Auctions are a key part of any charity’s fundraising arsenal. They’re a fantastic way to garner interest in your cause, increase awareness, and, of course, raise money.
For charity organizations, auction software can help you with your fundraising strategy. This is a must-have tool to help you make your charity auction a success. The right software can transform how you manage your strategy, payments and donations, marketing, and more. With one tool, you can streamline many of the tasks that go into hosting successful auctions and assuring bids.
But what is auction software exactly and what does it do? What features should you focus on when selecting the software for your organization? Let’s find out.
Auction software is a system designed to simplify and ease auction management. The software can help auction organizers host completely virtual or online auctions. Charity event organizers can also leverage the software to create hybrid auction events or make in-person auctions more efficient or sustainable.
For example, you can use the software for a paperless event through digital ticketing, bidding, and checkout processes. It may all sound complex but the right auction software will make your auction easier to manage. It can speed up various aspects of your event, improving the experience for both bidders and your staff or volunteer team.
Deciding on the best software for your auction depends on what you want it to do. What kind of auction do you want to host and what unique factors do you have to consider? Asking these questions and defining your auction goals will help you pick a suitable platform that meets your needs.
For standard auction software, these are the features to look out for. These auction software features can help you plan and execute different types of auctions and other fundraising events.
Bidders and guests need a central platform where they can find all the information they need about your event. Creating a fundraising website is the best way to streamline information and make it accessible to the public. Combine this with a creative social media marketing plan and participants will have all they need to know about your auction.
Auction software should support your website creation and management. This includes website personalization, a custom URL, mobile functionality, and auction hosting capabilities. With intuitive software, you should be able to hold mobile auctions right from your website.
Your chosen software should act as a one-stop location for all auction needs. This starts right at the beginning of the bidder's journey. They should be able to register for an auction, buy tickets, and more.
The platform should collect all relevant bidder information via the registration process. This information will later make contacting winners and allocating prizes easier.
In addition to contact records, another aspect that comes up during ticketing and registration is payment. Auction software must have various built-in payment options, including PayPal, credit card, debit card, or more. The easier it is for them to transact, the better for your fundraising. You don’t want them changing their minds simply because it was inconvenient.
Cloud computing makes it easier to operate on the go. For auction events that require collaboration between various departments and team members, the cloud makes it easier for everyone to receive updates.
Your team can also work remotely and at any time, promoting flexibility and efficiency.
Your auction is a unique event within the larger scope of your charity’s fundraising efforts. Any worthwhile software should allow you to customize various aspects for a tailored experience for your donors and bidders. This includes creating custom landing pages for separate fundraisers, informational pages, and more.
Another essential feature that can help your team collaborate better is communication. Your auction software should support information exchanges between team members. It should also enable the sharing of necessary reminders and notifications about the auction. This includes item bids, payments, registrations, etc.
The platform should also ease your communication with bidders and donors. These are your ‘customers’. So your software should facilitate the best communication experience for them, as well. It should serve to remind them of upcoming auctions, help them track their virtual bids, and more.
Making it possible for people to bid right from their mobile devices can benefit both virtual and in-person auctions. This paperless bidding option can increase bids as it promotes convenient participation.
For in-person, silent auctions, mobile bids can add another layer of mystery and competition as everybody bids from their smartphones around the room.
While your software may have all the mentioned features and more, you will still need it to function as part of a wider tech stack. Integrations allow you to make the platform work as part of a whole. You can connect to other digital platforms you use, like PayPal, to better manage your auction from one place.
This is a feature that has value for charity teams as well as bidders. Both can monitor the progress of bids, see top bidders, and more. The back-end can allow charity staff to watch and manage different auction items.
Item and bid tracking is important but your auction software should enable you to go deeper into your auction’s data. It should make it possible to collect and evaluate insights on your fundraiser. This includes data on each item’s performance, bidders, attendance, etc.
This insight is essential not just to analyzing current fundraising attempts but improving your strategy for greater success in the future.
Discover these and more features of our auction software at BiddingOwl here.
Auction software is a smart business investment for charity organizations. It can speed up the event planning process, support your execution, and much more.
With an efficient platform, you can take your auction concept and strategy and make it a reality. Our BiddingOwl auction software has all the features you need for success. Get in touch with us for the support you need going into your auctions.
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