How to make a booking website

01Pick the right kind of booking tool

Calendly's pricing page lists a free plan with one event type, a Standard plan at $10 per seat a month and Teams at $16, with discounts for yearly billing. Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace also offer booking features on certain plans.

02Step by step

Setting up takes an afternoon with most tools. Do the steps in this order; payment and messages are easy to forget until a customer asks.

1. 1List your servicesName, length, price and any preparation or buffer time.
2. 2Set availabilityWorking hours, breaks, how far ahead people can book and minimum notice.
3. 3Decide on paymentPay in full, take a deposit or pay on the day; connect a payment provider if needed.
4. 4Write confirmation and reminder messagesInclude the address, what to bring and how to cancel.
5. 5Add it to your websiteEmbed the booking widget on a Book page and add a Book button to every page.
6. 6Test a booking end to endBook, pay, receive the reminder, cancel, and check your calendar.

03What the website around it needs

Most bookings happen on phones, so check the flow on one; how to make a website mobile friendly covers the essentials. Add the same booking link to your Google Business Profile, which many customers use first; Google Business Profile vs a website explains why both matter.

• A clear headline: what you offer and where.
• Services and prices, so people do not book the wrong thing.
• Your location, hours and parking.
• Reviews or testimonials near the Book button.
• Policies: cancellation, lateness and deposits.
• A Book button visible on phones without scrolling.

04When to build a custom booking system

Build custom only if off-the-shelf tools cannot handle your rules: complex resource allocation, unusual pricing, or deep integration with other systems. Even then, many teams start with a scheduling tool and move later, once they know exactly what they need. Custom booking software brings ongoing costs for hosting, security and maintenance that schedulers include in their price.

05Reducing no-shows

Most scheduling tools automate reminders. Turning them on is usually the single biggest improvement a new booking site can make.

• Send reminders by email or text a day before and on the day.
• Take a deposit for longer or high-value appointments.
• Make rescheduling easy, so people move bookings instead of skipping them.
• State your cancellation policy at booking and in the confirmation.

06Connecting the booking tool to your calendar

Connect the scheduling tool to the calendar you actually use, so existing events block booking times and new bookings appear automatically. If several people take bookings, give each person their own calendar connection. Test by adding a personal event and checking that slot disappears from the booking page. How to add a contact form to a static website covers forms for enquiries that do not fit a time slot.