The world of ecommerce software is constantly changing. Whether it’s a smaller shopping cart system or the top of the line Amazon selling platform, innovation and upgrades are the name of the game. Well the two biggest names in online ticket selling – Ticketmaster and AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) – are upping their respective games. Ticketmaster is introducing a socially connected element to their ticket sales to allow users to share their plans online. Meanwhile, AEG launched Axs (pronounced “access”) to compete head-on with Ticketmaster’s all-encompassing ecommerce software sales system.

Background

If you’ve ever purchased a ticket for a concert or other live entertainment event online through an ecommerce solution, odds are it was through Ticketmaster’s ecommerce software platform. Sure, the retailer could have been AEG (Ticketmaster’s only real competitor), but it would have been using Ticketmaster’s software. AEG was formed and given access to Ticketmaster’s online selling system when Live Nation (the world’s leading live entertainment promoter) merged with Ticketmaster (the biggest online ticket seller) in 2010.

AEG was granted five years of access to Ticketmaster’s sale system by the US DoJ in an effort to quell fears by consumer groups and other advocates. These groups feared that the combined dominance of Ticketmaster and Live Nation might lead to an oppressive monopoly situation. AEG has rolled out its own ecommerce software platform well in advance of the five year deadline, bringing one to life in a mere 18 months. This is partially due to the programming power of Outbox, a scappy startup in which AEG is a part owner.

AEG’s Play

AEG and Outbox have launched the Axs (access) system to start selling tickets for various venues. They are starting out slow with just selling tickets to venues owned by AEG outright. While the first two venues (San Fran and London) will mean a slow start for the Axs system, the potential for growth is huge for two reasons. First off, AEG owns over 100 buildings worldwide. These venues account for 55 million dollars worth of business that currently flows through Ticketmaster’s ecommerce software platform. Not for much longer. Within 2 years all that money will stay inside the AEG/Axs loop.

Next up is the Axs/Outbox difference: new venues outside the AEG network can get involved in selling tickets online. What makes the Axs system so different from Ticketmaster is that the venue retains top billing (instead of the huge “Ticketmaster!” logo all over everything) and the venue also controls all aspects of the ticketing operation. On top of that, Axs eliminates the vexing fees so often associated with Ticketmaster (“Convenience charge? There’s nothing convenient about this!”). Best of all – there’s no charge for printing out tickets at home!

Ticketmaster Fires Back

While not a direct response to AEG’s assault on their dominance (an attack led by a former Ticketmaster CEO, btw), the efforts undertaken by Ticketmaster’s new management team are heavily social, but they’re anything but friendly. In a move designed to generate buzz and revenue for the ticketing giant, CEO Nathan Hubbard and company have rolled out a new feature for their ticketing ecommerce software that allows users to not only announce that they were going to an event, but also tags them to their seat and allows their friends to find them and even get tickets near them!

According to Hubbard, Ticketmaster discovered that every time a ticketholder announced on Facebook that he or she was going to an event, revenue jumped by five dollars or more. This sent a clear message to Ticketmaster: concerts (and other live events) are social! People want to know if their friends are going to an event and where they will be sitting. They want to buy tickets themselves and meet up with them there and have fun. Now Ticketmaster is letting them do just that. The new mapping system shows people in your friend network where you’ll be sitting so that they share the event with you.

Seating Charts Rule

Entertainment ecommerce software platforms aren’t the only ones embracing seating charts. Deem Travel just rolled out its new travel platform, which uses the resources of Seat Guru to allow users to book the seat they want on the flight they want for the price that they want to pay. It also allows businesses to integrate the deals and discounts that they’ve secured for their clients, instead of letting shoppers “go rogue” and incur higher fees for the company. Everywhere you look, ecommerce solutions are integrating different companies and capabilities to deliver a more comprehensive experience for the shopper.

Source:http://www.zippycart.com/ecommerce-news/3007-big-changes-in-entertainment-ticketing-ecommerce-software.html

When the term “ecommerce” was first introduced, there were only a few businesses that were willing and able to put it to use. With new technology there is always a fear of bugs and kinks, which in the case of ecommerce software was largely related to security and efficiency.

After years of working out these issues, however, companies like CandyPress are now able to offer products that don’t instigate the fears of the past. Well-developed ecommerce software that utilizes advanced programming techniques and the freshest technology is now available, to all who need it, at a conveniently affordable price.

CandyPress offers numerous types of ecommerce software to meet the varying needs of different businesses. Since their start in 2002, this reputable company has provided software to thousands upon thousands of online stores, ensuring that transactions over the Internet can be completed efficiently, and with minimal risk.

CandyPress is well known, not only for their impressive inventory, but for their dedication to their customers. In addition to providing the initial software, the CandyPress team works hard to ensure that customers are kept up-to-date on any relevant information concerning their purchase.

They also keep track of the latest industry news in order to remain ahead of the market, providing customers with the latest solutions to their ecommerce problems. Customer satisfaction is a primary goal of CandyPress, and the staff is dedicated to providing continued support to all clients in order to ensure maximum satisfaction and results.

CandyPress offers ecommerce software in the form of table-based shopping carts, as well as Web 2.0 shopping carts. While similar products can run up to $300 for a single purchase, these items can be purchased from CandyPress for less than $100. It is rare to find a company that values such high quality products and services, while still offering them at a reasonable price.

Source:http://www.openpr.com/news/188477/Experienced-Online-Provider-Specializes-in-Ecommerce-Software.html

Infomaxim, an ecommerce software service for running an online store, now offers business owners smart customer re-marketing tools for improved sales conversion and sophisticated control over product information and scheduling, eliminating the risks of editing live content.

The ability to stage product changes for checking is missing from many ecommerce solutions. Infomaxim has full versioning , so you can roll-back to an earlier versions to fix a mistake or preview changes on a stage website before making them live. For business owners that translates into better control and less risk.

New products or special offers can be scheduled to begin appearing at a set time and limited deals can automatically be removed from the live site, using simple calendar scheduling.

Infomaxim’s combines best-of-breed content management capabilities with powerful a ecommerce platform to provide business owners and marketers the best of both worlds. Email marketing, web analytics, comprehensive business intelligence tools and customer management are all tightly integrated to create a suite of capabilities for running a successful online business.

Source:http://www.emailwire.com/pr.php?prID=61889