Top Questions to Ask When Selecting a Ticketing Service

With online ticketing market revenue expected to grow from USD 77.49 billion in 2023 to USD 97.36 billion by 2028, it’s clear that the event industry has a bright future ahead. And so do you if you’re looking to sell online tickets to your experiences and events.

Your customers have grown to like this convenience in their lives—buying tickets for their favorite concerts, music festivals, sports events, conferences, etc., with a few taps on their phones.

As an event organizer, your job is to deliver this comfort without any hiccups. But with so many ticketing options available with different features and functionalities, choosing the right one that’ll meet your specific business needs gets tricky. How can you know which one has everything you need?

In this article, we’ll help you set criteria for measuring which online ticketing platform is right for you and your customers based on hard and objective facts. We’ll also share our top 3 picks for the best online ticketing solutions based on that standard, so read on.

What Are The Features and Functionalities of The Ticketing Service?

An online ticketing system is no longer an innovation—it’s necessary (most of your competitors use one). But the online ticketing platform you choose must have all the tools you need to run your event business successfully.

Source: Dreamcast

You’ll need to figure out a list of must-have features that’ll make the whole process of making your decision more convenient. Choose a platform that checks every single box on that list so you know you’re getting the most practical, effective service.

Here are a few key features you need to look for when choosing a scalable ticketing platform:

1. Streamlined Event Setup

The online ticketing platform you choose must be efficient—it shouldn’t take much time to set up, so you can focus on more important things that matter.

It should have all the features you need and, at the same time, should be easy to navigate. Your event’s overview should be clear and packed with relevant information, so you can actively step up if needed.

To streamline the whole event setup and ticket management process, the solution you choose should have an easy-to-use interface and step-by-step guidance.

2. White Label Ticketing

White Label Ticketing lets you slap your logo on the ticketing system, giving you total control over your tickets, brand, and customers. If you have a loyal fan base and a well-recognized brand, you should give the perks of white-label ticketing a closer look.

You can sell event tickets online using white-label ticketing while keeping your own brand image intact. Plus, you can tailor the ticketing process to showcase your brand front and center during your events.

The best part? It seamlessly integrates with your website—you’ll sell tickets directly without any third-party sites getting in the way. Also, your customers won’t be exposed to your competitors’ events.

3. Event Check-In

Do you know what can make or break an event? The check-in process. Nobody wants attendees to waste precious time standing in long lines upon arrival. That’s why having a seamless and efficient check-in system is crucial.

Look for a ticketing system with an integrated QR ticket-scanning app. With just a quick scan of a smartphone, tickets are validated in an instant. Attendees receive their tickets directly on their devices, and venues can effortlessly scan the QR code upon arrival for automatic verification.

This integrated system keeps everything synchronized, preventing the reuse of the same ticket and safeguarding against fraudulent and duplicate sales.

Here are some key features to keep an eye out for:

• Guestlist management
• Offline scanning capability
• Ticket scanning app
• Comprehensive attendee reporting.

4. Analytics & Reporting

Dealing with tons of event data and attendees can be really hard. But with the right event ticketing platform, you can access and make sense of that data in a way that’s actually meaningful to you.

These tools will help you gain insights into ticket sales, attendance, and payment reports. You can manage your events and data all in one platform. With a single dashboard, seamlessly link your entire event journey—from pre-sale to real-time updates and post-event actions. This unified view helps you to make smarter decisions and analyze important analytics.

Keep an eye out for these key features:

• Export functionality for easy data sharing
• Custom reports tailored to your needs
• Real-time data synchronization for up-to-the-minute insights
• A visual dashboard that makes data come alive.

5. Registration & Data Capture

Event registration is the backbone of any successful event. It’s not just about attendees signing up; it’s an opportunity for organizers to gather valuable information about your guests.

Your event ticketing system needs a robust registration feature. Look for a platform that offers an intuitive form builder. That will help you create online forms and easily set up data capture questions. No coding should be required—just drag and drop various question and field options to customize the form to your needs.

Online forms are often the first interaction potential customers have with your website. So, nailing it is essential to leave a positive impression.

What Are the Ticketing Platform Fees?

This is one of the most common questions that event organizers ask, and it’s important as you want to get the most bang for your buck when selling tickets online. The ticket platform fee is the price for the developers, customer support, marketing, and everything else involved on the platform’s end.

It could be anywhere from 0.9% to 10% to 50%. With a $20 ticket and 2000 tickets sold, the difference would be $19,640.

Remember that pricing structures can vary and may be presented in different ways, sometimes hidden. Here’s a breakdown of the types of pricing structures you might come across:

1. Percentage per ticket: This pricing model is very simple—you pay a certain percentage of your ticket price as the fee. That means if your ticket price is lower, you should look for a platform with a percentage per-ticket pricing structure.
2. Flat fee per ticket: These ticketing platforms take a certain fixed amount per ticket from you and won’t charge a percentage.
3. Flat fee plus percentage: Examples include Eventbrite’s US 3.7% + $1.59. This is a hybrid pricing model that, more often than not, benefits the ticketing platform more than the event organizers.

So, when choosing a ticketing platform, consider the ticket platform fee carefully. Choose a platform with a transparent fee structure that aligns with your business’s needs.

There are some unique pricing models, also. An example is TicketCandy’s free pricing structure for ticket sellers. Learn more about how TicketsCandy saves you money while giving you a complete platform for ticket marketing, management, and selling.

How User-Friendly is the Ticketing Platform?

79% of your potential customers will move on to your competitor’s site if they can’t find what they came looking for. And at such a crucial stage where they are ready to buy your ticket, you can’t really afford this risk.

Source: Impactplus

That’s why the platform you choose should be highly user-friendly, not only for you but also for your customers. Here’s why:

For The Event Holder (You)

As an event business owner, you already have a lot on your plate and can’t really spend time overcoming the steep learning curve that many of the ticketing platforms have.

Think about it:  If you have to learn to use a platform on the go, and the deadline is closing in, it can cause an inconvenient delay. And convenience is everything in the event industry today.

So you need an efficient ticketing system that has all the tools you need, is easy to learn, and has resources to guide you through the whole process.

For The Customer

You can’t afford to confuse customers with an unnecessarily over-complicated ticketing system. Choose a platform that allows your customers to get their tickets without jumping through hoops.

Ensure their user interface is clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Also, if you are using their website or even if you are using their widget on your site for ticketing, be sure it’s mobile-friendly. 58.33 percent of global website traffic accesses the internet from their mobile devices.

Source: Statista

What Customer Support Is Provided?

Choosing the right online ticket sales service goes beyond just features. You need a support system that ensures you receive top-notch customer service throughout your event setup and beyond.

Here are some key questions to assess the level of customer support provided by a ticketing service:

• Team Size: How many dedicated individuals are on your customer service team?
• Availability: Is customer service available 24/7, or are there specific hours when assistance may be limited?
• Contact Methods: What are the channels for reaching customer service? Can you contact them via phone, email, live chat, or all three?
• Help Center: Does the ticketing service offer a comprehensive help center with answers to commonly asked questions?

Get answers to these questions before you choose an online ticketing platform. That way, any issues you might face during ticket sales going live won’t result in major revenue losses due to incompetent support.

Are There Customization Options To Sell My Tickets?

80% of potential online consumers are more likely to buy when offered a personalized experience. That’s why having a wide range of customization options is key to hosting a successful event.

Source: NeilPatel

Personalization includes having the freedom to create various ticket types, add event dates, and sell various ticket pricing tiers. Being able to add custom discount codes can give your sales a boost.

Leveraging these customization features, you can optimize your online ticket sales, track your progress, and ensure a sold-out event.

Crafting an Irresistible Event Page

To maximize ticket sales, you’ll want an event/ticketing webpage that captivates your audience. Personalization is key here. Spend time shaping your event’s narrative, showcasing your connection to it.

Once you’ve mastered your story, you must convey it effectively on your event page. Ticket platforms that allow you to add your own branding (logo, colors, and images) can help establish more authority on your ticketing pages.

Capturing Valuable Attendee Information

Depending on your event’s nature, you might want to gather specific details from your ticket buyers. Beyond the standard information like names, phone numbers, and email addresses, you may require additional data.

Consider platforms that allow you to ask for addresses, phone numbers, job titles, attendee ages, and more. All of this information can help with marketing for your future events.

The Best Online Ticket Services

You need the best of the best that fits your needs and help you keep things up and running at their end. Because let’s face it: Your financial stability depends on the revenue you’ll generate selling those tickets.

Here are the top 3 online ticketing platforms that’ll help you add a touch of brilliance to your events:

Features	TicketsCandy	Eventbrite	TicketTailor
Pricing	Free	6.6% + $2.09	2.9% + $0.95
Customization
Easy to Use
Free Tools
24/7 Customer Support

#1: TicketsCandy

TicketsCandy is the best online ticketing platform, trusted by event organizers across multiple industries. Why? It checks every box listed in this article that defines a great platform.

It offers many customization options, doesn’t have a steep learning curve (easy to use for event organizers and end-users), and has reporting tools packed with useful information. Also, customer support is great and available 24/7, and unlike its competitor, it’s absolutely free! (even for free event organizers).

To top all that off, TicketsCandy is a FREE ticketing solution. It can’t get any more transparent than that.

#2: Eventbrite

Eventbrite is a household name in the online ticketing industry. So you should expect to pay a premium for just the name. But there’s a reason it established its brand name in the industry—it offers great customization options, good customer service, and everything else that makes a ticketing platform great.

Here’s the kicker: Although TicketsCandy offers similar features and functionalities to its customers, Eventbrite’s fee is much higher.

It even charges for customer support, which is a bit unfair and why its customers are in the market looking for alternatives. Other than that, it’s a great platform to work with.

#3: TicketTailor

TicketTailor is another great option for an online ticketing solution. It’s very easy to use for ticket buyers. The user interface wasn’t great for the organizers at first, but they have since improved the back end to make it more user-friendly.

More customization on questions would be ideal, but it doesn’t detract from a great product. The reporting can also use some work. It should be able to generate a list of everyone who checked into the event post-event.

Its pricing structure isn’t everyone’s favorite, however —a flat fee of $0.65 per ticket plus merchant fees. That means if you want to sell low-priced tickets, it will take a huge chunk of your revenue as compared to TicketsCandy.

Wrapping Up

There’s more strategy involved in holding events than people may think, and it all starts with how you’re marketing and selling your tickets.

You need to choose a platform that works like a well-oiled machine—with no resistance for you or your end user.

At the end of the day, you should put your unique needs first and set criteria when choosing the best ticketing solution for your business, and make sure that it meets that standard. Asking the questions outlined in this article is a great place to start.

Want to make your event a success story? Sign up with TicketsCandy today and get access to our robust ticketing platform, advanced marketing tools, dedicated support, and all that without you paying a single cent!