Art of Selling Tickets Online: Safety and Success in Every Transaction

Let’s be honest. We do EVERYTHING online these days. From study to work to socialising, the average person spends nearly 6 hours a day on their phone or laptop. If you are organising an event or function in an attempt to try and mix it up and get people in the same place at the same time. You’re still better off to advertise and sell your tickets online for the best chance of success. Online ticketing platforms offer so much convenience and accessibility to make it easy for your future attendees to purchase the tickets to see you there. 

With just a few clicks or taps, your audience can secure their tickets from the comfort of their own homes. Who has time to travel to a box office and wait in a long queue these days? Also, the reach of online ticketing platforms means you don’t have to just target those in your local area. Whether it’s a music concert, sports game, or theatre performance, online platforms provide a virtual stage where organisers can showcase their events to a global audience, enticing attendees from different geographic locations and demographics.

Plus the user-friendly interfaces of these websites and mobile apps make the purchasing process a breeze. Listing and seating options are easy to navigate and purchasers can complete transactions with minimal effort, saving them time and frustration, with easy credit card or digital wallet payment options. Lastly, the availability of real-time updates, notifications, and electronic ticket delivery options ensures your customers are informed and engaged every step of the way.

The Benefits On Selling Tickets Online

Selling event tickets online is great for everyone –  both organisers and attendees. We outline the top benefits below;

Accessibility and Convenience: Online ticket sales make it convenient for anyone to purchase tickets from anywhere with an internet connection, at any time. No one really enjoys attending physical box offices or in-person sales, let’s be honest. Customers can buy tickets online at their convenience, whether they’re at home, work, or on the go.

Wider Reach: The online space means event creators reach more people beyond their local area. Digital marketing tools, social media platforms, and search engine optimisation promote events to a broader audience, attracting attendees from different geographic locations and demographics.

Reduced Administrative Burden: Online ticketing systems make the process simple, and reduces the administrative workload for organisers. Everyone wins! Automated features like ticket sales tracking, attendee data management, and real-time reporting simplify tasks that otherwise require manual effort and resources.

Enhanced Marketing Opportunities: Online ticketing platforms like Sticky Tickets 

provide built-in marketing tools and analytics so businesses can track sales trends, monitor customer behaviour, and optimise their marketing strategies. So they can then target specific audience segments,  personalise promotional efforts, and maximise ticket sales.

Increased Revenue Potential: Online ticket sales offer opportunities for upselling and cross-selling other services or merchandise, such as VIP packages,bundles, or event-related products. Integration with payment gateways facilitates secure transactions and enables organisers to capture impulse purchases during the ticketing process.

Improved Customer Experience: Online ticketing platforms offer an easy purchasing experience for attendees. They can browse event details, seating options (if applicable), and complete transactions with minimal stress. Features such as mobile ticketing and digital make the customer experience even better.

Real-Time Updates and Communication: Online ticketing systems enable organisers to communicate with attendees in real-time, providing updates, event reminders, and important announcements via email or mobile notifications. Everyone is informed and engaged leading up to the event, so less potential problems as well.

Enhanced Security and Fraud Prevention: Reputable online ticketing platforms have security measures to safeguard sensitive information and prevent fraudulent activities like ticket scalping or counterfeiting. Secure payment gateways, encryption protocols, and fraud detection algorithms protect both organisers and guests from potential risks.

Efficient Entry Management: Digital ticketing solutions make the entry process better by eliminating the need for paper tickets and manual ticket validation. Barcode scanning, QR code technology, and mobile ticket validation tools manage entry gates, reduce queues, and enhance crowd flow management during events.

Data-driven Insights and Planning: Online ticketing platforms are great at capturing valuable attendee data and insights that’ll help future event planning and decision-making. Analysing attendee demographics, purchasing behaviours, and feedback allows brands to tailor future events to meet audience preferences, optimise pricing strategies, and improve overall event success.

Selling event tickets online offers a heap of benefits, including increased accessibility, wider reach, reduced administrative burdens, enhanced marketing opportunities, revenue growth potential, improved customer experiences, enhanced security measures, efficient entry management, and data-driven insights for better event planning. These make online ticketing a preferred choice for organisers seeking to streamline operations, maximise sales, and deliver exceptional experiences to attendees. There is no real downside, except for those concerned about online ticket safety, and there’s a number of things you can do to ensure the tickets are secure.

How To Sell Online Tickets, Safely!

Selling tickets online safely is key to protect both brands and customers from potential risks and consequences. Without the right safety measures, organisers can fall victim to fraudulent transactions, losing money. And damaging their reputation. Attendees may also be at risk of purchasing counterfeit tickets or having their personal information compromised, and that’s never good. Selling online tickets safely means maintaining integrity, building trust with customers, and ensuring a positive experience for all! This is how to do it.

Choose a reputable ticketing platform: Selecting a reputable ticketing platform is  the best way to ensure the safety and security of your ticket sales. Look for platforms like Sticky Tickets that have a proven track record, offer secure payment processing, provide customer support, and have built-in features to prevent fraud.

Secure your website: Ensure  your website is secure by using HTTPS encryption. This encrypts data transmitted between your website and your customers’ browsers, protecting sensitive information such as payment details. Obtain an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate from a trusted certificate authority to enable HTTPS on your site.

Use secure payment methods: Avoid handling payment information directly and instead use secure payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.Net. These payment processors comply with strict security standards (e.g., PCI DSS) and offer secure payment options, including tokenization and encryption, to safeguard customers’ financial data.

Set up fraud prevention measures: Implement measures to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, like requiring customers to enter CVV (Card Verification Value) codes for credit card payments. Also, consider implementing CAPTCHA tests during the checkout process to thwart automated bots attempting to purchase tickets.

Be transparent: Provide comprehensive information about your event, ticket prices, seating arrangements, event schedule, and any additional fees upfront. Clearly communicate your refund policy, including any deadlines or conditions, to avoid confusion and foster trust with your customers.

Offer secure ticket delivery options: Choose secure methods for ticket delivery to prevent unauthorised access and duplication. Use digital tickets delivered via email or mobile apps with unique QR codes or barcodes that can be scanned at the event entrance. Avoid publicly sharing sensitive information like ticket barcodes to prevent counterfeiting.

Monitor for suspicious activity: Regularly monitor your ticket sales and website traffic for any unusual patterns or signs of fraudulent activity. Look out for sudden spikes in ticket purchases, multiple transactions from the same IP address, or discrepancies in billing information. Implement automated alerts or manual reviews to flag suspicious transactions for further investigation.

Have a clear refund and exchange policy: Clearly articulate your refund and exchange policy to customers before purchase. Specify the conditions under which refunds or exchanges are allowed, including any associated fees or restrictions. Providing transparent and fair policies can help manage customer expectations and reduce disputes.

Educate your customers: Educate your customers about how to identify legitimate ticket sellers and avoid scams. Provide guidance on verifying the authenticity of ticketing websites, avoiding suspicious links or emails, and reporting fraudulent activity. Consider creating an FAQ section on your website or sending informational emails to your customers.

Stay informed about regulations: Stay up-to-date with relevant laws and regulations governing ticket sales in your jurisdiction. Familiarise yourself with consumer protection laws, event ticketing regulations, and any industry-specific guidelines or standards. Compliance with legal requirements not only protects your customers but also helps maintain your reputation as a trustworthy seller.

Selling tickets online is beneficial for both event organisers and attendees. It offers increased accessibility, wider reach, and improved convenience. However, ensuring the safety and security of online ticket sales is important to protect against fraudulent activities and safeguard both organisers and attendees. Prioritising safety not only protects against potential losses but also fosters trust, enhances reputation, and  contributes to the success of the event. 

By leveraging the advantages of an online ticket platform that prioritises safety, brands can maximise attendance, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional experiences to attendees. By choosing reputable ticketing platforms, like Sticky Tickets, your event has the most chance of success and being remembered for years to come!

How To Increase Ticket Sales For Your Next Event

This ebook has seven of our favourite tried and tested methods for increasing ticket sales, and most of them don’t require a lot of work or expense on your part.

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