The Top 3 Reasons You Pay Too Much For Online Booking

Do you think you’re paying out too much money each month to your online booking provider? If so, you’re not alone - some restaurants, hotels and pubs are shelling out hundreds of pounds each month when they should really only be paying a fraction of that cost.

Here are the top three reasons you’re paying too much and what you can do about it:

1. Per-Cover Charges
2. Bookings Through Your Own Website and Social
3. Google Adwords, Google Business Listings and TripAdvisor

1)  Per-Cover Charges

Lots of online booking systems will charge you £2 or more per cover booked through their system, adding up to a hefty bill at the end of each month. But have you ever stopped and asked why you are being charged per-cover and not simply a flat annual fee for using their software?

2)  Bookings Through Your Own Website and Social

When a diner uses the booking widget on your website or social to make a booking, that’s your customer. It’s not someone who has been delivered to you by the online booking company. So why exactly are you paying for your own customers?

3)  Google and Bing Adwords, Google Business Listings and TripAdvisor

When someone searches for your venue by name on Google, Bing or TripAdvisor to make a booking, you would expect them to book online through your website, right? Wrong! Many online booking providers prefer diners to book through their own portal so they can charge you more money. They have various strategies in place to ensure this happens:

• Google and Bing Adwords. By running a Google Adwords campaign in your venue name, booking providers ensure they appear at the top of the google listings, above your own website. Which means you end up paying the full per-cover rate for diners who were searching for you anyway.
• Google Business Listing. This is the listing on the top right of the page when you search for your venue by name on Google (on mobiles it appears right at the top of the page). Many online booking providers add a link to Google that directs diners to book through their online booking portal rather than through your own website. Again, you end up paying the full per-cover rate for bookings from your own customers.
• TripAdvisor. Some booking providers also have a link with TripAdvisor that directs diners to book through their online booking portal rather than through your own website. Again, you end up paying for your own customers (who would be booking with you anyway by phone or through your own website).

It doesn't have to be this way!

SVTables has a flat annual charge with no per-cover charges, no monthly fees and no hidden extras. And if you’re already a Sugarvine marketing client, it’s completely free! 

The SVTables booking widget goes on your website, social, Google Business Listing and Sugarvine promotion and has no per-cover charges for bookings.

To find out more about the SVTables online booking and table management system, visit the SVTables website where can you also arrange to try out the live system. Or call or email us direct on 01253 698328 or admin@sugarvine.com

The cost is just £699 plus VAT for the year (the equivalent of £58/month) and includes marketing for the year on the Sugarvine dining guide.