Detailed Setup Guide

# Detailed Setup Guide This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of the RecSystems onboarding process, explaining every step and screen you'll encounter when setting up your AI-powered booking engine. ## Overview: Two Paths to Success RecSystems offers two onboarding paths, both leading to a fully functional booking engine: 1. **AI-Powered Path** (Recommended): Provide your website URL and let Rex analyze your business 2. **Manual Path**: Enter your business details step-by-step Both paths take approximately 5-10 minutes and result in a complete, professional booking website. ## Starting Your Journey ### Entry Point: recsystems.com/start When you first sign up or click "Get Started," you'll land on our intelligent onboarding page featuring two prominent options: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Generate Your Booking Engine │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ │ │ I Have a │ │ Tell Us │ │ │ │ Website │ │ About Your │ │ │ │ │ │ Business │ │ │ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Path 1: AI-Powered Onboarding (With Website) ### Step 1.1: Website URL Entry If you select "I Have a Website," you'll see: **What You'll Enter:** - Your website URL (e.g., `https://yourrentalbusiness.com`) **What Happens Next:** - Form submission triggers AI analysis - You're redirected to a progress screen - Rex begins analyzing your website ### Step 1.2: AI Analysis Progress You'll see a dynamic progress screen showing Rex's work: ``` Rex is analyzing your website... ✓ Visiting your homepage ✓ Extracting business information ✓ Identifying rental categories ✓ Analyzing your unique value proposition ⟳ Generating optimized content... [===========----] 65% Complete This usually takes 2-5 minutes depending on your website size. ``` **Behind the Scenes:** - AI scrapes your website content - Natural language processing extracts key information - Business type and rental categories are identified - Marketing copy and descriptions are generated - SEO optimization is applied ### Step 1.3: Rental Overview Generation Once analysis completes, Rex presents a summary: ``` Here's what I found about your business: Business Name: Lake Adventures Rentals Location: Minocqua, Wisconsin Primary Services: Pontoon boats, fishing boats, jet skis Detected Rental Types: • Pontoon Boats (4 units) • Fishing Boats (6 units) • Jet Skis (8 units) [Edit Details] [Looks Good - Continue] ``` ### Step 1.4: Fleet Confirmation Rex shows the rental fleets created from your website: **For Each Fleet, You'll See:** - Fleet name and type - Individual units with specifications - Suggested pricing (editable) - Capacity and features **You Can:** - Edit any details - Add missing units - Remove incorrect items - Confirm when ready ## Path 2: Manual Onboarding (No Website) ### Step 2.1: Business Information If you select "Tell Us About Your Business," you'll provide: **Required Fields:** ``` Business Name: [Your Company Name] Location: [City, State] Description: [What you rent and what makes you unique] ``` **Auto-Detected:** - Timezone (from your browser) - Initial settings based on location ### Step 2.2: Add Your First Rental Unit After account creation, you'll add your first rental: **Fleet Information:** ``` Fleet Type: [Dropdown Selection] ├── Boat ├── Personal Watercraft ├── Snowmobile ├── UTV ├── Equipment └── Other Fleet Name: [e.g., "Pontoons", "Jet Skis"] ``` **Unit Details:** ``` Make: [e.g., "Bennington"] Model: [e.g., "Tritoon 26'"] Engine: [e.g., "450 HP"] Capacity: [Number of people] Quantity: [Units available] ``` ## Common Path: Location Details Both paths converge at the location step: ### Step 3: Business Location & Contact **Address Section:** ``` Street Address: [123 Main Street] Address Line 2: [Suite 100] City: [Your City] State/Province: [WI] ZIP/Postal: [54501] Country: [United States] ``` **Contact Information:** ``` Phone: [(555) 555-5555] Support Email: [[email protected]] Timezone: [Auto-detected, adjustable] ``` **Why This Matters:** - Local SEO optimization - Customer communications - Booking time accuracy - Contact information on confirmations ## Step 4: AI Content Generation After clicking "Build My Booking Engine," the magic happens: ### What Rex Generates: **1. Visual Identity** - Custom logo using DALL-E 3 - Color scheme based on your industry - Professional font pairings - Responsive design elements **2. Written Content** - SEO-optimized homepage copy - Compelling unit descriptions - Feature lists and benefits - Local area information - Policies and terms - Email templates **3. Technical Setup** - URL structure - Meta tags and descriptions - Schema markup - Mobile optimization - Performance optimization ### Generation Timeline: ``` 0-30 seconds: Account setup and initial configuration 30-60 seconds: Logo generation begins 1-3 minutes: Content writing and optimization 3-5 minutes: Final setup and activation 5+ minutes: Your booking engine is live! ``` ## Step 5: Dashboard Access While content generates, you're taken to your dashboard: ### What You'll See: **1. Generation Status** ``` Logo Generation: Complete ✓ Content Creation: In Progress... Technical Setup: Queued ``` **2. Fleet Overview** - Your rental units (editable) - Basic availability (24/7 default) - Placeholder pricing ($100/day default) **3. Quick Actions** - Connect Stripe - Invite team members - Preview booking widget - Access settings ## Post-Onboarding: Your Live Booking Engine ### Immediately Available: - Public booking website - Online reservations - Calendar availability - Basic email confirmations - Dashboard access ### Requires Additional Setup: - Payment processing (Connect Stripe) - Real unit photos - Actual pricing - Specific availability rules - Custom email templates ## Customization Options Everything generated can be customized: ### Content Editing: - Click any text to edit inline - Use rich text editor for formatting - Preview changes in real-time - Save drafts before publishing ### Visual Customization: - Upload your own logo - Change color scheme - Select different fonts - Adjust layout options ### Business Rules: - Set rental minimums/maximums - Configure pricing rules - Define availability windows - Create booking policies ## Common Onboarding Scenarios ### Scenario 1: Complex Website **Issue**: Rex couldn't extract all information **Solution**: Manual review and edit step allows corrections ### Scenario 2: No Website Yet **Issue**: Starting from scratch **Solution**: Manual path with AI assistance for content ### Scenario 3: Multiple Locations **Issue**: Business has several rental locations **Solution**: Add first location during onboarding, others later ### Scenario 4: Unique Rental Types **Issue**: Unusual equipment not in standard categories **Solution**: Select "Other" and Rex adapts content accordingly ## Success Indicators Your onboarding is complete when: **Account Created** - Business profile complete - Timezone correctly set - Owner account active **Fleet Configured** - At least one rental unit added - Basic specifications entered - Initial content generated **Location Set** - Full address entered - Contact information provided - Local SEO optimized **AI Generation Complete** - Logo created - Content written - Design applied - Site published **Dashboard Accessible** - Can log in successfully - See your fleet - Access all settings - Ready for customization ## Pro Tips for Onboarding Success ### Before You Start: 1. **Gather Information**: Have your business details ready 2. **Prepare Images**: While AI generates a logo, having photos helps 3. **Know Your Fleet**: List of all rental units and specifications 4. **Website Ready**: If using AI path, ensure your website is accessible ### During Onboarding: 1. **Be Specific**: Detailed descriptions help AI generate better content 2. **Review Carefully**: Check AI-generated content before proceeding 3. **Don't Rush**: Take time to verify information accuracy 4. **Ask for Help**: Support widget is available throughout ### After Onboarding: 1. **Test Everything**: Create a test booking immediately 2. **Upload Photos**: Replace placeholder images 3. **Connect Stripe**: Enable real payments 4. **Invite Team**: Add staff members right away ## Getting Help During Onboarding ### Real-Time Support: - **Chat Widget**: Available on every screen - **Contextual Help**: Hover over (?) icons - **Email**: [email protected] - **Video Guides**: Embedded walkthroughs ### Common Issues: **"My website URL isn't working"** - Ensure it starts with http:// or https:// - Check if site is publicly accessible - Try without www if needed **"AI missed some of my rental units"** - Normal for complex inventories - Add missing items manually - Edit generated content as needed **"Wrong timezone detected"** - Manually select correct timezone - Saves with your account - Affects all booking times **"Logo doesn't match my brand"** - AI makes best guess from info provided - Upload your own logo anytime - Full customization available ## Next Steps After Onboarding You've completed onboarding! Here's your roadmap: ### Immediate (Today): 1. **Payment Setup**: [Connect Stripe](../03-revenue-optimization/payment-processing.md) 2. **Test Booking**: [Create test reservation](quick-start.md#test-booking) 3. **Team Access**: [Add staff members](../04-team-management/adding-staff.md) ### This Week: 1. **Photos**: [Upload unit images](../02-inventory-setup/unit-management.md#photos) 2. **Pricing**: [Configure rates](../03-revenue-optimization/pricing-strategies.md) 3. **Availability**: [Set schedules](../02-inventory-setup/availability-rules.md) ### This Month: 1. **Optimization**: [SEO improvements](../05-growth-tools/) 2. **Integrations**: [Connect tools](../08-integrations/) 3. **Marketing**: [Launch campaigns](../05-growth-tools/) --- **Congratulations!** You've successfully launched your AI-powered booking engine with RecSystems! *Continue to [Daily Operations](../01-daily-operations/) to master day-to-day management*