PetBookings.com

PetBookings.com is a different type of website than we typically build, as the concept of the project was selling Pet Boarding instead of hotels. Although the concept of the project was slightly different than our norm, we still used a lot of the same practices we do when building our hotel websites. Customers are able to search for pet boarding facilities by destination with their selected dates, and the website produces live rates and availability. They can then select an appropriate facility, pick their kennel based on their pet’s size,  and complete their booking, all online.

One other requirement from our client Chris, was the ability for boarding facility operators to add their listings to the site and maintain the listing moving forward. Facility operators can also track reservations and set rates and availability through their control panel.

The site was launched last week, and has already started to build a traffic base. Please view our case study page to view screenshots and full development details. Also check out our testimonials page to hear what Chris had to say about working with the HBCWeb team.

This project was a huge undertaking by the HBCWeb team, encompassing a Hotel Booking Path, Sporting Event and Non-Sporting Event Ticket Booking Path, Vacation Rental Management System, and many other development features. I have outlined the site’s main features below:

Hotel Booking Path

Like most of our travel websites, SportsStay.com features a complete full world, hotel booking path. Hotel inventory from the Priceline Partner Network was used, and pages were built out for every Region, Country, State, Province, City and Hotel within our database. This adds up to 40,000+ landing pages that will be indexed by search engines.

The hotel booking path is also used to cross-promote the Event Ticket Listings path, with upcoming events being displayed on each city page. Additionally, for users that just want to search for a hotel for specific dates, in a specific city, we offer a quick and easy searchbox to find live rates and availability.

View the SportsStay Hotel Booking Path

Event Ticket Booking Path

To tie in the “Sports” aspect of SportsStay.com, an Event Ticket Booking path had to be integrated. The TicketNetwork XML Service was used to build out pages for all Major Leagues, Teams, Tournaments and Events in Sports. We also implemented an ultra-functional  searchbox that allows users to quickly type and find what they are looking for, with an auto-suggest feature to help out. To once again cross-promote other aspects of the site, each Team page lists some featured hotels in the corresponding city that the team plays in, as well as other events going on in the city.

View the SportsStay Event Tickets Booking Path

Vacation Rentals Management System

The last major element in the development of SportsStay.com was the Vacation Rentals Management System. The concept behind this was essentially to give customers who are traveling to watch sporting or non-sporting events, the ability to find Vacation Rental Properties, as an alternative to hotels.

Users have the ability to create an account within the website, and from there can quickly create a Vacation Rental Listing. They can then preview their listing, and once they are happy with it, they simply just have to pay the monthly or annual fee and the listing will be displayed live. An admin system is included for each property owner that will allow them to add a property description with amenities, manipulate their rental rates through a quick calendar system, upload pictures and more.

Browse SportsStay Vacation Rental Properties

Overall, we are extremely pleased with the launch of SportsStay.com, as it showcases a wide range of our design and development abilities.

It was at that point I decided to take on the project myself, from design right through to development. With the help of our talented programmer – Andrew Johnson for the behind the scenes work, my ideas and design were brought to life.

Here are just a few of the features of the new site:

Who Are You Guys? – Our previous site didn’t feature much information about who we are and how we got here. Our About Us section now features a Company Overview, a full listing of our Team Members, a description and photos of Our Office, as well as a summary about the Priceline Partner Network and Client Testimonials.

Full Portfolio with Case Studies – Each of the project featured within our portfolio now have individual case studies. You can now read an overview about each project, as well as development details, and view screenshots of the actual live site.

Services Section – Our Services section has been revised to include a full breakdown of our web development process. Our other services are also highlighted with a full description of each.

I really hope that everyone enjoys the new site. Please feel free to comment with any feedback.

Rob