Why Sell Tickets Online?

An exciting innovation in the event planning world over the past few years has been the rising capability to sell tickets online for your event. Store and access guest info in one place? Check. Collect event payments digitally to make accounting and reimbursement easier? Check. But how can you ensure your online ticketing platform works best for your needs? Here are four tips we have on the best ways to sell tickets online:

Tip #1: Focus on Attendee Experience

One of the biggest draws to sell tickets online is a well-designed and creative event itself. In order to create a bigger draw for attendees, event planners should avoid getting caught up in the nitty gritty of the event and remember to design their experience to meet attendee interests and wants.

Often, event planners will fall in the trap of assuming their event will be a draw based on content alone. Instead, some top event planners recommend approaching events with the same level of interest and enthusiasm that their attendees would bring. Putting effort into event design and marketing can go a long way toward increasing your online ticket sales.

Tip #2: Find An Attractive Price Point

Another pitfall for collecting event payments online can be ambitious pricing. Often, event planners can get caught up in adding features to their event. However, they then forget how much this will require in an upfront ticket price for attendees.

We recommend working backwards from the ticket price point first. Figure out an ideal range that won’t scare off potential online ticket buyers. Then, design your event budget with this expected revenue in mind. This allows you to make your event affordable for attendees, and ensures you won’t end up in the red because of a lack of interest in purchasing tickets.

Tip #3: Use Multiple Channels to Sell Tickets Online

An integrated sales strategy is a key step to effectively sell event tickets online. While typical outreach like emailing customer lists and social media seem like no brainers, it is important to remember to develop a comprehensive approach to promoting your event.

Plan your social media posts and ensure you can track views and clicks to figure out if changes should be made. Coordinate email outreach to avoid soliciting potential customers too much. Consider if there are any real world promotions to integrate as well.

Tip #4: Consider Incentives for Buyers

Many creative event planners will develop incentives for early buyers of tickets. Giveaways for the first one hundred customers to purchase a ticket online often drives enthusiasm and interest in an event. It also helps ensure word of mouth that will bring in additional event attendees. Even small freebies like tote bags or bumper stickers have proven effective as a motivator for encouraging customers to buy tickets online.