According to the Baymard Institute, approximately 70% of e-commerce website visitors will abandon their shopping carts. You can probably imagine the potential financial loss from such a high figure. However, if you’re selling tickets for your event, you can employ strategies that will encourage people to buy rather than abandon their cart.
This article looks deeper into shopping cart abandonment, and which strategies you can employ to reduce it when selling tickets online.
Why are Ticket Sales Shopping Carts Abandoned?
As the name suggests, shopping cart abandonment means your visitors have added tickets to their cart but have not completed the purchase. There are numerous potential reasons for this, including:
- A Long Checkout Processes
- A Poor User Experience
- Awkward Account Setup
- Hidden Additional Costs
- High Additional Costs
- Lack of Trust
- Unclear Costs and Other Details
Without any further ado, here’s how you can reduce your cart abandonment rates.
Offer Guest Checkout Options
If you expect your visitors to open an account before buying anything, you could be losing approximately 34% of potential ticket sales. This should come as no surprise considering opening an account can be a time-consuming and frustrating affair, especially on mobile devices.
An alternative approach is to offer a guest checkout option, which means your visitors can buy tickets without having to fill in forms. This method is faster and more convenient for potential customers, resulting in more ticket sales.
One downside of offering a guest checkout option is missing out on details you could otherwise use for marketing. However, you can encourage visitors to open an account in exchange for something else, like a discount on their next order.
TicketsCandy, for example, offers a guest checkout option, allowing visitors to purchase tickets without the need for account creation. This method is faster and more convenient, which often results in higher ticket sales.
Provide a Fast Checkout Service
Most of your prospects will expect an intuitive checkout process that lets them order tickets quickly. As such, you could be losing around 18% in ticket sales if your checkout process is too slow.
Reasons for a slow checkout include using large image files and a poorly built or overly complex interface. Expecting visitors to fill in too many forms can also be a deal-killer, as demonstrated by the chart below.
For the best results, you should use as few form fields in your checkout cart as possible. You should also ensure your checkout process is easy to understand and simple to navigate.
Use Impactful CTAs
The power of a compelling call to action (CTA) should not be underestimated. And not only does a good CTA encourage people to perform a desired action, but it can also help make your site easier to navigate.
Here are a few tips on creating CTAs that will help boost online ticket sales:
- Use Imperative Phrases: Imperative phrases are those that give orders, like ‘Click Here’. Use them – they work. You might be surprised at how effective they are.
- Make CTAs Visible: Make sure your CTAs are highly visible and above the fold where possible. You should also avoid clutter so the CTA jumps off the page.
- Show Key Info Next to the CTA: Make sure you place key information close to the CTA so the prospect’s questions are answered. However, remember to avoid causing clutter around the CTA.
- A/B Testing: A/B testing involves testing different CTA designs against others to find the most effective. This should be a continual process so you are continually optimizing your checkout process.
Demonstrate Credibility
You might be the most honest business on the planet, but new prospects won’t know that. And if potential customers have doubts about your credibility, there’s a good chance they will leave and never return.
Credibility concerns account for approximately 17% of abandoned shopping carts, so it’s best to demonstrate you’re the real deal. One way to demonstrate credibility is with a slick, helpful website that lets people know you’re a professional organization.
You should also offer trusted and secure payment options that reassure the customer their money is in safe hands. TicketsCandy will tokenize payment information that helps keep your prospect’s details safe.
Another way to boost credibility is using social proof, which often comes in the form of customer testimonies. Online shoppers are likely to accept recommendations from other people, even if they don’t know them.
Offer Promotions
Shoppers love a good deal, so promotions will likely result in more online ticket sales. Discounts are effective at getting people’s attention, while bundles are a great way of adding value. Promotions can be particularly effective if they’re available for a limited time only.
Promotions can be affordable and are a great way to generate more online ticket sales in the short term. Perhaps more importantly, promotions also bring in new clients, some of whom will become loyal long-term customers.
You can also try waiting a while before offering promotions, helping you make more ticket sales at full price. You can then return to abandoned carts later, and 54% of shoppers will buy a previously abandoned item if it’s offered at a reduced rate.
Use Clear Copy
Your website’s copy (text) should be clear and to the point, letting your visitors know exactly what they are buying and for how much. Otherwise, your copy might confuse, and confused prospects are likely to leave without buying a thing.
Ensure your copy is as easy to read and understand as possible. Avoid using jargon that others may not understand and be honest in your descriptions. And while creative, catchy slogans can be effective, they can backfire if it’s unclear what you’re selling.
You also need to ensure your copy resonates with your audience. For example, if you’re selling tickets to a family event, you should use a family-friendly tone of voice.
Use Live Chat Support
Many potential customers will have questions before they’re willing to part with their money. As such, it’s a good idea to offer a live chat support option so questions can be answered quickly.
You can also use tools that help make your agents’ jobs easier, helping them work more efficiently. For example, TicketsCandy has a canned reply feature that lets agents answer commonly asked questions at the click of a button.
Not only that but using analytical data on chat support can also help boost sales. For example, reports might show that your agents are struggling to keep up or are giving inaccurate replies. In such instances, hiring more staff and providing more training could help your online ticket sales soar.
Boost Your Online Ticket Sales
Above is just a small sample of strategies you can use to encourage more online ticket sales. Most are easy to implement and can have a significant positive impact. Regardless, among the most important features for selling tickets online is an easy-to-use ticket interface you can optimize for the best results.
TicketsCandy integrates with your website seamlessly and is easy for your developers and prospects to use. The tool offers a range of features that will help you enhance your sales process for the best results, while we also offer assistance promoting your event.
You can even start selling tickets for your event as soon as TicketsCandy has been integrated into your website. And perhaps best of all is that TicketsCandy is completely free to use, while it also helps keep tickets affordable for your customers.
If you would like more information on TicketsCandy and how it can help your business flourish, feel free to get in touch at any time.