Kelly Burge from EventBrite shares her tips for seamless event ticketing.
Ticketing is crucial and could be the make or break of any event. If people have a terrible experience trying to buy a ticket, they are likely to give up and just not go. Or maybe they’re excited right up until they have to line up for hours to get in and start sharing their negative feelings on Twitter. That’s why it’s important to have that right ticketing partner from the get-go.
The ticketing industry has seen significant transformation in recent years thanks to technology. Event managers now have access to reliable, robust and flexible tools that streamline the ticketing process and provide insightful data about attendees, without costing the earth.
Choosing the right ticketing provider is crucial, but there are some rules you can follow to help you get it right.
1. Ensure strong and consistent branding
Having a strong web page is a great first impression when people are finding out about your event. Don’t waste your graphic designer’s time after designing a fabulous page by sending people to a badly designed ticketing page that is hard to read and use. Not only does it destroy your event’s credibility, but also you lose cohesion between your webpage and the ticketing page. Look for easy customisation to ensure your ticket sales page can replicate your website and align with your branding.
2. Always think about the attendee’s experience
The attendee’s experience starts from the very first hint about your event, whether it is the announcement of the venue or a teaser about who will be there. Ticketing is a major part of this experience – from buying a ticket to sharing the purchase on social media to entering the event. Timing is key here, so ensure you work with a partner who has experience in create an entry plan, as no one wants to be stuck in a queue outside when they should be inside enjoying the event.
3. Look at uptime
There’s lots of excitement when it comes to buying a ticket, but if the ticket site crashes while people are trying to purchase a ticket, you’ll frustrate them and lose sales. You’ll also be inundated with customer complaints on the phone, on email and on social media. Be sure to ask providers about their uptime over the past 12 months and make sure that they process sales quickly and securely.
4. Leverage your attendee data
Got a great idea for partnership with a well known company? Like to get some money from a sponsorship deal? They will want to know information about your attendees to make sure they benefit from the deal. Make sure you can access information such as attendee location, transportation method and impact of marketing activities from your ticketing platform to really understand buyer behaviour and wow your sponsors with how much you know about your event’s attendees. By capturing a deeper level of data during the checkout process, you can extrapolate meaningful insights and capitalise on them.
5. Be mobile ready
More than 75 per cent of Australians access the Internet through mobile devices so ensure your website and ticketing page are optimised for smartphones and tablets. Having multiple pages during checkout with difficult processes like Captcha can slow down checkout and reduce sales. Look for ticketing pages that have a simple design that is optimised for mobile to ensure all of your customers can buy tickets to your event, no matter where they are and what device they’re using.
Ticketing is a critical part of your event. Getting it right can mean the difference between a sell-out event and a flop, so do your homework and make sure you get the right partner and system for your event.
