Directoury
Part 3

Decision Framework

The Fast Track to Platform Selection

Chapter 6: Making the Right Choice

The 5-Minute Platform Evaluation

Step 1: The Elimination Round (30 seconds)

If a platform fails ANY of these, move on immediately:

Does it handle your booking volume? (Check their client list)
Is mobile booking actually good? (Test it yourself)
Can you afford it? (Include ALL fees)
Do they serve your market? (Check language/currency)

Step 2: The Speed Test (2 minutes)

Create a test booking on their demo:

Track these metrics:

  • • Time to complete booking
  • • Number of clicks required
  • • Form fields required
  • • Page load speeds
  • • Error handling

Red flags:

  • • More than 3 minutes to book
  • • More than 4 page loads
  • • Confusing navigation
  • • No guest checkout option
  • • Poor mobile experience

Step 3: The Reality Check (90 seconds)

Quick research tasks:

Google Search: [Platform Name] problems

Look for patterns in complaints, not isolated issues

Check Their Status Page

How often do they have outages? How transparent are they?

Find 3 Current Customers

Look at their booking widgets - are they actually using the platform well?

Step 4: The Deal Breaker Check (60 seconds)

Your specific must-haves:

For First-Timers:

  • ✓ Free trial available?
  • ✓ Setup assistance included?
  • ✓ Training provided?
  • ✓ Month-to-month option?

For Switchers:

  • ✓ Data migration support?
  • ✓ API for custom integration?
  • ✓ Bulk import tools?
  • ✓ Parallel run possible?

Vendor Evaluation Matrix

The 10 Questions That Matter Most

  1. 1. What happens when your system goes down?

    Listen for: SLA guarantees, backup systems, communication protocols

  2. 2. Show me a complex pricing scenario

    Watch for: How easily they handle your specific needs

  3. 3. What features are on your 6-month roadmap?

    Reveals: Innovation pace and customer-driven development

  4. 4. Can I speak to 3 customers similar to us?

    Red flag: If they can't or won't provide references

  5. 5. What's your worst customer complaint?

    Shows: Honesty and self-awareness

  6. 6. How do you handle feature requests?

    Understand: Your influence on product development

  7. 7. What's included in onboarding?

    Clarify: Actual support vs. sales promises

  8. 8. Show me your actual support response times

    Verify: Real performance, not marketing claims

  9. 9. What hidden costs will I discover later?

    Uncover: Transaction fees, integration costs, overages

  10. 10. Why do customers leave you?

    Learn: If their weaknesses match your priorities

Red Flags to Run From

Sales Process Red Flags

  • Pushy sales tactics or artificial urgency
  • Won't provide references
  • Contracts only, no month-to-month
  • Hidden fees discovered late
  • No free trial or demo

Product Red Flags

  • Outdated interface (pre-2020 design)
  • No mobile app for staff
  • Limited integration options
  • Coming soon for critical features
  • Poor documentation

Green Flags to Look For

Stability

  • • 5+ years in business
  • • Profitable or well-funded
  • • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • • Regular updates

Growth

  • • Customer-driven roadmap
  • • API-first architecture
  • • Regular feature releases
  • • Strong partner ecosystem

Value

  • • Transparent pricing
  • • No setup fees
  • • Free migrations
  • • Success guarantee