How To Optimise Your Online Conversions

Your website and booking platform are two of the most powerful business tools you have and, if used correctly can generate marketing, enquiries and most importantly bookings.

After over a decade of working in the tourism, events and attractions industry, we know a thing or two about attraction websites and their ticketing platforms. Our aim is to always have our finger on the pulse of the latest industry trends and best practices. Think of us as not only a software provider but also a database of information for attraction operators to tap into.

We now support around 1,000 venues for their online ticketing software, website design, payment processing, point of sale and staff scheduling, so we have a wealth of knowledge in the industry. Our aim is to put this to good use by sharing our top tips! 

When a customer is browsing your site and making a decision to book, the aim is to get your conversion rate as high as possible. That being said, a conversion rate of 2-3% is fairly standard across the industry, so turning website visitors into customers isn't always easy. Here's some top tips to maximise conversions on your booking site; 

1. Keep the customer journey as short but informative as possible. It's likely that customers have come to your booking page from either social media or your website so they'll know what they are looking for. Try to ensure that the journey from selection to completion is no more than 3-4 clicks. The aim here is to make it as simple as possible for a browser to book.  

2. Capitalise on demand. Whilst we want to keep the journey simple, we also want to create a sense or urgency when booking. You'll want to convince your customers that an on-the-spot purchase is the right way to go. You can achieve this through way in which you manage your sessions. For instance, don't show how many spaces you have left, stick to colour codes and colour sessions red to increase urgency.

3. Don't bombard people with too many options. We see it time and time again, customers go to your site and try to book and, instead of being presented with relevant up-sells they are hit with all the products you offer. Nine times out of ten, they aren't going to select any of these options, plus they are much more likely to not complete the purchase either.

4. Make your site mobile optimised. You'd be surprised how many sites we come across that still aren't optimised for use on mobile. Up to 85% of people will book on mobile, so it makes no sense to only focus on building and updating your site on desktop. Take a mobile first approach for both your website and ticketing page. 

5. Don't force account creation. We've all been there. You're in a rush, trying to complete a booking and then you're forced to fill out a long form to create an account that you'll likely never use again. Keep it simple and don't put customers off by making them create an account. 

So there you have it. Our top tips for optimising conversions on your ticketing site. Got questions? Get in touch.