May 2, 2006

Perform a Checkup of Your Online Ticketing System

Can your customers purchase tickets online for your upcoming dance performances?

If yes, it's a good idea to test your online ticketing system to ensure that everything works properly. Whether people can buy tickets directly on your website or link to a third-party ticketing site, the entire process has to work smoothly and effectively or you will end-up losing customers.

Conducting an Audit of Your Online Ticketing System

1) Website links: When you list the details about your upcoming performances on your website, you probably include a link that users click on to purchase tickets. Make sure that this link takes users to the correct page. For example, if users are taken to a third-party ticketing website, the link should take users directly to the page which includes your performance details - do not link users to the home page of the 3rd-party ticketing site.

2) Email blasts: When you promote performances in email broadcasts, you'll want to include a link for purchasing tickets. Always send a test email to yourself before sending out the message to all of your recipients. Verify that all links - including the links for purchasing tickets - work properly in both the text and graphic versions of your newsletter.

3) Logistics: Are all of the required details included along with the description of your performance? For example, is the date, time, address, transportation details, maps, accessibility and all other information available to your website visitors? When listing the date, always include the year. When listing the address, always include the Zip Code. Verify that when users open a map, they are actually viewing the correct location for your venue.

4) Printing and email: Make sure that users can print all of the logistics details and that the printed page is legible and properly formatted. Also make it easy for users to email this logistics page to themselves and others.

5) Seating chart: Include a seating chart so that users can clearly see the locations of all sections at your venue. Label each section so that users can figure out which tickets they want to purchase.

6) Buy two tickets: Use a dummy credit card number to purchase two tickets -- better yet, get somebody who is not familiar with your website to buy tickets for your performance.

7) Clear instructions: During each step of the purchasing process are all instructions clear? Is anything confusing? Are required fields clearly indicated? If you enter the wrong information or don't complete a required field, does the error message make sense?

8) Ticket availability: If tickets are not available for a performance, is there a message that states that tickets for this performance have been sold out?

9) Selecting tickets: Is the process of selecting your desired tickets easy? If one type of ticket is listed as "Balcony section," does this make sense and correspond to the graphic seating chart?

10) Billing details: Can you enter one address for the billing address of the credit card holder and another one for your mailing address?

11) Will call: If you are purchasing the tickets within a few days of the performance, is there a clear indication that you can pick-up your tickets at the performance venue and that the tickets will not be mailed to you?

12) Confirmation page: Is a review page displayed before you click the actual "purchase" button? Can you edit any of the details if you need to make changes?

13) Credit card transaction: Once you click the "purchase" button, what happens? Does everything work properly? Do you get a confirmation page? Does the confirmation page give you a transaction number? Are you told how you will get your tickets? Does this confirmation page include all of the performance details along with the location and is it easy to print?

14) Email receipt: Do you receive an email receipt with all of the transaction and performance details (minus credit card number)? Can you print this email and take all of the performance details with you?

15) Telephone number: On the confirmation page or in the email message, are you given a phone number to call if you have questions about your tickets or the performance?

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