Giving customers a smooth booking experience is key for any kind of business—from salons to restaurants to consultants to event organizers.
And one of Adalo’s best features is the ability to build interactive booking forms that increase user engagement and simplify your scheduling process.
Adalo is a no-code app-building platform that lets you build custom web and mobile apps without writing a single line of code.
In this article we’ll cover key features, free booking form templates, and everything you need to know to increase bookings for your business. Let’s get started!
What is a booking form?
A booking form is a physical or online booking form—that allows customers to book or schedule services, appointments, events, or accommodations with a business or organization.
It’s a structured way to collect customer information to make a booking. Businesses can use booking form templates to quickly create forms tailored to their specific needs.
This information usually includes:
- Personal details such as name, contact details (phone number, email), and sometimes address.
- Booking preferences like date and time, service or product, and number of people or attendees.
- Special requests, notes, or instructions.
- If you need to, make payment or deposit to confirm the booking.
What are the key features of an online form?
An online booking form is integrated into websites and mobile apps, with features like:
- Showing up-to-date availability of services or time slots.
- Sending instant automated confirmation emails or messages upon booking.
- Calendar integration for syncing bookings with digital calendars for both customers and businesses.
- Secure payment processing through integrated payment gateways.
- Choosing from various form templates to create booking forms tailored to specific needs.
What are some common uses of booking form templates?
Customers love booking forms because they can book at any time without having to interact with company representatives. They are good for businesses because they automate the booking process and store customer info.
Here are some common uses of a booking form:
- Hospitality: Hotel room bookings, restaurant bookings.
- Services: Salon appointments, spa appointments, medical appointments, consultancy sessions, coaching services, personal trainer bookings.
- Events: Workshop registrations, conference registrations, class registrations, tour bookings.
- Transportation: Flight bookings, train bookings, bus bookings, car bookings.
How do you create a booking form?
Creating a booking form is easier than you might think.
- Choose a form builder to create a custom form that meets your business needs.
- Select a template or start from scratch to create a simple form. Businesses can use booking form templates to create forms tailored to their specific needs quickly.
- Add, remove, or edit form fields to collect customer information.
- Change questions, answer types, and form field types on the Edit menu.
HINT: By using a DIY booking form, you can collect customer information without incurring additional costs.
What are some examples of booking form templates?
Here are some free downloadable booking form templates:
1. Appointments App Template by Adalo
👉Download link
You can begin with Adalo’s appointment app template to start scheduling right away for free! Create a custom app tailored to your business.
2. Hospitality Booking Form Template by MightyForms
👉Download link
A hospitality reservation form is used for resorts, hotels, and B&Bs. A hospitality booking form should include name, phone number, email, number of guests, check-in date, and check-out date.
3. Appointment Booking Form Template by MightyForms
👉Download link
This booking form template is used to book appointments or meetings. The appointment booking form template should include fields for name, type of gathering, date, time, email, phone number, and if you plan on attending.
4. Car Rental Booking Form Template by MightyForms
👉Download link
This form template is for booking car rentals. Fields on this form should include name, driver's license info, phone number, email, address, type of car, fuel option, options and features, length of rental, and location for pick-up and return.
What are the benefits of using online booking forms?
Online booking forms benefit both businesses and customers. For businesses, they streamline the booking process, reducing admin tasks, and overall time. Instead of handling booking requests manually, businesses can automate the booking process and free up time and resources.
Customers love online booking forms, too. They can book appointments, reservations, or services anytime without calling or emailing, and this convenience means they’ll be more likely to come back for more.
Plus, online booking forms are a secure way to collect customer information and accept payments. By using these forms, businesses reduce the risk of errors or lost bookings and ensure all customer information is recorded and stored safely.
How can you share and promote your booking form?
Once you’ve got your online form, you must share and promote it to reach your target audience. Start by embedding the form on your website so visitors can find it easily. Then, share the form on social media to reach a wider audience and get bookings.
How do you build a booking form with Adalo?
Tools like Adalo let businesses create custom online booking forms in the simplest way possible without coding:
Here are some of Adalo's features that you can use to create custom online booking forms:
1. User interface
Adalo’s drag-and-drop interface makes designing and customizing booking forms easy to fit your brand and business. You can add text fields, dropdowns, and date options without coding.
2. Form fields
Form fields have options such as:
- Text inputs: User info like names, email, and phone numbers.
- Date and time options: Lets users select their preferred booking dates and times.
- Dropdowns and checkboxes: Lets users select from available services, staff members, or locations.
3. Integrated database (Collections)
Adalo uses “Collections” to store and manage data submitted through your booking form. You can create a “Bookings” collection to store all appointments, including fields like user ID, service type, date, time, and any special requests.
4. Automated workflows
You can set up actions to occur when a user submits a booking form:
- Confirmation messages: Show a thank you screen or email the booking details.
- Notifications: Notify staff of new bookings via email or push notifications.
- Calendar integration: Update availability calendars to prevent double bookings.
5. Payment integration
Adalo lets you integrate payment gateways like Stripe directly into your booking form. Users can pay at the time of booking, simplifying and streamlining the process.
6. Mobile-friendly
Design booking forms that look and work on all devices, desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Frequently asked questions
Can I connect my Adalo booking form to external calendars like Google Calendar or Outlook?
You can connect your Adalo booking form to external calendars using third-party services like Zapier.
This will automate updating your calendar so you can attend all appointments and reduce the chance of double bookings.
Can I send automated confirmation emails to users after they submit a booking form?
Yes, Adalo allows you to send automated emails to users upon form submission.
Here’s how:
- Custom actions: Adalo’s Custom Actions lets you trigger external services on specific events.
- Set up an email service: Use an email service provider like SendGrid or Mailchimp which can be connected to Adalo via API.
- Configure the custom action: In your Adalo app, create a Custom Action that triggers when a booking form is submitted.
- API endpoint: Enter the API endpoint provided by your email service.
- Headers and authentication: Add any required authentication keys or tokens.
- Body parameters: Map the user’s email and booking details to the email template fields.
- Design the email template: Create an email with booking confirmation details to send to users automatically.
- Test the setup: Test bookings to see if emails are sent correctly and with the correct information.
By sending confirmation emails, you improve customer communication and give them instant peace of mind that their booking was successful.
In conclusion
By having a booking form, businesses can offer more convenience to customers, improve operational efficiency, and look professional when managing bookings and appointments. By using Adalo for booking forms, you can improve customer experience, increase efficiency, and customize to your needs.
Caryl Ramsey has years of experience assisting in different aspects of bookkeeping, taxes, and customer service. She uses a variety of accounting software for setting up client information, reconciling accounts, coding expenses, running financial reports, and preparing tax returns. She is also experienced in setting up corporations with the State Corporation Commission and the IRS and is a contributing writer to SUCCESS magazine.
