Online event planners may face an uphill battle in reaching and recruiting event attendees, as well as dispelling preconceived notions that online events lack both entertainment and engagement. To help organizers work through these challenges, we offer the following advice:

Set up online registration for your virtual event

To sell tickets to any event, you need an eye-catching event website and a ticketing platform with trusted payment processing capabilities. Even if the event is free, a ticketing platform can help ease registration and manage attendee communications.

Fortunately, Ticketbud makes it easy and affordable to create both. That way your audience can learn about and register for your event all in one place, eliminating any barriers to completing registration. 

And, setting up an event with Ticketbud does not require any knowledge of html or design. Use the intuitive page editor to plug in relevant event information. Then browse through the site’s all-inclusive toolkit to create unique ticket types, set timelines for registration, and link to your preferred payment processor (if paid event). 

Once the event is live, use your Ticketbud URL to promote your event across your marketing channels. If you’re hosting a series or multiple events, consider creating an organization landing page through Ticketbud that directs others to your entire event calendar. 

Promote across all communications channels

It’s not enough to have an event website. You also have to market and promote it in order for the world to see. 

These days, the average person uses more than six social media platforms. So, being present on social media and keeping your messaging and marketing consistent across your channels will make it more likely that your audience will recognize and respond to your branding. 

As you work to promote on social media, it’s important to tap into the network and followers held by any of your event partners, speakers, or sponsors. Use these connections and their channels to help elevate and expand your marketing efforts. You can do this by tagging them in relevant posts or by providing them with visual and written content to post organically. 

Remember, the purpose of social media is to engage. So, be creative in ways that you can get people to interact with your content. The more people who interact with it, the wider your potential reach.

To tap into audiences who already know and trust you, it’s also important to build robust newsletter and email campaigns. These folks may be helpful in referring others to your event. 

Offer incentives to sell more tickets

One of the most influential tactics to promoting sales is creating the idea of scarcity, or the idea that time or quantity is limited. According to Cornell psychology expert Michael Lynn, this tactic increases desirability in the product by making it feel more exclusive and valuable to the consumer. 

Consider ways you can easily induce a sense of scarcity within your ticket sales or registration:

• Setting time limits on registration – Create a registration deadline and communicate it often across your channels to remind your audiences that time is running out. 
• Offering discounts – Reward your loyal customers with exclusive savings, or entice newcomers to engage with you by providing discounts. Discounts may give people the push they need to complete their ticket sale. 

You can manage both tactics with Ticketbud’s ticket editor, which allows you to create multiple ticket types, set and automate sales and registration timelines, and create discount codes and timed promotions for running exclusive sales. 

Additionally, the tool also enables you to track the success of your sales tactics and marketing promotions through referral codes. These codes generate special links to your website so you can monitor what posts or campaigns are generating the most traffic to your site. 

Research and select a ticketing software that makes sense for you

When choosing an event ticketing system, look for one that makes selling tickets as easy and secure as possible. A reliable event ticketing platform should provide useful tools such as: 

• Event page builder and editor
• Online payment processing
• Customizable digital tickets
• Social media and advertising options
• Communication and messaging 
• Detailed sales and customer reports 
• Mobile friendly interface and check-in options

The post How to Sell Tickets for an Online Event appeared first on Ticketbud.

Ticketbud can help by providing a simple website to host and manage all aspects of your event registration. Use it to digitize tedious processes, while collating and preserving valuable insights that will help you understand your audience and plan for your event. 

How do I create an event registration page?

Whether you’re hosting a free or paid event, you can create a free online registration page with Ticketbud. It costs nothing and can be up and running in minutes. 

Sign up now to get started.

The site’s page editor gives you an easy-to-use template to create your own event page with your  images, event descriptions, and event partner logos. 

Take a load off your event-planning plate by setting up your event registration with Ticketbud’s ticket editor. You can create multiple ticket types varying in cost and quantity, as well as automate sales timelines.

How can I create a free registration form?

Limited technical skills? That’s ok, you don’t need to start from scratch or understand coding and web design to build your event registration form. With Ticketbud, you can create an online event registration form through the custom questions tool. It’s as simple as a click of a button — in this case, one that says “Add Question.”

After creating your ticket types for your event (such as Show Only and Dinner + Show), you have the option to create and assign questions to any ticket type. If you’re hosting a business event, you may ask about the attendee’s job title or place of work. If hosting a dinner event, you may ask about meal preferences or dietary restrictions. The questions can be required or optional, and can be applied to specific ticket types or all tickets.

Watch this tutorial video to learn how to build your registration form with custom questions:

What should be included in a registration form for an event?

A well-thought-out registration form can help you to tailor your event for your audience and meet specific business objectives. The custom questions on your registration form will help you gather vital information to improve your attendee event experience, as well as provide valuable insights for your marketing, products and services. 

A word to the wise, don’t overdo it. Most people don’t want to fill out an entire survey before purchasing an event ticket. The more complicated the registration process is, the less likely someone is to complete it. So, it’s important to find balance between data collection and a seamless sign-up. 

First, consider what details might help you improve the attendee experience:

• Are you hosting a business event? Ask about your attendees job title or seniority level so you plan appropriate content and discussions. 
• Will there be food and beverage at your event? Ask for individual’s dietary restrictions.
• Is your event online or live-streamed? Ask attendees if they wish to receive a recording. 
• Will any attendees need accessibility accommodations? Think: wheelchair ramps, interpreters, etc. 
• Are there going to be speakers or special discussions at your event? Ask attendees to submit questions early to help tailor the discussions. 

Beyond helping plan your event, your custom questions or registration form can be used to collect valuable marketing data and pinpoint future opportunities. For example, you may consider asking your audience how they heard about your event, or give them the option to receive newsletters or other information from your organization. 

Do your best to keep your questions short, clear and concise so you can gain an understanding of your attendees’ preferences and build a future contact base. 

Once an attendee has signed up, you can send them a pre or post event survey if you want to learn more. Ticketbud integrates with Survey Monkey, and you can email a follow up at any time to your database with Ticketbud.

The post Go Digital – Easily Create an Online Event Registration Form appeared first on Ticketbud.

To help you find a ticketing solution that works best for your upcoming event, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions on event ticketing below: 

What is an event ticketing platform?

An event ticketing platform is a cloud-based system that takes the labor out of selling tickets and registering people for events and activities. From ticket creation and payment processing to ticket delivery and check-in, a ticketing system should handle the entire sale process with limited technical knowledge required from the event planner or attendee.

For example, Ticketbud is a free, online event registration tool that allows event organizers to create free event websites and sell tickets to events. While the platform is free to organizers, a small fee is passed along to the attendee during payment processing – with discounts available for non-profits. 

The online ticketing platform enables organizers to create custom tickets, allowing them to build a multi-tiered ticketing strategy or offer exclusive event discounts to important stakeholders. Ticketbud also helps event managers get paid fast to help cover early event costs. It provides organizers with real–time sales performance data and communication tools to reach their audiences.

The 3 ticketing classifications for event types 

Event ticketing can be described in different ways for various event types. Ticket sales define events geared at generating revenue, while bookings or registrations may describe sign-ups for free or sometimes paid events. 

The requirements for event types and their respective ticketing can vary. Events requiring registration, such as professional conferences or charity races, may need a comprehensive event registration form to gather important participant information or request donations. 

Other multifaceted events may require bookings so attendees can schedule specific sessions or time slots over the course of multiple days, events or locations. Whatever specifications your event entails, all can be managed with a reliable ticketing provider, such as Ticketbud.

How do event ticketing systems work?

Online event ticketing systems will vary, but ideally your event registration platform should enable you to: 

1. Create an event page with your ticket types
2. Promote and sell event tickets
3. Check-in attendees on event day by validating tickets
4. Report on all your event and attendee data
5. Access funds generated from ticket sales whenever needed

What are the benefits of ticketing?

Event planning is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in America, but utilizing tried and tested ticketing technology, such as Ticketbud, offers peace of mind and efficiency. 

A reliable online ticketing system will help you sell tickets around the clock. Attendees are easily able to securely purchase their own tickets online 24/7. And, many event registration platforms allow attendees to opt into event insurance to protect their payment if the event is canceled. 

Ticketing systems, such as Ticketbud, also offer organizers a central management and communication center for their event. These platforms can also assist with event marketing support through email and social media tools, such as Ticketbud’s Ad Engine. 

Ticketing systems also provide day-of support, to smooth check-in and event registration on site. Encouraging online registration or selling tickets for an event ahead of time eliminates the need to process sales at the door. Instead, attendees come with a scannable ticket for easy and efficient check-in. 

Plus, if it’s your first time using an online ticketing system, you can set your mind at ease. Ticketing platforms like Ticketbd come equipped with responsive customer and technical support. 

What is the process of ticketing?

Partnering with an online event ticket seller streamlines the registration for the event planner, especially those who are managing large volumes of transactions and revenue. An online registration tool, such as Ticketbud, automatically tracks ticket sales to help organizers manage, market and grow events. 

Making sure you have reliable secure transactions as part of the ticketing process is key when selling tickets to an event. Ticketbud’s ticketing platform integrates with well-known and secure payment providers to ensure ticket revenue is managed appropriately and efficiently.

Ticketbud doesn’t hold on to the organizer’s money either. Instead, event managers are able to easily track ticket sales and cash in on existing sales ahead of the event. Organizers can also access trackable reporting to see exactly how and when that revenue was generated.  

Which software is best for ticket booking and registrations? 

The best software for your event will depend on your event requirements. However it generally comes down to three key elements: reliability, features and cost.  

To assess reliability you can look at reviews and customer testimonials. You can also request a customized walkthrough to experience how the platform would work for your specific event. When evaluating features, you want to ensure the ticketing software you’re considering can accommodate your needs – whether that’s reserved seating, accepting donations, merchandise sales, event promotion, event discounts or others.     

While many online ticketing platforms can provide many features not all are included in the base price. Many providers will quote low costs that don’t include the features you need. Be careful that your needs don’t require add-on fees.

Here are 11 things to look for when choosing an online ticketing platform. 

What are the features of a ticketing system?

Beyond registration and ticketing, your event registration platform should simplify planning around other aspects of your event. When considering platforms, assess features that support event marketing and communications, event check-in, event management, reporting and analytics. 

Ticketbud for example offers a wide range of ticketing features that can:

• help you create an event and customize ticket sales to suit your needs (reserved seating, group tickets, donations, merchandise sales, timed access, etc.);
• create a winning event registration strategy with the flexibility of unlimited ticket types;
• assist with event marketing;
• allow the monitoring of ticket sales and promotions in real time;
• manage your event and communication with attendees;
• check-in attendees with a free app with easy to scan or search capabilities;
• provide detailed reporting of sales and attendance.

The post Ticketing for Events appeared first on Ticketbud.

How do you handle event registration?

Websites, such as Ticketbud, provide easy-to-use event registration software for planners to manage and promote their events. The online tool allows event managers to create event pages and host registration and ticket sales for free, with a small fee passed along to ticket buyers for paid-events. Selling and sending electronic tickets has never been easier. 

The online ticketing tool also allows event planners to customize every step of their event registration process – from creating different ticket types (GA vs. VIP) and automating their sales timelines, down to designing the look and layout of each ticket. Ticketbud even allows users to customize questions for ticket buyers to help planners gather and capture important information about their audience. Use this feature to create a custom event registration form. 

What is registration software?

Event registration software provides an online platform where event planners can plan, create and manage paid or unpaid sign-ups to their events. Useful event registration platforms, like Ticketbud, consist of an online back-office for event planners to organize and promote registration, as well as a user interface for attendees to learn more about the event and purchase tickets. 

How to choose the right event registration software

When considering which online event ticketing software to use, take stock of key features that can help ease processes before, during. and after the event. 

With Ticketbud, event planners can create custom event webpages to share across online platforms. The platform’s ticket editor allows users to create and customize costs and sales timelines for multiple ticket types. And its promotional tools can help planners create and track special sales, referrals, or marketing campaigns.

Ticketbud also helps streamline event-day activities, such as arrival or check-in. For example, when attendees register through Ticketbud, they’re emailed a unique QR code that can be easily scanned on-site through a mobile app for secure check-in. It also provides communication tools that allow planners to email attendees ahead of the event with details they may need to know before they arrive, as well as follow-up with any post-event messaging. 

But perhaps the most important feature to consider is cost. While many event registration softwares offer all the capabilities for successful event registration, it’s not all-inclusive in their base-level user’s cost. With Ticketbud, these features are free for all users. 

What is a registration management system?

Ticketbud is a registration management system that streamlines the workflow for event planners and makes it easy for participants to sign-up for events. The online tool allows event managers to create a custom event page for their events and sell tickets or register individuals through an easy online process. 

Registration management systems can vary in cost and features, but Ticketbud’s tools equip event planners with the tools they need to reach strategic sales goals. For example, the ticket editor allows users to create multiple price points for different ticket types or merchandise sales. Use it to automate specially timed sales promotions. 

The online registration system also provides planners with communication and marketing tools. Event managers can email up-to-date information to participants directly through the site, or run targeted marketing campaigns through Ticketbud’s Ad Engine. 

How do I create an online registration form for an event? 

If using Ticketbud to host your event registration, you can easily create an online registration form using the “Custom Questions” options in your event dashboard. 

When drafting your questions, you have the option to choose whether each requires a response and the type of response – be it text, dropdown, radio or multiple choice. And, if you’re selling multiple types of tickets, you can write specific questions for each ticket type, or assign questions to all ticket types. 

As participants purchase their tickets, their responses will be recorded with their order. This way, when you run a report of the ticket sales, you can view individual responses to each prompt. 

Custom questions are also a great way to gather other information from participants, such as suggestions for content, questions for speakers, or info on how they heard about your event.

The post Event Registration Software appeared first on Ticketbud.

However, we do like to be helpful, so we have highlighted below some ticket resellers that might be able to help you sell that concert ticket.

Ticket resellers are also helpful for event organizers. It’s inevitable that some ticket buyers won’t be able to attend your events after purchasing a ticket. You determine your own refund policies. In some circumstances you may want to recommend a secure ticket reseller solution for your attendees, as an alternative to refunds. It’s better for your events to be well attended and not have people upset about being stuck with tickets they can’t use.

Here are some ticket resellers to consider:

Ticketswap – Ticket reseller designed as a fair place to buy and sell tickets for concerts, festivals, sports events and more. Ticket markups are capped to a maximum 20% above the original sales price. Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands and founded in 2012. View current Trustpilot rating.

Ticketcity – Ticket reseller that highlights strong customer service and offers a 100% buyer guarantee, with tickets on time or your money back. Based in Austin TX and founded 1990. View current Trustpilot rating.

SeatGeek – Mobile-focused ticket resale platform for live sports, concerts and theater events. Based in New York, NY and founded 2009. View current Trustpilot rating.

Vivid Seats – Independent online ticket exchange and resale company based in Chicago IL and founded in 2001. View current Trustpilot rating.

Stubhub – A market leader in the ticket resale space. Based in San Francisco, CA and founded 2000. View current Trustpilot rating.

Event Organizers: If you are looking for simple solution for registering attendees or selling event tickets, sign up to Ticketbud or learn more here.

The post Ticketbud is not a ticket reseller. We help event organizers with registration and ticket sales appeared first on Ticketbud.

This has without a doubt been one of the most valuable features a ticketing platform could offer this year.  Event Organizers have been dealing with new challenges, adapting events, or creating ticketed events for the first time due to capacity restrictions. Getting a real person on the phone makes all the difference when you need it. 

Ticketbud’s platform flexibility and real human customer support has set us apart this year. 

“We really value the flexibility of being able to work with the Ticketbud team and saying, ‘this is the problem we’re dealing with, and we need a solution for it,’ then they come back and say, ‘Here’s your solution.’ It’s really nice to be able to have that level of support.” 

Amber Gunst, CEO of the Austin Technology Council.

2. Timed Access Ticketing 

As live events return, event organizers are looking for solutions to facilitate social distancing and manage capacities. Timed ticket access allows a specific number of attendees at allocated time slots, preventing overcrowding and maximizing ticket sales safely. Learn more about timed access ticketing.

3. Ticket Revenue and Refund Protections

Now more than ever event organizers and ticket buyers are looking for a little extra reassurance in these unpredictable times. Event Protect coverage is a great optional extra for organizers wanting to protect their event ticket revenue in case of cancelation or adverse conditions. This coverage helps reduce the financial liabilities of event cancellation. 

Refund Protect is the broadest optional refund protection program available to ticket buyers, and now includes Covid-19 coverage. By integrating refund protection, Ticketbud can offer enhanced terms of sale where customers can request a 100% refund should they not be able to attend their event due to unforeseen circumstances.

4. Contactless Ticketing

Digital tickets make it easy to scan without contact or exchanging paper. Getting people to buy tickets online gives you the ability to collect all their details before the event and quickly scan their digital ticket when they arrive to check them in. 

Ticketbud tickets are also integrated with Apple Wallet, making it easier for attendees to store and find their digital event ticket quickly. 

5. Early Payouts

Getting early access to event funds is always something desirable to event organizers, but with tighter event budgets this year it has become a  major priority. Some ticketing companies hold on to your money until after your event, sometimes months after. This just doesn’t work for a lot of event organizers who need early payouts to help fund promotion, pay vendors and cover other upfront event costs. 

Ticketbud offers flexible payout options (daily, weekly, monthly).

6. Online Ticketing for Virtual Events 

Virtual events hit an all time high this year with many organizers having to figure out the logistics of an entirely online event for the first time. Ticketbud made it easy for organizers to quickly set up an event page and start selling tickets right away. Then using our inbuilt communication tools and your chosen video platform (such as Zoom), an event access link can be sent to attendees after they have purchased a ticket.  Learn more about  virtual events. 

7. Inbuilt Promotion and Communication tools 

Tools that make it easy to promote, manage, communicate and track are important to save valuable time. Custom link tracking, referral and promotional codes (including discount and access codes) are very useful, as is the ability to send email invitations. Communication tools that allow for individual or group communication,  including the ability to target those holding specific ticket types.  Event organizers want to keep in touch with attendees leading up to and after the event, particularly important if any contact tracing is required after an event. 

Ticketbud Ad Engine is an optional advertising extra. Access powerful social advertising with advanced targeting features, made easy for events. Optimizing Facebook and Instagram ads based on your ticket sales data, automatically focusing ad budget on ads that sell more tickets.

8. Simple Custom Event Pages 

Event organizers generally need to create an event web page, unless they have an existing  website and are just looking to sell tickets from it. Ticketbud has a simple ticket widget that allows you to sell the tickets right from your own website. However many event organizers are looking to create a custom event landing page where they can sell tickets. Organizers want something that is quick and easy to set up, with no technical skills required. 

Ticketbud provides organizers with a simple template for creating a custom branded event web page that is search engine and mobile optimized.

9. Unlimited Ticketing Types 

Event organizers want the freedom and flexibility to create effective ticket programming with multiple ticket types to help maximize sales. 

With unlimited ticket types you can create early bird sales, exclusive VIP experiences, group packages, tiered pricing, family passes, food and beverage packages, event merchandise, donations, complementary and sponsor tickets, and more.

Even Organizers want to be able to create multiple ticket types without paying more for it. Many have been caught out in the past with ticketing companies that limit the number of ticket types you can have before they charge more. Ticketbud allows organizers to create unlimited ticket types at no additional cost.

Get started creating an event or request a demo. 

Learn more about ticketing with Ticketbud or check out our FAQ page. 

The post The 9 Most Popular Ticketing Features and Tools for Event Organizers: appeared first on Ticketbud.

Ticketbud’s completely customized ticketing platform has helped us create a better event experience overall, especially thanks to the fully integrated point of sale experience. We look forward to better data tracking and analysis to help us throughout our event planning and marketing.”

Dawn Robinette, Marketing Director, Old West Christmas Light Fest.

Why Holiday Festivals are Choosing Ticketbud

Ticketbud is designed to manage the needs of high-volume multi-day festivals. Our clients include festivals running over two weeks with over 500,000 attendees. We are built to handle high traffic on-sales and heavy scanning needs at check-in. Organizers are switching to Ticketbud to take advantage of service, features and tools that maximize sales and year on year growth. 

“Ticketbud’s multi-day event calendars enhance the ticket buyer experience and convert more sales. Event tags make multi-day reporting clearer with customizable data segmentation. Our unlimited ticket programming gives organizers greater flexibility, while our ongoing customer support really sets us apart.”

Kayhan Ahmadi, Ticketbud CEO.

Multi-day Event Calendar – When you have an event scheduled over multiple days, calendar functionality that makes it quick an easy for ticket buyers to select the day (and potentially time) they want to attend. Ticketbud’s multi-day calendar functionality allows organizers to show events and activities clearly over a number of days. 

Event Tags – This feature allows organizers to tag events with custom labels that enables them to group their events for reporting or promotional purposes. Events can have multiple tags so they appear in different reports. Organizers can also promote specific tagged events on a promotional landing page. 

Unlimited Ticket Types – Good ticket programming helps you sell more tickets, so you don’t want to have limited ticketing options. Some competitors only allow you 1 ticket type before charging more. Ticketbud automatically includes this flexibility for everyone. You can create early bird sales and special promotions, scheduling when tickets go on sale and off. Offer adult, child and family tickets, weekend passes, whatever you need to maximize sales opportunities without having to pay more. We also have functionality for ticket access codes and discount codes.

Customizable Ticket Layouts – Customize what appears on the ticket for each ticket type, including relevant maps and directional information. You can also add your sponsor logos. 

High Volume Capacity – A reliable system that can handle high volume on-sales without your site crashing. We work with large festivals that have huge sales the day of their event. One of our holiday festivals sells 40,000 tickets a day leading up to Christmas.     

Fast Ticket Scanning – Our enhanced scanning and processing capacity ensures a quick and reliable check-in process, particularly valuable for high volume festivals and events. While you can download our app and scan from any mobile device, our new rentable scanning guns are ideal for fast point and shoot scanning on busy festival gates. 

Sell tickets at the door with an integrated POS – Our rentable mobile point-of sale devices make it quick and easy to sell tickets at the door. You can also log cash sales into our system to ensure full picture reporting. 

Event Protect – An optional cost effective coverage for ticket revenue, built into the ticket price.  Important for outdoor holiday events subject to adverse weather. 

Mobile Optimized Event Pages – Sell more tickets with our mobile optimized event pages and checkout, including Apple Pay and Google Pay integrations.

Comprehensive Reporting – Quickly and easily access to all your event data and attendee information with no additional charges. 

Rentable Wifi Hardware – Boost your wi-fi with our powerful mobile routers running off multiple networks to ensure a reliable connection at your event. 

Ongoing Customer Support – When you have invested in a large event, you want to know you can get a hold of your ticketing provider when you need them. At Ticketbud you will always be able to speak to real people who can help via phone, email or online chat. This is part of our service, we don’t charge more for it. 

Inbuilt Communication tools – Send out invitations as well as communicate with attendees before and after the event, all from within our ticketing system. You can also create custom communications based on ticket type, to ensure attendees get the most relevant information to them. 

Some Key Advantages of Ticketing your Festival with Ticketbud

• Early payouts (daily, weekly or monthly), enabling access to funds before the event.
• All-inclusive pricing with access to all features and tools, unlimited ticket types and customer support.
• Customizable event pages that are mobile optimized.
• A user-friendly platform that makes it easy to set up and manage events.
• Own your data. Ticketbud doesn’t charge extra for it or sell it to anyone else.
• No account needed for ticket buyers. We don’t create extra steps for your ticket buyers, they don’t need a Ticketbud account to buy tickets.

Related Links:

Ticketbud Tidbits Podcast Ep 32 – Holiday Festival Marketing and Customer Experience, with Dawn Robinette from Old West Light Fest.

Press Release – Event Ticketing Platform Ticketbud Has Holiday Festivals All Lit Up Over Their Online Ticketing

It’s free to sign up and get started on Ticketbud

Free events are always free. Paid events only require payment set-up when you’re ready to start selling tickets. Until then, get started building great events on Ticketbud, with access to all features and customer support. Learn more about the Ticketbud experience or request a personalized demo today.

The post Ticketbud has Holiday Festivals All Lit Up Over Their Online Ticketing appeared first on Ticketbud.

Recently on the Joe Rogan Experience, popular comedian Andrew Schulz expressed frustration over ticketing companies with unnecessarily high fees, who are also holding on to valuable event data and attendee contact information. 

The value of owning the data and audience contact information from your events cannot be overstated. Your data insights and direct access to your audience is key to being able to grow your following as an artist. You need to know who your audience is to be able to connect with them. Don’t pay extra for your own data.

With more comedians and live shows making the move to Ticketbud, we recently invited NYC comedian and producer Joe Hill onto our Ticketbud Tidbits podcast. A key factor in Joe’s switch to Ticketbud was the early access to funds before the event. Early payouts are a game changer, due to the upfront costs of organizing and promoting shows. With Ticketbud you don’t pay more for this. 

Ticketbud’s all-inclusive flat rate pricing means that there’s one rate for everyone. As soon as you sign up for Ticketbud you instantly gain access to all features and ongoing customer support, with no additional charges. There are no monthly or yearly subscription fees, if you don’t make money, we don’t make money. It’s in our interest to give you the best platform, with the features, tools and support to sell more tickets. 

Ticketbud is also mobile optimized, which is important for converting ticket sales on mobile devices. Most consumers are researching shows and events on mobile, a smooth ticketing experience from event page through to purchase helps maximize sales. 

Ticketbud offers price transparency: 

2% ticketing fee +0.99c service charge per ticket sold

+2.9% payment processor fee

With discounts available for non-profits, educational institutions and students.

Be aware of ticketing providers who use fee structures that leave you paying much more than expected for the basic services you need. Enticed by entry level packages, you will soon find there are additional fees for customer service, being able to offer more than one ticket type (a must for effective ticket programming), the ability to sell tickets on your own website, customizable forms, access to detailed analytics and early payouts before your event.

Why pay more for this when it all comes as standard with Ticketbud?

It’s free to sign up and get started on Ticketbud. You don’t pay anything until you start selling tickets, and even then you have the option to build ticketing fees into your ticket prices.

Ticketbud Empowers Live Shows to Maximize Revenue through Direct Ticketing

The event ticketing landscape is coming under increased scrutiny. Last week there was a call for a federal investigation of the online ticketing industry, citing the Ticketmaster-Live Nation stronghold. “Americans…have grown sick and tired of the sky-high fees.” A Government Accountability Office report found that on average, fees are more than 25 percent of ticket prices and are often not visible until late in the buying process. This is bad for ticket buyers, event producers and artists, everyone except the ticketing company. 

While big named artists often have their ticketing tied up with a venue, coordinated by Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Artists that are free to choose ticketing have the opportunity to maximize their revenue, data and contact lists. 

This has lead more performing artists and event producers to ticket their events directly, with Ticketbud emerging as a popular choice for live shows.

“With our commitment to transparent pricing, low all-inclusive fees and early access to funds, Ticketbud empowers performing artists to maximize revenue through direct ticketing. Our user-friendly platform makes it easy to sell tickets online”.

Ticketbud CEO Kayhan Ahmadi

4 Reasons Live Shows are Choosing Ticketbud 

1. Data ownership – complete access to event data and attendee contact information 
2. Early payouts – access to funds before the event to cover upfront costs
3. Transparent all-inclusive low rates – including all features and ongoing customer support
4. Mobile optimization – convert more sales on mobile, where people are searching for live shows 

Recently on the Joe Rogan Experience, popular comedian Andrew Schulz expressed frustration over ticketing companies with unnecessarily high fees, who are also holding on to valuable event data and attendee contact information. 

The value of owning the data and audience contact information from your events cannot be overstated. Your data insights and direct access to your audience is key to being able to grow your following as an artist. You need to know who your audience is to be able to connect with them. Don’t pay extra for your own data.

With more comedians and live shows making the move to Ticketbud, we recently invited NYC comedian and producer Joe Hill onto our Ticketbud Tidbits podcast. A key factor in Joe’s switch to Ticketbud was the early access to funds before the event. Early payouts are a game changer, due to the upfront costs of organizing and promoting shows. With Ticketbud you don’t pay more for this. 

Ticketbud’s all-inclusive flat rate pricing means that there’s one rate for everyone. As soon as you sign up for Ticketbud you instantly gain access to all features and ongoing customer support, with no additional charges. There are no monthly or yearly subscription fees, if you don’t make money, we don’t make money. It’s in our interest to give you the best platform, with the features, tools and support to sell more tickets. 

Ticketbud is also mobile optimized, which is important for converting ticket sales on mobile devices. Most consumers are researching shows and events on mobile, a smooth ticketing experience from event page through to purchase helps maximize sales. 

Ticketbud offers price transparency: 

2% ticketing fee +0.99c service charge per ticket sold

+2.9% payment processor fee

With discounts available for non-profits, educational institutions and students.

Be aware of ticketing providers who use fee structures that leave you paying much more than expected for the basic services you need. Enticed by entry level packages, you will soon find there are additional fees for customer service, being able to offer more than one ticket type (a must for effective ticket programming), the ability to sell tickets on your own website, customizable forms, access to detailed analytics and early payouts before your event.

Why pay more for this when it all comes as standard with Ticketbud?

It’s free to sign up and get started on Ticketbud. You don’t pay anything until you start selling tickets, and even then you have the option to build ticketing fees into your ticket prices.

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What’s holding you back? Are you unsure about the process? Do you think it will be expensive and cut into profits? Whatever your concern, there’s a solution that’s going to save you time and effort, as well as earn you more revenue. Moving to online ticketing is easier and cheaper than you think.

Why move to online ticketing?

According to Google, 71% of all ticket purchases are made online, and this figure continues to grow. Event organizers still relying on offline ticketing and manual processes are missing out on some great benefits. Organizers who have implemented event management and ticketing software, have experienced outcomes such as:

• Increased attendance by 20 percent
• Increased organizer productivity by 27 percent
• Decrease in costs 15-30 percent (Frost & Sullivan, 2014)(Enterprise Event Marketing, 2016)

While most online ticket purchases happen on desktop computers, there has been a significant increase in purchases from mobile devices. In the past few years there has also been a major shift from physical tickets and at-home-printing, to a complete mobile ticketing experience. Online ticketing companies with a mobile optimized user interface and checkout have been able to capitalize on this to ensure more conversions for their event organizers.   

If you’re only selling tickets offline and at the door you are certainly missing out on registrations and ticket sales. Even if there is a percentage of your target audience that prefers to buy offline, you will be surprised by the numbers you’re missing. You are also creating more work for yourself. Online ticketing improves efficiency, providing greater reward for less effort.

Increase Registrations and Ticket Sales

Learn more about your target market, build relationships, gain insights and convert more sales. Experienced ticketing providers know how to convert more traffic from your event page into ticket sales/registrations. Many sales are lost at event pages with the inability to convert. An intuitive and mobile optimized user interface and checkout experience has a significant impact on conversions.

• Reach new audiences – through digital channels.
• Make ticket purchasing more convenient for buyers with mobile and desktop purchasing.  
• Gain valuable tools and features to help convert more sales, sell merchandise and collect donations for fundraising.

Increase Efficiency

• Online ticketing means less work for event organizers, freeing staff to manage the event.
• You don’t have to manually process or print tickets, which is time consuming and costly.
• There is less room for error than with a manual process.
• Easy event day check-in with free scanning apps

What does an online event ticketing platform actually do?

An online ticketing platform manages registrations or ticket sales for your event. Manual ticketing can be complicated and time consuming, with a lot of room for human error. A good ticketing company will provide you with a platform and service to make this a much simpler and more reliable process.

Here is some of what Ticketbud offers:

• A free event landing page that you can easily set up with your branding, images, event and ticket information. Set it up in minutes with no special skills required, edit directly on the page.
• Payments are processed with secure payment providers. We also ensure you can get early access to funds (daily, weekly or monthly payouts).
• Promotional tools to assist in driving more sales.
• Inbuilt communication centre to communicate with attendees and send feedback surveys.
• Free mobile app for quick event day ticket scanning (manual check-in and guest lists available).
• Valuable insights with comprehensive event reporting and complete access to your attendee information and data.
• We also have rentable devices such as point-of-sale for on the door ticket sales and wi-fi routers to ensure a reliable wi-fi connection.

Things to be aware of:

The little guy shouldn’t miss out on customer support

First time and smaller event organizers need customer support. You will have questions you want clarifying along the way and you will want someone to talk to. Ticketbud treats customers fairly. We don’t reserve our customer service for the big players. Ticketbud tailors our customer support based on your requirements, and it won’t cost you extra.

Flexible Payout Options

Make sure you can get access to your ticket revenue early to help cover costs of pre-event expenses. Some providers will only give you access to revenue after your event is complete. Ticketbud offers daily, weekly or monthly payout options. Why wait?

Price Transparency

What price are you really paying and what do you get for your money? Many providers make it hard to see the final cost and you end up paying much more than you thought.

Ticketbud has all-inclusive pricing:  Ticketing fee of 2% + 0.99c service charge per ticket sold. We also offer a discounted price for non-profits. 

This includes everything from customer support, unlimited ticketing options, promotion and communication resources, mobile check-in app and comprehensive reporting. The only additional charges we have is if you want to take up event protection coverage or rentable devices for your event.   

Don’t be fooled by the starter or essentials packages offered by other providers. They are often not ideal for first time users, can be highly restrictive and rarely include customer support. Numerous event organizers have come to Ticketbud after using another provider. They didn’t get the customer support they needed or they were pushed from an essentials starter package to a professional package because they needed more than one ticket type.

Access to Unlimited Ticket Types

Flexible ticketing options allow you to create any ticket type you want. Some providers charge a higher rate for this. The reality is that most events are going to need more than a General Admission ticket option.

Offering different ticket types for various audiences is proven to help sell more tickets. This is called ticket programming. You may want to offer general tickets, discounted tickets (child/student/senior), early-bird rates or ticket packages/bundles. Complimentary tickets or special promotional codes are also useful to offer a discounted ticket to members, sponsors or special guests.

People are more inclined to purchase tickets when there are special offers and early bird rates. It’s human nature, everyone likes to get a good deal. If you want people to commit early, you have to incentivize them. You can also offer VIP packages at a higher rate to appeal to a different market and maximize sales. Some organizers sell tiered parking rates at events as additional ticket options. This is why you need the flexibility to have unrestricted ticket types.

Check out our blog on 11 things to look for when choosing an online ticketing platform.

The post Are You Still Running An Event With Only Offline Sales? Not Moving To Online Ticketing Is Costing More Than You Think appeared first on Ticketbud.

Here’s a guide that will help you ask the right questions to get the online ticketing you need.

1. Customer support included! Some providers charge a premium for customer support. If you’re new to online ticketing you want to have a real person you can call to get help right away.
2. Price transparency and get started without credit card details. It’s not a good sign if it takes more than a couple of minutes to understand the total cost for the features you need. You also want to be able to create an account and try the platform, to ensure it works for you before spending money.
3. It’s quick and easy to create your own event page. You want it to be user friendly to create a great looking branded event page with tickets and social share options.
4. No account needed for ticket buyers. You don’t want ticket buyers to have to create an account before buying tickets. Adding extra steps loses sales.
5. Unlimited ticket types. Don’t pay more to have different ticket types (child, student, adult, or early bird sales and complimentary tickets etc). Some providers restrict this to one ticket type and charge a premium for more. Most events are going to need more than one ticket type. It helps you sell more tickets.
6. Flexible payout options. Many providers make you wait until after your event to get paid. You should be able to access your funds early to cover event costs. (FYI Ticketbud offers daily, weekly or monthly payouts).
7. Mobile optimized. Most consumers research events on mobile devices. Ensure event pages and checkouts are mobile optimized to help you sell more tickets.
8. Promotional features. You’ll want tools to help you sell tickets and measure promotional efforts. Things like social share buttons, facebook pixel integration, custom link tracking, website widgets, options for incentivized pricing, referral and promotional codes. (If any of these are unfamiliar, you will want a provider with customer support).
9. Inbuilt communication tools. An engagement centre to send targeted invites, communicate and build relationships with attendees, and manage attendee lists for follow up (including post event surveys).
10. Free mobile check-in app. Scanning tickets at the door quickly and easily from any mobile device.  
11. Ensure you own your data and all reporting is included. Make sure you get complete access to comprehensive reporting and all your attendee data without paying more for it.

What do you get with Ticketbud?

Our customer support is worth mentioning again. Ticketbud’s customer support is what sets us apart. We are there every step of the way. Our customers have unrestricted access to real help, real people and real answers. Ticketbud is a user friendly, all-in-one event management and ticketing platform with all-inclusive pricing and customer support. Organizers are in control with flexible payout options providing early access to funds, and access to powerful tools and integrations. Ticketbud also offers the flexibility to customize, including white-label solutions.   

Ticketbud helps you create an amazing event landing page and set up unlimited ticket types. We equip you with tools to help enhance promotions for your event. We have an inbuilt communication centre where you can send invites, communicate with attendees and gain feedback with post event surveys.

We’re also there for the event day logistics, providing a free app for quickly scanning tickets, manual check-in options and guest lists, as well as rentable devices and mobile point of sale for on the door sales. We offer robust reporting features which are easy to use and interpret, giving you highly valuable insights. Learn what drove the most sales for your event and have complete access to your attendee lists and data.

We would love to show you more. Request a demo of the Ticketbud platform today!

The post 11 Things to Look For When Choosing an Online Ticketing Platform appeared first on Ticketbud.

Questions To Ask:

1. How Are Fees Structured? Is There A Nonprofit Discount?

One of the most controversial parts of ticketing software seems to be the service charges. And frankly, it makes sense – the way most fees are presented are “gotchas”, which creates an awful customer experience. When reviewing your event software choices, look at how they present fees on their platform. Are they upfront, or are they included in the price of the ticket?

At the same time, you should be looking at how the site’s fees are structured. Most event websites are built to provide a service charge, and then there is a separate credit card processing charge. For example, a common pricing structure is 2.5% of the ticket price plus $1, and then there is normally a credit card charge of 3%.

Nonprofit discounts are normally included in the pricing section of any event site that you are on. While not necessary, if you are planning on absorbing the fee rather than passing it on, you could see significant savings. You will also probably find that any site willing to give you a nonprofit discount is more interested in your business and therefore more likely to have nonprofit centric features and more responsive customer service.

2. Do You Need To Have A Contract?

Most event management websites these days do not require contracts for you to use their services. However, if you wish to negotiate any sort of additional discount on top of their nonprofit fees, you will probably have to get locked into a contract. Make sure that fee pricing is part of the contract negotiations, as fees are generally where you should look to minimize. Also, if you do have to have a contract, require that there be customer service available on the day before, and on the day of the event to answer calls and attendee questions.

3. Will You Be Made Aware Of Fee Structure Changes?

Because the event software space is highly competitive, fee changes can abound. If you lock yourself into a contract (as above) then this is less of a worry. Nonprofits are price sensitive so even a single dollar increase in fees when you are planning on selling tickets can hurt your fundraising potential. Check the website’s terms of service to see if there will be any announcements made. You could try and negotiate to be “grandfathered” into the original fees (i.e. you still sell tickets with the old pricing that you started with).

4. How Do Email Invitations Work?

Email invitations are one of the most powerful tools available to nonprofits. With them, you can notify your lists of upcoming events, fundraisers, and milestones. You should check with the software you are using to see the different types of email invitations, and how they work. Consider sending out emails to a test list to find out if the invitations end up in the inbox, or in spam.

5. Can You Build A Client List?

Despite what the news and speculation might say, list building for emails and direct reach out are some of the most lucrative marketing channels out there. One of the easiest ways to build a client list is to gather information from attendees who have purchased tickets to your event. Normally, you will be able to get access to name (first and last), and email address.

More sophisticated systems give you the ability to see how many tickets a customer purchased. In addition, learn if you can ask questions to your attendees and how they will be recorded. For example, you could ask: “What causes interest you the most?” or “How did you find out about this event?” and get that information recorded alongside that attendee.

If you have been in the nonprofit space for a while, see if there is any functionality that allows you to upload previous client lists for email invites and RSVP notifications. Have an excel sheet or .csv on hand to test the platform out.

6. Can You Track Your Marketing?

Tracking ROI and interest is critical no matter your budget. Any event software you are looking into should offer analytics integrations. Two of the most popular and useful integrations are Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel. Google Analytics helps you understand more about visitors to your event site and purchase behavior. Facebook Pixel can help you create audiences to market to based off of who visits your site and purchases tickets or RSVPs. The event software should also natively offer a way to track purchases, such as through a referral code system so that you know which marketing channels are the biggest drivers of traffic and purchases.

7. Can You Have Collaborators On The Event?

Having collaborators is essential for any nonprofit. You need different people for different roles, such as handling marketing acquisition, and another person to help write text on the event site and design it with graphics, and maybe another person to help set up tickets. With collaboration access, you can grant any committee or employee the ability to have oversight on the event.

8. Is There Donation Functionality?

This is a pretty open-and-closed case. Any nonprofit event management software should have an option for donations. There is a nonzero chance that there will be some people unable to attend the event but are still interested in supporting your cause. If any nonprofit management software lacks donation options, move on to the next one.

9. Is Their Site Secure? How Is Data Handled?

Given how many sites seem to be hacked these days, security comes at a premium. One important certification that any event website should be carrying is a Level 1 PCI Compliance. Having PCI Compliance means that sites transmit and process credit card data in a secure way. There is no reason for an event site to actually maintain a record of credit cards, and it is a high priority that all cards are processed safely. In most cases, this means that the event site does not ever see the credit card info.

There are some event software sites out there that sell customer and attendee data to marketing firms. Be sure to check that the only one handling your attendee data is you. You can generally find this information out through a demo and through their terms of service and privacy policy.

Finally, will the site be able to handle your traffic? Get numbers on percentage of “up-time”, and what their largest clients have been. The last thing you want is a site that goes down because it is unable to deal with the number of users when registration goes live.

10. How Robust Is Their Check-In?

When you’re expecting a lot of attendees, the last thing you want is a bad first impression. A positive check-in experience is essential for creating the mood that leads to a successful event. As you’re looking through feature lists, find out if the event software you’re using has an organizer app that allows you to check in attendees at the door. If you’re planning on selling tickets at the door, inquire as to if they have a Point of Sale system either for purchase or for rent. Newer event organizers that are unsure of turnout should definitely consider selling entry at the door unless it is for an exclusive event such as a gala.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a nonprofit event management software, but I hope that these 10 questions will help you more accurately sift through your choices, and pick the correct option for your event. You can learn more about Ticketbud’s nonprofit event features at: https://ticketbud.com/verticals/non-profit-event-management If you want to know how to start a nonprofit, start here.

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