bookings: you can set a specific time interval between two consecutive bookings. This break is intended to provide a buffer period for various activities needed between sessions or appointments.
Offer slots every: allows you to define how often booking slots are available for clients throughout the day. (For example, if availability is from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and this field is set to "30 minutes", clients can choose a slot at 9:00 am, or 9:30 am, or 10:00 am, etc. - depending on the duration of the session)
Booking deadline: this field allows you to define how far in advance clients can book the session.
Max booking date: this option allows you to define until when clients can book in advance. For example, if you set this option to 6 months, your clients will only be able to make appointments for the next 6 months.
Maximize number of bookings in a single day: if you check this box, fewer slots will be offered to your clients. The goal is to maximize the number of bookings over the given period.
Limit number of shoots per day: if you set a maximum number of shoots per day, a date will no longer be available for booking as soon as it reaches this number of shoots.
Active: this checkbox allows you to quickly deactivate the availability without having to delete it, and to reactivate it easily without having to recreate everything.
Hourly Availabilities:
You can define your availabilities on each day of the week.
Note: if you have set availability shorter than the duration of your sessions, no availability will be shown to your clients. (For example, if you have set availability on Mondays from 9:00 am to 10:00 am but there are no sessions that last an hour or less, this availability will not be shown to clients.)
Exceptions and Days Off
Add exceptions for specific dates where your availability differs from the usual schedule. You can also block entire days as days off directly in the schedule, which will only block the day off on this schedule, or on the general booking page, in which case the day will be blocked on all schedules.
3. Settings
With the 'Settings' button, you can set the URL of your booking link as well as the option to automatically release incomplete or unpaid bookings after 15 minutes.
4. Invite your clients to book
On the main page of the module, you can get your booking link. You can choose one booking link for all your shoot types, or one link per shoot type, then click Show and retrieve the URL of the opened window. This link is to be shared with your clients (via Facebook, email, SMS, or any other means of communication).
By clicking on this link, your client will arrive at your booking page. They can then choose a session type, a rate, and products, and choose their time slot based on your availabilities. Then complete their details, sign the contract, and pay their invoice online.
5. Enjoy
Let Fotostudio work for you and receive notifications to alert you of each booking.
Updated on: 18/04/2024
Thank you!