The digital world keeps changing, and customers expect ever more convenience and speed when renting a car. Real-time bookings, up-to-date availability and seamless integrations are essential to give customers a smooth experience. This is where iFrames come in. But what is an iFrame, and how can it help your car rental business?
What is an iFrame?
An iFrame (inline frame) is an HTML element that lets you embed content from another website or application in your own website. This means you can show external functionality – such as a booking module, customer portal or payment page – on your own website. This directly contributes to a better user experience, more trust and more conversions.
An iFrame is a smart middle ground between two other commonly used methods of connecting software and website. Briefly:
- A request form without integration (manual)
- Fully bespoke via API
- iFrame – the smart middle ground
Method 1: A request form without integration (manual)
We still see this at many rental companies: a static form on your website. The customer selects the rental vehicle they want on the website. In some cases the estimated price is calculated straight away based on the rental period. In other cases it is up to the customer to work out the price.
At checkout the customer fills in their details.
The details are then forwarded by e-mail to the rental company, which then re-keys the booking request into the rental system.
This form of non-real-time renting has a few advantages (see also our blog on the pros and cons of real-time renting), but we see it as no longer of this era. In our view the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages/
Disadvantages:
- Greater chance of no-shows
- Less professional towards renters
- Not scalable
- A lot of administrative work
Method 2: Fully bespoke via API
Some rental companies opt for a fully bespoke website, with the rental software integrated via an API. This is actually the finest solution, because you can tailor the website perfectly to your commercial wishes and your customer base. The downside of bespoke lies primarily in the cost. A custom-built website quickly costs more than €20,000. On top of that, bugs often surface that then need to be fixed. Finally, the build time quickly runs to several months.
Advantages: full freedom and control. Disadvantages: high development costs (between €20,000 and €25,000), long build time, dependence on developers and bugs.
Method 3: iFrame – the smart middle ground
An iFrame sits between bespoke and a form. You can think of it as a ready-made building block (plugin) that you integrate into your website within minutes. It is simply a script that you place on your website. The iFrame is in effect an integration of the rental software that you can adapt to some extent as you wish. That is also where the drawback lies. The flexibility to change things is often limited. As a result, you run the risk that the iFrame does not fully match your commercial wishes and/or target group,
Advantages:
- Low implementation costs
- Live quickly
- Developed & maintained by the supplier
- Can be styled in your house style
- Ideal for the SME segment in car rental
Disadvantages:
- Few options for customisation
iFrames in your rental organisation
An average rental website consists of several iFrames / plugins. In this blog we take a closer look at a number of concrete iFrame applications that you can integrate into your rental website straight away.
- Booking module
- Google Maps
- Customer reviews
- Chatbot
- YouTube videos
1. Booking module
Online bookings have major advantages: no opening hours, no waiting time and maximum flexibility for your customer. This is essential in today's market to serve your customers as quickly and as well as possible. Below we highlight the 5 essential iFrame applications within the booking module.
1a. Real-time booking system
Via an iFrame you can integrate a booking module that shows in real time which vehicles are available. Customers book directly – without e-mailing back and forth – and the booking lands automatically in your system.
No double bookings, fewer phone calls, less manual work and a customer who knows where they stand straight away.
📚 For more on real-time availability, read our earlier blogs: – The differences between real-time and non-real-time – Combining real-time and non-real-time
1b. Smart customer profiles
You decide which details you ask for when a booking is made via the iFrame. This lets you screen customers in advance and, for example, only make certain vehicle types available to trusted customers.
You can also integrate a customer portal via an iFrame. This automatically builds customer profiles and a CRM system with valuable insights, such as:
- Driving licence details
- Geographic spread
- Rental history
- Customer-specific discounts
And for the customer? They only need to log in for their next booking. Super-fast booking and a better chance of repeat rentals.
1c. Manual approvals
Not every booking is one you want to accept automatically. For luxury vehicles, long rental periods or business customers, a manual check may be needed.
Via the iFrame you can easily set bookings to 'pending', check them and only then approve them. This way you keep control without losing the convenience of online bookings.
1d. Dynamic pricing
Adjusting prices based on supply and demand? Via an iFrame you connect a smart price calculation module. Customers see the right price in real time based on:
- Rental period
- Vehicle type
- Extra options (such as GPS, child seat, insurance)
- Full transparency for the customer and less risk of price disputes afterwards.
Transparency = trust = conversion.
1e. Safe and easy online payment
A good iFrame integrates seamlessly with trusted payment providers such as Mollie, Stripe or PayPal. Customers pay directly in your house style, without leaving your site.
This creates trust, less drop-off during booking and faster cash flow.
2. Google Maps for location and navigation
Many customers want to know in advance where they can collect their rental car. By integrating Google Maps via an iFrame, customers see your location straight away and can navigate using their favourite app.
3. Live customer reviews and ratings
Trust plays a big part in choosing a rental company. Via an iFrame you automatically show your reviews from, for example, Google, Trustpilot or Kiyoh.
Because reviews come in live, customers immediately see what others think of your service — and that increases the chance of a booking.
4. Live chat and customer service
With a live chat function via iFrame, customers can easily contact customer service. Think of tools such as Intercom, WhatsApp Business or Tawk.to.
5. YouTube videos
With an iFrame linked to YouTube you can show videos to customers without them leaving your website. This is ideal for providing extra service to customers. Think of tutorial videos on checking your tyre pressure, or a video on what goes on behind the scenes at your company. Who knows, your company may have been on television and you can show that on your website via this iFrame.
Quick answers = less drop-off = more satisfied customers.
💡 Want to optimise your car rental processes? Discover how RentVisie can help you implement smart iFrame solutions! 🚗💨
Curious how our iFrames can take your website to the next level, or would you like more information? Get in touch with us.
Book a meeting.