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Do the initial Setup

6,969 bytes added, 25 April
[[Category:How to]]
[[Category:Getting_Started]]
<div class="heading">Set Up Guide</div>
You are only This page explains how to set up your account__TOC__=What you should know and do before getting started=<div class="bluebox">This self-setup guide assists you through your initial setup. Beds24 is designed as a few steps away from accepting online bookings:self-service system so you can set up and change all functions yourself at any time.
There is context sensitive help throughout our system. If you are stuck, click on the <span style="color:#019cde;“ >{{#far:question-circle}} </span> icons. You can also use this [[Main Page|Wiki]] for help.
'''Step 1 *We provide a range of [[videos|video tutorials]]. There is also a [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxiq- bz-RFGEbM44Yk4SYmGt09UISNzEw&si=kgIZPd_ekiExQGk0 Youtube playlist].*There are recordings of previous [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Webinars webinars] and webinar announcements.*You can let our [http://beds24.com/wizard/index.php Setup Wizards] guide you through the set up process.*We also offer online training sessions for a fee in which we help you set your Settings'''account up. Send us a support ticket from the SUPPORT button at the top if you want to book a session. *The number format in the Control Panel is the English number format, i.e. decimal places are separated by a full stop (not a comma).
Click on SETTINGS in <span class="" style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}} </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;" >Tip</span> Where you see this <span class="" style=color:#008ACC;“>{{#fas:copy}}</span> icon you can click and then copy the top menu barvalue of this setting to other rooms or properties.</div>== Properties and Rooms =='''Properties''' can be Hotels, Hostels, B&B´s, holiday houses, vacation rentals, apartment houses, camp sites. You can have one properties or multiple properties of different types.
*Go '''Rooms''' are a way of splitting your property into separately bookable units. Rooms can, but do not need to ACCOUNT -> BUSINESS INFO and fill , represent ''physical'' rooms. They are a way of splitting up a property into separately bookable sections i.e. bedrooms in your information*If you want to use another language than English on your booking page click on LANGUAGES and tick the ones you want to usea hotel or B&B, vacation rentals, holiday homes, beds in hostel dormitories, camp sites, houseboats, cabins, tours, classes or cars etc.
*Go to PROPERTIES - click on "EDIT" and enter the name and If you rent your property as a whole because it is a vacation rental you will still need one room which is what the currency symbol you want to useguest books.
*Go to PROPTERIES -> INFORMATION and enter the information you want to display on your booking pageA property can have only one room (a vacation rental) or a number of different '''room types''' or '''categories''' (a hotel, B&B, hostel, aparthotel).
*Go to PROPTERIES -> BOOKING QUESTIONS and determine what information you want to collect from your guestEach room or room type/category can have ''multiple inventories'''.
*Go === Multiple Properties or Rooms ===If you are using the channel manager we advise to COMMUNICATION -> GUEST NOTIFICATIONS and define set the texts for booking system up as similar as your booking confirmation to channels. If your guestslodgings have different hotel/property codes for Booking. com etc. [[Template Variables]], which include information from the booking may then they must be includedsetup as different properties in Beds24 so you can connect them.
Making different properties means each can have it's own property booking page (if required with individual design). You can also use a multiple property booking page with advanced search functions (e.g. facilities, location) showing all properties.
*Go to ROOMS. A click on EDIT will open '''Vacation rentals'''If you're renting your property as a field where whole, you can set the name and set the quantity of rooms of that type availablestill need to define one "Room" which in your case represents your complete property.
'''Room Allocation:''' "One Room Per If your rentals have different hotel/property codes for Booking" will allocate one room for each booking. This is the normal setting for a hotel room com etc. "One Room Per Guest" will allocate one room for each person in the booking. This is typical for a hostel selling beds or for activity or event tickets which are allocated per personthen they must be setup as different properties.
'''Collect Number of Guests:'''For further information see [[Agency_%26_Multiple_Property_Setup|here]].
MaximumPeople: This is the total number of people this room can accommodate. A booking cannot be made for this room for more than this number of people. If Maximum Adults and Maximum Children are non zero the lowest of Maximum People or Maximum Adults plus Maximum Children will apply as the maximum room occupancy'''Hotels, B&B´s.hostels'''
Maximum Adults: This is the maximum Hotels, B&B´s and inns are usually set up as one property with a number of adults this rooms. or room types. If you have several independent lodgings e.g. apartments or villas you can accommodatestill set them up as rooms if it suits your marketing strategy. A booking cannot be made for this Each room including more than this number of adults. This (which can also be used with the Maximum Children setting to specify the maximum number of adults and children that an apartment, house etc) can be occupied. If both Maximum Adults and Max Children are zero then Maximum People is used have its own pricing and the booking form will only ask for the number of guestsrules.
Maximum Children= Step by Step Setup === '''Step 1''' - General Account Settings ==Click on {{#fas: This is the maximum number of children this room can accommodate. A booking cannot be made for this room including more than this number of children. If you set this to zero the booking page will simply ask for the number of guests. There will be no field for the number of children. If required you can specify any age restrictions in your description and policy fields. cog}} (SETTINGS)
Maximum Nights: This sets the maximum number of nights a booking will be accepted for. If Max. Nights is set *Go to 1 only the arrival date will be collected, the departure date will be automatically set to the next day.ACCOUNT and complete your details
Dont forget *If you want to SAVEuse a language other than English on your booking page, go to ' {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > INTERNATIONALIZATION and tick the ones you want to use. If you enable more than one language you will see tabs for each language in your descriptions, information on your booking page and notifications. Descriptions have to be entered in each language tab.
* If you have more than one room type add another room for each room type == '''Step 2''' - Create properties and set uprooms==You can import properties and rooms or create them manually.
*If you want to display descriptions and<embedvideo service="youtube">https:/ or pictures on your booking page go to BOOKING PAGE -> DESCRIPTION and select for which property/room you want to enter the description and add it in each language you have enabledyoutu. The Booking instruction is valid for a property can be used to give important information e.g. a minimum booking period./CsjMXF2vzEs</embedvideo>
In BOOKING PAGE -> PICTURES ===Import from Airbnb===If you select for which have a listing on Airbnb you can import it and create a new property/with a new room or add a room in a property you want to upload a picturealready have in Beds24. Click [[Connect_Airbnb_Account|here]] for instructions.
===Import from Booking.com===You are done with a basic setup of can [[Booking.com:_Import_Properties_from_Booking.com_to_Beds24|import your booking pageproperty from Booking. If you want com to customise the design of your booking page you can optionally do so under BOOKING PAGE -> DESIGNBeds24]].
===Manual creation ======= '''Step 1''' - Create properties====*Now set your prices. The easiest way Properties and be added in '{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES*After you have added a property go to do a basic pricing is'{{#fas: Go to DASHBOARD -cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOM GRID. This is a table giving you a DESCRIPTION and complete overview on your bookings, rates and inventory. By ticking the boxes you can select what you want to display.property information
Click in the DAILY PRICE row and set price and date range and click SAVE. You may modify individual dates as required. If you want to make dates unavailable you can click in OVERRIDE DATES. Each date can be set to BLACKOUT in which case it is not available. Set the rates for each roomtype[[File:Property_and_Room_Setup. mp4|640px]]
*To avoid double bookings it is advisable to enter the bookings you already have. In DASHBOARD -> ROOM GRID you will find a row INVENTORY. The number shows rooms remaining to sell is also shown. They can be edited to quickly change your availability. Doubleclick to open a popup and save the changes.==== '''INVENVORYStep 2''' The number of - Create rooms remaining to sell is also shown and they can be edited to quickly change your availability. Doubleclick to open a popup and save the changes. 'To ''Add Bookings''' add a booking click on the person+ icon, fill in the information and SAVE. Your booking has now been entered into the system.====
*To set rooms up go to '{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS . A click on '''EDIT''' will open a field where you can set the name and quantity of "Rooms" of that type available.
'''Step 2'''Check your booking page. Go If you sell dorms for which you sell individual beds and not private rooms please also see how to PROPERTIES and click on SHOW[[Hostel_and_Retreat_Setup|setup dorms]].
*Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > OFFERS and define your offer(s).
An offer is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers. "Offer 1" is your standard offer to the guest which is always displayed.
'''Step 3'''Booking widgets connect your website You have the option to your booking page. Click on BOOKING WIDGETS in the left menusell a room with different prices eg. Choose the widget you want to usepackages, promotions or discounted conditional prices. If required you Each offer can customise the appearance. If you need help please click on the HELP button on the top rights of the widgets pagehave its own "Booking Type".
Copy <span style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}}</span> If you copy a room all settings will be automatically applied to the copy. If you want to link prices between different rooms remove the prices before you copy the rooms. ==== '''Step 2''' - Customize and add offers (optional)====An '''Offer''' is the price combined with certain conditions. Each room/unit has one or more offers. "Offer 1" is your widget standard offer to your websitethe guest which is always displayed. == '''Step 3''' - Create prices ==Without prices the system can not show availability.  If you have several rooms with a similar pricing structure you can "link" prices with or without offsets to multiple rooms.  Beds24 has two types of prices:*Daily Prices (recommended)*Fixed Prices This [https://beds24.com/wizard/wizard3.php setup wizard] guides you though the setup. To install  <span class="" style="color: #f3e504; font-size: 150%;" >{{#fas:lightbulb}} </span> Click on the "Price Check" button on the booking widgets CALENDAR or SUPPORT page then on your web site "Calculate" to find our why you will need have not price or how a price is calculated. '''Daily Prices (recommended)''' Daily Prices are prices for one date. Daily prices are easy to manage and are the best choice for most customers. Multiple prices per date can be defined for example for different minimum stays or different offers. Please find more information on the ability help page for [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Category:Daily_Prices daily prices]. <embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/E4TYnrHwnDA</embedvideo> '''Fixed Prices''' Fixed Prices have a start and end date so they apply to edit a range of dates. Fixed Prices contain many rules about the HTML conditions that must apply to make them available.  Use Fixed Prices instead of Daily prices only:*If your prices are fixed ahead and you do not want to adjust them and you have none or few seasons*If you want to allow guest to enquire when no price can be found but the room is not fully booked*If you want to grant referrer discounts Please find more information on the help pagefor [https://wiki.beds24.com/index.php/Category:Fixed_Prices Fixed Prices]. '''Combination of Daily Prices and Fixed Prices''' <span style="color:#fe746c;“ >{{#fas:exclamation-triangle}} </span> If you use Fixed Prices you do not need to set up Daily Prices for every day. If required you can use a Daily Price to adjust the prices for an individual date or date range. This may involve knowing  *You can use Daily Prices to override the passwords Fixed Price for a few individual dates. If you often adjust prices use Daily Prices only.*You can add a Gap Filler to fill gaps when using daily prices with minimum stays required <span style="color:#fe746c;“ >{{#fas:exclamation-triangle}} </span> Rules in Fixed Prices have no effect on daily prices. == '''Step 4''' - Set up payment collection (optional)==You need to connect a payment processor to automatically [[:Category:Payments|collect payments]] in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) >PAYMENTS > PAYMENT COLLECTION. [[Stripe|Stripe]] is our preferred partner which offers the best functionality. == '''Step 5''' - Set up the Channel Manager (optional)==Set up the [[:Category:Channel_Manager| channel manager]] to synchronise your web server sales channels.  Here some short example videos. For detailed instructions see: *[[Airbnb_Mapping| How to connect Airbnb]]*[[Booking.com:_Synchronise_bookings_prices_availability | How to connect Booking.com to sync prices and availability]]*[[Expedia_Mapping | How to connect Expedia to sync prices and availability]]*[[VRBO_Setup | How to connect to Vrbo]]*[[:Category:Channel_Manager| List of all channels with link to detailed setup instructions]] <embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/_KORtELJyNk</embedvideo> == '''Step 6''' - Enter existing bookings==To avoid double bookings it is advisable to enter the bookings you already have.  *For Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia we have the ability option to automatically import all upcoming bookings. We recommend to transfer your filesuse this method because for bookings imported directly from Booking. Your web hosting service should com we will then be able to provide information automatically import changes. You can use this function when the channel manager is set up but not activated. The button is available in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER->AIRBNB/BOOKING.COM/EXPEDIA. *Other bookings can be uploaded as a .csv file from in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES. *To manually add or blocked dates click on the suitcase icon in the CALENDAR or on "Add Booking" at the top. *If you do not need the actual booking you can adjust the availability in the CALENDAR in the row "Inventory". The number shows rooms remaining to sell. They can be edited to quickly change your availability. Double-click to open a pop-up and assist you with save the changes. (it is only possible to lower the number based on the value in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SETUP "Quantity of thistype" and any existing bookings).  == '''Step 7''' - Automate messaging and processes==Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > GUEST MANAGEMENT > AUTO ACTIONS to *set up messaging templates for automatic and manual sending*automatically perform modifications on bookings based on predefined criteria
Setting up your Beds24.com account is free if you do it yourself. We can do == '''Step 8''' - Customize and connect the setup booking engine for you for a small one off fee starting from $19. Technical support for you or your webdesigner commission free direct bookings (optional)==Go to integrate the availability calendars and booking widgets into your website is free. Upon request we can do this for you as well. Please contact clicking on SUPPORT in the top menu{{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE.
'''Step 4'''You have the option to fully customise the look and the content of your booking page. For an overview of your options please go to [[Customise Booking Page]].
Test everything Booking widgets connect your website to your booking page. There is working and your donea choice including booking buttons, booking boxes, booking strips, calendars. Go to {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > BOOKING ENGINE > BOOKING WIDGETS. Choose the widget you want to use. If required you can customise the appearance. If you need help please click on the HELP button on the top rights of the widgets page.
'''Congratulations! You are now receiving online bookingsCopy your widget to your website. To install the booking widgets on your web site you will need the ability to edit the HTML of your page. This may involve knowing the passwords for your web server and the ability to transfer your files. Your web hosting service should be able to provide information and assist you with this.'''
New online bookings Guests who book directly will be added automatically. You receive a [:category:Confirmation_Messages|confirmation message]] which you can also enter new bookings manuallycustomise the [ in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > GUEST MANAGEMENT > CONFIRMATION MESSAGES.
=='''Refined SettingsStep 9'''- Download the free Beds24 app(optional)==Our free App for IOS and Android is there to help you with daily tasks which might need to be done while away from the desk. [[Mobile_App_Android_and_IOS|More information about the app]].
If you want to set refined = More functions and options=*Customise the display of the [[Properties/Booking Rules:category:Calendar|Booking Rulescontrol panel CALENDAR]], page in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES. *Customise the display of the [[Properties/Discount CodesPreferences|Discount Codescontrol panel]], [[Properties/Upsell Items|Upsell Items]], use deposit collection through [[Properties/Paypal|Paypal]] collect [[Properties/Credit Card|Credit Card ]], [[Rooms/Dependencies|Room Dependencies]] choose from in {{#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) > ACCOUNT > PREFERENCES.*When you click on FUNCTIONS in SUPPORT you will see links to the menu on pages of key features and functions or check the leftstart page of this support wiki.

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