The best ticket selling platforms are perfect for your mise en place (a well-stocked database). A robust system should be technically sound and give you a clear view of what you need to stand above the crowd.
Every organization has a different story and things aren’t always simple, but everyone wants the same thing out of a ticket selling platform. This listicle breaks down 15 things that an online ticketing platform should do for you so you can breathe easy and take a break or a nap if you need to.
If you haven’t yet, sign up for free and test out our tools to see if we are the right fit for you.
Trustworthiness
Relationships are built on a foundation of trust. Who would you rather trust? Someone who is consistent, always has your back, and known to keep a promise? Or someone you can’t get a hold of or aren’t quite sure about. A ticket selling platform with accessible support and proven success is a safe bet.
That trust is passed on to ticket buyers. The best type of online ticket sales experience is a comfortable one. Consumers who trust you as well as the checkout process are more likely to share information and worry less about privacy concerns.
User-Friendly – Don’t Make Me Think!
Norman doors are named after user experience design legend Don Norman. We’ve all run into a Norman door, maybe literally. It describes any confusing door. Mainly glass doors with handles on the outside that you try to push when you should pull.
Even if there’s a pull sign it’s still not user-friendly. An online ticketing platform’s interface needs to be simple and intuitive. Setup should be a breeze and work like a charm for admin and customers. That way you can spend your time coming up with innovative ideas rather than combing through guides and tutorials to figure things out.
Flexible and Robust
If there’s turbulence you need to think fast and change course. The best event registration software is dynamic so you can respond to changes and meet future requirements. You want something with flexibility and power.
It’s good to have options. One of the best things about a good ticketing platform is that it takes care of a wide variety of tasks. Smart software has baked in tools for customization.
Fast Check-Outs and Check-Ins
Speaking of turbulence, you want to give guests a smooth landing pad. When people land on the ticket sales checkout page, it should be quick and pain-free. When there are bumps in the road, we call this friction. A frictionless experience is ideal.
When they get to your doorstep at the event, you want that to be smooth too. Fast check-ins along with real-time reporting make for a winning combo. It may be just a small piece of the puzzle but make a big difference. It helps people feel that much better about the event.
Low Fees
The platform should have reasonable fees. Low fees lead to sustainability, especially at fundraising events for nonprofits. This gets people in the giving mood when they are introduced to products.
Higher fees mean higher carrying costs which can lead to higher ticket prices. Low fees or no fees help reduce expenditures and allow you to pass on the savings to your customers or absorb your fees for less.
Early bird pricing on a limited number of tickets rewards long-term planners who love deals. Limited time discounts like these add extra incentive for online ticket buyers to get it while it’s hot. It also builds more buzz before the event.
Great Customer Support
Support goes both ways and solid support is good for peace of mind. If you support a platform you probably want the company to return the favor. Many larger event ticketing companies just don’t have the agility or time to help you out when you need it.
Automated chatbots and FAQ pages are great for obvious questions but if you can’t find the answer you’re looking you often get the runaround. You shouldn’t have to wait forever for a response. The best live event ticketing companies have real people you can speak with within a reasonable time frame.
Improved Vendor and Affiliate Support
Different vendors have different goals and teamwork makes the dream work. It might sound cheesy but it’s true. Affiliates and vendors are part of your extended family and their role is vital. You want to do everything you can to help them reduce costs and improve performance.
It’s incredibly important to keep everyone updated. A ticketing platform that allows you to share your data gives your partners a 360-degree view of the situation. When you share valuable information it also builds trust and increases commitment. It’s good for you, them, and your guests. It’s a trifecta, a win-win-win!
Promotional Tools
Useful promotional tools give marketers and promoters the ability to make things happen. You should be able to integrate your online ticket sales data with social media, your website, and monitor user activity to learn about your audience.
You want to make it easy for people to find you. If someone is searching for the event on Google or any other search engine it’s better if your event shows up on the first page. Most of us won’t click further than that.
Contact Tracking for Your Database
Ahh, the almighty contact list. You can do some pretty amazing things with a database whether you have a simple spreadsheet or a sophisticated customer relations management setup. Or just a little black book.
It’s extremely helpful to have the ability to instantly import contacts into your list. It makes things easier to manage. This way you can categorize your messages and decide who to contact, when, and how.
Talented staff and volunteers come and go, but your contacts list sticks with you.
Data-Driven Audience Segmentation
Real-time reporting before and during the event allows you to identify who your guests are based on behavior and frequency of attendance. They aren’t just tooshes in seats or if it’s standing room only, dollar signs who stand at your event.
You can figure out what’s important to them and find out what level of commitment they are comfortable with. The best ticket selling platforms will have tools that help you understand:
- Who you are trying to reach
- What they should know
- The best way to relate to them
- How you should contact them
Check out our post on turning data into an audience for specific ways to do this.
Lead Generation
Fundraising for nonprofits and promotion for private events requires a bit of wisdom to figure out where to focus efforts. More information and know-how can help you find your ideal customers.
Maybe success for you is gaining two or three audiences per year. New leads give you the chance to revisit your spending. Convincing people to explore your event takes some finesse. Even a simple question on the online ticket sales checkout page such as: “How did you find us today?” is very helpful.
Post-Marketing Campaign Analysis
Ticket selling platforms should give you enough perspective to view the big picture. Measuring effectiveness is super important and you can mine the data for nuggets of valuable knowledge. With good information, you can find gaps and close the loop so to speak.
It’s all about planning and managing present and future opportunities. This can boost early sales for the next event which can be a nice source of cash flow before the event.
Long Term Revenue
The long-term goal is to increase profits and achieve longevity. You want to protect current sales, expand your audience, and reach new ones. Security, trust, responsiveness, and your overall online presence have a strong influence on loyalty. Ideally, you want to lure in as many loyal supporters as possible.
The pre-event experience (online ticket sales) is a prime time to remind them how special they are. How? Show them how much they mean to you by making offers they can’t refuse. With the right insight, you’ll know what to do.
Spread the Word – Good Word of Mouth
An all-around good time leads to word of mouth. Are your ears burning? That’s because people are talking about you (all positive things we hope). Everyone likes to share basic things about their experience like ticket prices, the venue, the food, what they liked, what they didn’t like, etc.
This ties into trust. We trust our friends have our best interest in mind and direct referrals are great for recruitment. This is priceless promotion straight from an eyewitness account. As far as fundraising for nonprofits, your ambassadors are your most valuable community members.
We talked about avoidance in a previous blog, word of mouth is the best remedy to avoid avoidance.
Nonprofit and Charity Fundraising Focused
Why settle for a one-size-fits-all solution when you can get something tailored to suit your specific needs? We’ve worked with thousands of nonprofits, more than a few with long-lasting legacies.
From the very start we quickly found out fundraising for nonprofits and charities is a complex ordeal. A $100,000 budget is a drop in the bucket for a relatively small-sized nonprofit. We’re agile enough to give you the individual attention you need to meet your objectives.
An Easy to Use Ticket Selling Platform
Whew! This shortlist is full of things that are a must for any ticket selling platform worth its merit. Ticketstripe is an event management platform for on and off-site ticket sales. We’ve been doing this for 15+ years and we are excited that people everywhere are holding more events.
Discover how stress-free life can be with the right tools. You may be surprised at how much easier it is to manage an event with Ticketstripe. Have any questions or need additional information? Sign up for free and contact us to learn more.