Poorly optimised ticketing, a dwindling acquisition budget

In the ticketing sector, a poorly optimised solution can quickly become a financial sinkhole, a veritable funnel through which the entire budget devoted to acquiring traffic escapes without being converted into sales. To recruit new audiences effectively, the strategy needs to be structured around several key stages. Firstly, the marketing and communications teams work hard to raise awareness of the organisation among this target audience.

This multi-channel communication, which can take the form of social networks, newsletters or display campaigns, generates significant traffic to the organiser’s platforms and above all to the ticket office. It is precisely at this point that the difference is made between a ticket office that converts and one that misses out on commercial opportunities. The first interaction with the box office is the most decisive. It is here that the transformation of a curious visitor into a customer, of an anonymous visitor into an identified supporter, and above all the conversion of marketing efforts into a tangible return on investment comes into play. It is at this stage that the user experience makes all the difference.

The first interaction with the ticket office: a process to be optimised

The first-purchase journey is crucial to converting traffic into engaged spectators. Once a visitor arrives at your box office after seeing an advert or promotion, it’s essential that they can buy their ticket quickly and without friction. A successful first purchase must be simple, smooth and quick. An overly complex pathway, unnecessary steps or excessive requests for personal data at this stage can lead to abandonment and considerably reduce your conversion rate. If, after 25 seconds, a buyer has not yet reached the payment stage, this is a sign that there is a problem.

It is vital to minimise the number of clicks required to complete the purchase, keeping the process as quick and simple as possible. Furthermore, although a data collection strategy is essential in the long term, it should not be imposed at the time of the first purchase. The collection of personal data should not be an obstacle to this first interaction. The aim is to make the experience as seamless as possible, without asking visitors for additional details before they have finalised their purchase.

How to collect data gradually, after the first purchase

Once the first purchase has been made, it becomes much more relevant to collect additional information. For example, access to the customer account to download an invoice or manage personal information can be made conditional on the creation of an account, enabling data to be collected without weighing down the initial experience. Similarly, access to the ticket resale platform or special offers can also be linked to registration, offering an additional service to the user while making it easier to collect the necessary information.

This process is more acceptable to users, because unlike the first purchase stage, it is a request that they knowingly accept, in exchange for the additional services they want. Once they have purchased their ticket, spectators are more inclined to fill in the information requested, as this enables them to benefit from advantageous features such as account management, ticket resale or access to exclusive promotions. This allows you to collect all the information you need, without risking losing potential buyers.

Ticketchainer: an e-commerce approach for clubs

At Ticketchainer, we have integrated these best practices from e-commerce into our ticketing processes. Thanks to our mobile-first approach, we can guarantee a fluid, intuitive and fast experience, whatever the device used. We have designed a ticketing system that is optimised for first-time purchases, and we know how to maximise conversion while gradually gathering the information needed to engage spectators.

Our customers benefit from a simplified user interface and intelligently integrated data collection after the first purchase, reducing abandonment and increasing conversions across the entire customer journey. Our solutions have proven their effectiveness, with customers seeing up to three times more conversions after adopting our optimised pathways.