How to Increase your Online Ticket Sales
May 14, 2021
The past year has necessitated changes in visitor services operations and trends that emerged in response to health and safety requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic that have, at least for now, become the norm.
One of the most prominent changes in consumer behavior in a post-pandemic world is the way in which consumers purchase tickets and memberships to your institution.
At ACME, we have seen as much as an 80% uptick in online sales for some of our customers. This makes sense given that most institutions now require advanced ticket purchasing and reservations, all of which are done online.
Below is everything you need to know about the benefits of online ticket sales and how to increase your online ticket sales.
Benefits of Bolstering your Online Ticket Sales
While a lot of organizations have moved to online ticketing out of necessity, many of them will be retaining their online models well after the pandemic has ended. Below are some of the most valuable benefits and advantages of implementing an online ticket sales platform.
Online ticket sales are safer: Even with vaccine rollouts increasing, we don’t know how long the pandemic will continue or when it will be safe to gather indoors at full capacity. This means that providing online sales will significantly reduce physical contact and provide more predictability for institutions, which gives you more time to organize the layout of your venue and prepare for the anticipated crowds.
More strategic leverage: One of the key advantages of online sales is transparency. Because data is transparent, organizations can see exactly how much traffic they’re getting on their website and where those individuals are coming from. This provides you with a lot more leverage for strategic communication and marketing. If traffic from social media is down, for example, you can take a closer look at your social media marketing campaign and make the informed decision on how to proceed.
Reach a broader audience: Whether you’re communicating through email, your instagram and twitter pages, advertisements, a direct app, SEO optimization, or through your own, unique content, you will have the chance to meet a wider audience online. While this has been the case since before the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to bolster your communication pipelines today as indoor restrictions continue.
Customer data collection: As mentioned above, more data equates to better informed organizations and clearer data-driven solutions. Whether you’re implementing a marketing campaign, invigorating your exhibitions, identifying customer patterns, or reassessing your membership incentives, the ability to collect and interpret data will contribute to the efficacy of your strategic decisions.
Drive revenue: Online ticket sales help drive revenue because of how easy it is to include add-ons, incentives, membership opportunities, and opportunities for upselling and cross-selling. Online ticket sales also mean you can easily include links, videos, and images to upcoming events that customers would have not otherwise seen or have been able to purchase in person. Finally, an online ticketing platform will allow you to sell tickets 24/7 as opposed to the limited, in-person hours.
While there are more reasons to move sales online- like convenience, calendar management, time and cost efficiency, and more – these are some of the key benefits to implementing a robust online ticketing platform.
Ways to Bolster your Online Ticket Sales
So how do you actually bolster your online ticket sales? Below are some solid strategies you can start implementing today to increase online ticket sales.
- Email marketing: Email marketing is an excellent marketing strategy that, when done right, can help you connect with a wide audience of passionate supporters. Make sure you’re sending the right content pertaining to the particular event (if it’s an educational event, content in the email should be education focused), and avoid turn offs like misleading headers and spammable material.
- Online Membership Engagement: Online membership engagement strategies present an effective way to elicit interest online and turn one-time visitors into life-long members. The best way to start online membership engagement is by communicating. Find your visitors and members on their apps, social media, and email, and communicate all of your new membership incentives and reward systems.
- Online communities: One way to boost online ticket sales and create a foundation of passionate and dedicated visitors is through online communities. Whether you’re creating a blog, forum, or weekly online event, giving your visitors the space to connect with art enthusiasts, animal lovers, history buffs, and science goers in a fun and exciting manner will translate to more ticket sales and memberships.
- Online events: Just because a lot of indoor activity has ceased doesn’t mean you can’t still hold online events. Virtual movie and documentary screenings, silent online auctions, virtual readings, and virtual speeches are all ways to engage with your customers online and increase traffic to online ticket sales.
Why ACME is the choice for your online ticketing platform
Worried about losing that face-to-face interaction? Don’t be. An online buying experience can be just as welcoming and engaging as an in-person one.
With ACME’s custom online ticket platform, members can quickly and easily purchase additional tickets, add ons, renew their membership, and so much more. You can even provide them with a customized “members only” online experience that is both personalized and seamless.
Interested in how you can further customize your ticketing? Check out these videos.
To find out more about what our customers are doing to enhance their online ticket purchase experience, contact us today!