How Museums Can Easily Convert Visitors to Memberships on SimpleTix
-
by
Founder & CEO of SimpleTix.com, the World's most flexible e-Ticketing Platform. Entrepreneur and software developer by trade. My current role is SimpleTix is to seek out partnerships with other e-commerce platforms, payment gateways, and channel partnership opportunities.
EverWonder Children’s Museum in Newtown, CT uses hands-on exhibits and programming to cultivate a lifelong love of learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. By easily converting visitors into memberships using the feature-rich ticketing platform, SimpleTix, they can cultivate and grow their community of learners.
At EverWonder, children are encouraged to think, inquire, and wonder about the world around them. It was founded in January 2011 by a group of mothers who wanted to create a rich children’s museum experience for their own community. For the first years of its life, EverWonder existed as a mobile entity without a physical location. Two years later, they opened a physical location called The EverWonder Experience, and in April 2015, EverWonder Children’s Museum opened in a larger location with dedicated space for birthday parties and field trips.
Like many museums, memberships help sustain the EverWonder’s mission and provide members with exclusive benefits throughout the year, like early bird access and discounted pricing for special events. Annual memberships are good for up to two adults and four children. Grandparents often buy a membership so they can bring their grandchildren during visits.
EverWonder wanted to make it easier for visitors to purchase an annual membership. As Niki Giordano, the museum’s office manager, pointed out, “Members bring other people, and they are your best advertisers.”
SimpleTix made the conversion to memberships easy
Visitors to EverWonder can convert their general admission ticket to an annual membership and have their full price ticket deducted from their membership payment. To deduct that ticket purchase previously, staff had to transfer the amount to a gift card and then apply the gift card against the membership. “It worked, but it was clunky,” Niki admitted.
However, new members can also save $20 on their membership if they were referred by another member. “So then we had two gift cards,” Niki explained. “We can’t apply two gift cards to one membership purchase, so we have to move all the money to one gift card and delete the other gift card.”
We discussed this challenge during a check-in call and created a new feature based on EverWonder’s feedback. The new feature allows a visitor to convert their general admission ticket to membership via a follow-up “thank you for visiting” email.
The email contains a message asking them if they’d like to become a member. If they choose to do so, they click on a button and are redirected to SimpleTix. From there, they can select the type of membership and which tickets to convert. Our system will automatically deduct the price of the ticket from the annual membership, and the guest will be asked to pay the balance.
As Niki told us, the ability to buy a membership and have the price of admission deducted from a recent visit is a common marketing tactic used by museums. We are excited to introduce this to even more museums in the coming months.
SimpleTix made the conversion to memberships easy
During our conversation with Niki, we reviewed other features that would be helpful for EverWonder. Some already existed or just needed to be tweaked. Some – like easy membership conversion – were new. In either case, it’s feedback like this that ensures SimpleTix fully supports our customer’s needs.
“We appreciate that when we talk to you and say this would be useful, you listen,” Niki told us. We couldn’t imagine operating any other way.
SimpleTix’s easy-to-use interface, robust set of features, and affordable pricing make us the ideal partner for museums of any size and focus. In addition to supporting membership conversion, our platform makes it easy to upsell, create timed entries, limit capacity, and much more.
If your museum would like to work hand-in-hand with an event ticketing platform that can help you maximize memberships, ticket sales, and donations, schedule a demo today!
Categories
Latest News
Related Articles
Best Eventbrite Alternatives: What to Look For
-
by
Handling ticket sales and managing events online should give organizers flexibility and control, but Eventbrite’s platform often comes with challenges that add unnecessary stress. High transaction fees, limited payout options, and restrictions on how organizers access customer data can make it difficult to manage events efficiently. These limitations can cut into revenue, delay cash flow, and complicate audience engagement. If these challenges sound familiar, it might be time to explore Eventbrite alternatives that offer lower costs, faster access to funds and full ownership of your customer data. Here’s a look at what features are available in alternatives to Eventbrite and how these options can give you more control over your events. Lower Fees for Greater Profit Margins Eventbrite charges between 6% and 8% on transactions, which can quickly eat into your earnings, especially for high-volume or larger-ticket events. If you’re organizing multiple events in a year or if you’re handling big-ticket sales, these fees add up, taking away from what you could reinvest into the event or keep as profit. Some alternative platforms offer lower transaction fees, usually around 2% to 5%, helping you retain more of each sale. Flat-rate subscription pricing is also available on some platforms, so instead of paying per ticket, you pay a predictable monthly or annual rate. This approach often makes more sense for organizers with recurring events, as it eliminates the cost-per-ticket markup and provides a clearer picture of costs each month. Faster Access to Funds for Improved Cash Flow Eventbrite’s payout schedule typically processes funds within 4-5 business days after an event. While this works for some, others need faster access to ticket revenue to cover ongoing expenses, secure venues, or fund last-minute promotions. Delays in cash flow can create unnecessary stress, especially for organizers managing multiple vendors or those handling events on...
Features Your Event Registration Software Should Have
-
by
Choosing the right event registration software impacts every aspect of your event - from how many people complete registration to your stress levels on event day. Here's what actually matters when managing events in the last 2 years - based on data from 10,000+ events. Smart Registration Forms That Convert Powerful registration forms deliver an exceptional first experience for your attendees. Modern event ticketing software with conditional logic automatically personalizes the registration journey—when a VIP ticket holder registers, they instantly see their exclusive session options and perks. This smart adaptation creates a clean, focused experience that drives registrations. Mobile registration dominates the event industry, with 68% of tickets purchased on phones. Top-tier registration software excels at mobile experiences, offering one-page checkout and automatic progress saving. Simpletix customers typically see 35% higher completion rates thanks to these mobile-optimized features. Key Conversion Features: Smart conditional logic Mobile-first design One-click checkout Automatic progress saving Custom branding options Seamless Payment Processing Advanced payment processing turns registration into a revenue engine. Modern event management software customer experience tools handle multiple payment methods smoothly while maintaining bank-grade security. For international events, supporting local payment methods can boost registration rates by 40%. Automated payment management saves time and reduces errors. The best registration platforms handle refunds automatically while maintaining detailed transaction records. They also generate professional invoices for corporate registrants instantly. Essential Payment Features: Multi-payment method support Automated refund handling Corporate invoice generation International payment options Real-time transaction reports Efficient Attendee Management Smart attendee management scales your events effortlessly. The best event registration softwares provide self-service portals where attendees can update their own information, reducing administrative time by 75%. Automated waitlist management instantly notifies and registers next-in-line attendees when spots become available. Corporate event registration and tradeshows become seamless with group management tools. Enable one person to...
Selling Event Tickets Online: Conversion Secrets from Top Organizers
-
by
Most event organizers wait for people to buy tickets, then panic when sales are low a week before the event. Sound familiar? In 2025, the smartest organizers aren't just hoping for sales – they're using specific strategies to sell event tickets online and fill seats early. The Three Windows That Matter Forget posting your event everywhere and hoping for sales. There are three specific times when people actually buy tickets: Tuesday lunch hour (12-2PM): When companies book team events. Corporate buyers convert at 34% during this window vs. 12% other times. After work (6-8PM): When friends plan nights out. Group purchases spike 3x during these hours. Sunday afternoon (2-5PM): When families plan their weekends. Family event tickets sell 4x faster during this window. Time your promotions for these windows, and you'll sell more tickets than blasting social media all day. Each window needs different messaging and payment options to maximize sales. Price Points That Actually Sells Event Tickets Online Stop copying other events' prices. Think of your pricing like a good menu - clear options without overwhelming choice. With ticketing made simple, sell tickets online with ease to streamline your sales strategy, making it easy to manage various ticket types. Start with early access tickets at a modest discount to reward your eager fans and build momentum. Your regular admission price sets the baseline. VIP tickets at premium prices create an exclusive tier that makes standard tickets feel more accessible. Add group rates for six or more to encourage larger parties. Resist the temptation to create complex tiers - they confuse buyers and actually hurt sales. Here's the pricing structure that consistently converts: Early access tickets at 15% off regular price (converts 28% of early viewers) Regular admission at your target price (baseline for comparison) VIP tickets at double your...