Buying tickets to a gig or concert has never been easier! From price comparison sites such as Hey Alex that specialize in hard-to-get tickets, to specialist ticket sites offering harder-to-get gig tickets – the choices available to you can make your search for tickets simple and efficient.
Secondary ticketing sites offer an effective solution for finding gigs that have sold out, often offering more tickets than face value and usually offering customer guarantees.
1. Reliability
When purchasing tickets online, it is essential that the vendor be reliable and can deliver on their promises. This means providing a secure payment page which protects personal data as well as offering customers receipts for their purchase.
Make sure that the secondary ticket marketplaces you are considering have an excellent track record when it comes to protecting customers from scalpers and ticket scammers. Some, like StubHub, Viagogo and TicketsNow have buyer protection programs in place that can protect consumers against being duped by fraudulent sellers.
Search for payment options they accept and mobile apps compatible with your devices, as well as providers offering compliance with global privacy laws and security standards (PCI compliance, for instance). It is vital to protect both yourself and your customer data.
2. Security
Your tickets and information must remain secure, which is why most online ticket vendors provide encryption technologies like SSL to safeguard them from unauthorized access or modification by third parties, along with firewalls, backups and other measures to keep their servers protected against hackers.
There are various options for finding tickets for events you love, such as primary sellers, secondary ticketing sites and resale ticket sites. Tickets sold directly by event organizers usually offer the best selection of seats; primary ticketing sites like Ticketmaster can provide this as well.
Secondary ticketing sites and resale ticketing platforms are an invaluable way to find tickets for sold-out concerts or other events, however it’s essential that you deal with trustworthy sellers and research the state ticket resale laws as this may reduce risk of fraud and scamming. Some go-between companies also provide buyer guarantees which help mitigate this possibility.
3. Convenience
Customers’ perception of convenience is essential in developing happy customer relationships. While products and services may be designed to save time, if they require customers to engage in additional tasks or wait longer than necessary for service, then their perception may not match reality.
TickPick allows users to purchase tickets or bid on them using its innovative browsing technology and offers no buyer fees (instead, they charge sellers their commission). In addition, ticket availability can be graded according to price and seating quality with venue maps providing easy sports navigation.
LiveNation specializes in concert events, offering filters by artist, genre, location and general event type to make discovering new gigs simple and straightforward. Plus it boasts an excellent cancellation policy as well as an intuitive website which makes navigating easier – not forgetting it is owned by Ticketmaster!
4. Customer Service
Customer service is at the core of any online ticketing system. Customers expect quick, in-the-moment support that addresses any queries and ensures they have an enjoyable experience.
Customers that can’t find what they need from you will leave your website without returning, perhaps telling their friends about their bad experience and reducing loyalty overall. That is why customer service has become such a top priority among most teams.
There are various online customer support solutions, like Barry’s Ticket Service, available that provide an intuitive user interface so that every member of your team can keep track of tickets easily, know who’s handling what, and route them directly to the relevant department – giving both longtime fans as well as first-time buyers access to assistance they require – no more “hell hath no fury like a customer scorned” stories!
5. Pricing
Price can make or break an event experience for buyers. They should select a website with multiple ticket prices and low fees to maximize value for their dollar.
Reputable sites such as SeatGeek, StubHub and Live Nation provide users with user-friendly features to assist them in selecting their ideal tickets. These features include an automated value meter that makes recommendations based on ticket quality and price; alert tools also keep customers up to date on changes to ticket pricing.
While numerous sites offer resale tickets, some charge high fees or fail to disclose these until payment details have been entered by users. Buyers seeking official tickets at reasonable prices should opt for primary sellers that work directly with event organizers to provide official tickets at reasonable prices – this approach will avoid costly mistakes while saving time and effort in their search process.
6. Availability
Tickets to concerts and other events can be expensive, so buyers often turn to online ticket agencies in search of deals. Look for websites offering various payment options including instalments – for example Ticketmaster has partnered with Klarna so customers can spread out the cost over three, six or nine months while StubHub provides payment plans via Affirm.
Some sites also provide event tickets with a money-back guarantee, making their purchase more appealing to buyers. You should check how quickly funds will arrive in your account and whether tickets can be transferred between accounts.
Finally, when selecting a ticket sales platform to use for your events, look for one which provides data points so you can monitor and optimise efforts while simultaneously expanding and keeping audiences. Doing this will allow you to maintain current audiences as well as attract new ones.
7. Convenience
Convenience is often an important consideration when shopping for and selling tickets online. A site offering more flexibility could have an edge over rivals that don’t provide as many purchasing and selling options.
SeatGeek allows its users to make quick decisions with flexibility regarding any event (even if rescheduled), providing transparency around fees, and boasting an impressive four-star rating on Trustpilot.
Considerations for convenience also include being able to return or resell tickets and how quickly customers receive their purchase. Some sites allow you to name your price for tickets while others provide interactive seating maps so you can find the ideal seats. Furthermore, many sites allow customers to select between email, mail, or on-site delivery as delivery methods.
8. Privacy
Modern “tickets” take many forms beyond traditional perforated ticket stubs; for example, QR codes stored on smartphones or digital tokens used at stadiums may serve as tickets today. Although this technology makes it harder for ticket holders to be duped into providing personal data without their knowledge, it also raises new privacy issues.
Find an online and mobile provider compatible with all major platforms, allowing customers to buy tickets on desktop computers as well as mobile devices.
Service fees should also be taken into account when purchasing tickets, according to a recent government report. It found that primary sellers such as Ticketmaster don’t make these charges transparent on their websites while secondary sellers such as StubHub and Vivid Seats often charge higher service fees due to different business models and operating strategies.
9. Payment Gateways
Event planners or business owners looking to expand ticketing capabilities need the appropriate payment gateway in place. Usually connected directly with their website and verifying card details before processing transactions, this gateway ensures accurate payment is processed without delays.
Resale ticket sites like Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek boast large user bases to ensure tickets sell prior to an event date and offer guarantees to buyers, such as refunds if an event is canceled or postponed.
Craigslist is another widely used classifieds website where sellers can list professional and college sports events for sale. Due to its peer-to-peer nature and lack of vetting, however, this platform leaves itself open to fraudulent activity; buyers should therefore carefully examine tickets prior to making a purchase and check for inconsistencies before purchasing; be wary of excessive fees and limited seating selection as this makes fraudster activity more likely.
10. Options
There are various ticket websites out there and each offers something different to customers. Tick Pick offers a best price guarantee, customer support and apps for Apple and Android users – as well as no hidden fees which is an important benefit when booking tickets online when adding insurance, taxes and booking fees into account.
StubHub is one of the premier ticket resale marketplaces and boasts an enormous fan base. They provide access to a diverse selection of professional and college sports events and seats.
Event ticket sites allow users to buy or sell tickets for music concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows and more. Many offer search features by artist or genre to help uncover gigs they may have otherwise never known about.
