Finally! The teasing about our biggest feature since Limited Run launched is over. Behold, the Ticket Selling Module!
We’ve worked long and hard on this module, and to be honest, it’s so big, it could actually be a platform all on it’s own. We even toyed with the idea of doing something like Card Included, and making it separate from Limited Run all together. In the end though, we added it to Limited Run, and we hope everyone loves how it integrates. Let’s look at all the features this module brings:
Making Life Easier For You
Running a show can require multiple people. Especially at the Will Call counter. The faster you get everyone in, the better chance you have of starting on time. No band wants to start playing when there’s a line of people in the street waiting to come in. So we wanted to make a Will Call list that can be used by multiple people at the same time. This meant, we not only needed it work well with every device, like for instance a laptop, iPad, and smartphone, but we also needed it to auto update after a fan is checked in. Which is exactly what we did.
This means that multiple people can be checking fans in on multiple devices, at the same time, and everyone is seeing an up-to-date list. Sharing access also needed to be easy, so we made it work much like our Multiple Managers feature. You just add your helper’s email address to the shared access list, and we’ll send them an email with a secure URL that gives them access. The difference is that your helper doesn’t need to sign up for an account, they just have to click the link. This makes it a lot easier to run shows with different people.
The next thing we wanted to address, to make the Will Call check in process go faster, was how you find and mark off a name. With the old school paper Will Call list (which we of course also have if that’s your thing), checking off a name is ridiculously simple. You see the name, you cross it off. But that only works well with one person. If you have 2 people, you need to either share one list, or each person needs to look at names that might have already checked in. Not cool. So with our Interactive Will Call List, you needed to be able to find and check off names, fast and easy. This is why we made it so you can start to type any part of the fan’s name or address, and we’ll autofilter and find the closest name to what you’re typing, as you’re typing it.
Once there’s only one name visible in the list, just press enter on your keyboard. Or if you see the name, and you’re using a tablet or smartphone, just tap the name, and it immediately checks them in.
Another great thing about the old school paper list is you don’t need an internet connection. Duh. So we needed a way to solve an intermittent connection. This meant we needed a way to store information locally, and sync it between devices once the connection was restored. Which is exactly what we did. If you lose your connection while using the Interactive Will Call List, you can still check fans in. Then once your connection comes back, we automatically sync your list with anyone else checking people in. Essentially, it will work like a paper list until the connection is restored.
Another big problem we wanted to solve with Will Call lists is guests. Allowing bands to invite guests to their show, could require a couple of phone calls or emails between the band and the show runner. Then it requires transferring those names to the Will Call list. This is at best an annoyance, sometimes it even results in the forgetting or misspelling of names. Which inevitably pisses everyone off. So we tried to make this whole Guest List problem go away. To do that, we created a way for the person running the show to add an email address for the band, and the amount of guests they’re allowed to invite. Then we send the band an email with a secure URL in it. The band clicks that URL, and it takes them to a screen that allows them to type the guest’s name in, and add how many are in their party. Those names are then synced with the Will Call List, and you’re done!
Lastly, we wanted to address how ticket sales end. With a regular product, the sale ends when inventory runs out. Whether it’s an hour or a week, you can’t sell more than you put in inventory, so everything takes care of itself. While that’s also true with tickets, at some point prior to the show, you want to stop selling tickets online whether or not it sold out. We make this easy by letting you pick how long before the show starts you’d like the sale to end. You can pick from 2 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, or 3 days.
Making Life Easier For The Fans
Now that we’ve made life easier for the people running the show, it was time to make life easier for the fan. To do that, we wanted to solve a few problems we’ve encountered while attending shows over the past 20 years. The first one is, “Where the hell is the venue!?” DIY shows can be found in back alleys, bars, VFWs, even parking lots. This means every weekend you play guessing games with your friends. So we decided to do two things. One is that since show runners can create and save Venues and their locations, we can then show the fan a map, when they’re buying tickets.
The second thing we did was include a Google Maps link inside the order email the fan receives after purchasing their tickets. From there, the fan can just enter in the location they’ll be traveling from, and Google spits out the directions.
The next problem we wanted to solve was remembering that the show was taking place on a certain day, at a certain time. We of course send the fan a confirmation email after their purchase that lists all that, but fans can sometimes buy tickets a month or more in advance. By the time the show is going to happen, they’ve completely forgotten the details. So we decided to send the fan a reminder email, 24 hours before the show is going to happen, with all of the relevant info again. Just in case.
Another thing we wanted to do to make life easier for the fan was integrate with SoundCloud, just like we do on product pages. This way, fans don’t need to scour the internet searching for songs from bands they haven’t heard before. Keeping the fan on the ticket and product pages is a great way to increase engagement. And of course, just like on product pages, your fans can checkout while still listening to the SoundCloud player.
Speaking of checkouts, not only are tickets as easy for your fans to purchase as digital items, but they get their own dedicated shows area in your storefront. They won’t be mixed up with your store’s regular inventory, they’ll be all together and automatically sorted by date.
The last problem we wanted to tackle is how to keep fans informed about upcoming shows. To do this, we enlisted the help of the iCalendar Standard. Every shows section has an iCalendar feed, which works just like an RSS feed, if you’re familiar with that. Anyone can take that feed and drop it into the calendar on their computer, whether it’s in Outlook, Apple Calendar, Google, or even the calendar on your phone. When a show is announced, it will appear right in your calendar. You don’t need to buy tickets to the show for this to happen, you just need to subscribe to the iCalendar feed.
Making Life Easier For Everyone
Selling tickets online has always been tough for small venues. The service fees they need to negotiate with the big players in tickets like Ticketmaster and Ticketfly are usually outrageous. Fans can sometimes pay up to a $10 fee per ticket. Some choose to go with new independent ticket platforms that don’t negotiate, and just have a set service fee for all tickets regardless of price. While these fees can be as little as a few dollars a ticket, in our eyes, even this is too much. So we’ve decided to only add 25 cents per ticket to the cart as a fee. We also decided that shows aren’t going to count as products, and if you have no products, you don’t pay a monthly fee. So essentially, if you’re only selling tickets on Limited Run, you don’t have to pay anything at all.
There’s a whole bunch of little features that we didn’t talk about in this post, because it’s already really long. To find out what those features are, I guess you’ll just have to install the module and start selling some tickets! To get started, just follow these steps:
- Go into your dashboard by signing in on the homepage.
- Go to your store’s “Modules” > “Manage Modules” area.
- Install the “Ticket Selling” Module.
- Click “Tickets” in your dashboard’s top navigation.
- Click the “New Show” button.
As always, if you have any questions, please send us a message.
Update, February 19th:
We’re happy to announce that Ticket Sales have been fully integrated with our digital platform!
