For a long time now, auctions have been moving toward using more digital processes and systems. With dedicated auction websites, online charity auctions, or simply using a digital system to track bids, technology has allowed for easier and more efficient management of auctions. 

One of the most useful tools for auctions is mobile bidding. Practically everyone has a mobile phone nowadays, so it makes sense that this would be an effective method of bidding. 

Nonprofit and charity organizations can use mobile bidding to take some of the admin and stress out of hosting an auction. It gets rid of all the forms and papers involved and organizes all bid information in one place. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but it is much less time-consuming and easier to manage. 

If this has piqued your interest, then here are some more reasons why you should use mobile bidding at your next online auction.

Streamlines The Bidding Process

No matter what type of auction you host, bidding can be quite a stressful activity. Bidders need to frequently check whether they've been outbid or have mere seconds to raise their bids during live actions that use bidding paddles. 

So, they need to be on full alert and make sure that they outbid any competitors. Mobile bidding can help make the entire process easier - for both the auction organizer and the attendees. 

With mobile bidding, auction attendees can easily make their bids on the items of their choice directly from their mobile phones. This way, they can quickly receive alerts when they are outbid and then update their own bids accordingly. 

Mobile bidding significantly reduces the pressure of bidding for your auction attendees. They can up their bids easily and discreetly without having to wait in any lines or leaving their tables to constantly check on the items. 

Attendees Can Focus On Enjoying The Event

Without mobile bidding, your auction attendees need to be hyper-focused on bidding. If they take a break for food or get distracted while socializing, they could easily lose out on the item that they want. 

By using bidding software for mobiles, your auction attendees can focus on enjoying the event and the whole experience. It can also help your nonprofit or charity organization to raise more money as people can update their bids more efficiently. 

People Can Bid From Anywhere

While it’s better to experience auctions in person, for some people this isn’t always possible. With the rise of online platforms, it makes it easy to connect with anyone around the world. Consider expanding your reach a little and involving people who won’t be able to physically come to your auction event. 

With mobile bidding, people can bid from anywhere as everything they need is right at their fingertips. This works in real-time so they’ll need to keep a close eye on their phone to respond to any notifications.

This is also very helpful when people who had planned on coming to your event can’t make it anymore. Instead of missing out on the auction, they can still bid on the items they want. 

Convenient Notifications

As we mentioned briefly, bidding software will alert any bidders when someone has outbid them. This convenient notification lets them respond swiftly and simply swipe or tap at their phone to make a competing bid. 

At traditional auctions, bidders may have to physically go and check on the items that they bid on. But, this makes it less likely that they will follow up as they start to socialize and enjoy the event. 

Mobile bidding allows them to place new bids without having to leave their spot or conversation. 

Reduces Errors

In addition to streamlining the whole bidding process for the bidders, bidding software is also incredibly useful for the hosts of the auction. It tracks all bids and payments digitally - meaning no more tedious data entry for your staff!

With traditional auctions, the auction staff would need to keep track of all the bid sheets and collate all that information in order to notify the highest bidders and for future use. Bidding software does this for you and, thus, reduces the likelihood of any errors. 

Making sure that you store accurate donor information is also important. You don’t want to make any mistakes when referring to your donors. So, using mobile bidding can help you record accurate information that you can use to build positive relationships with your supporters. 

You Can Manage The Auction From A Central Place

For nonprofit organizations that often host auctions, mobile bidding provides a very convenient solution to auction management. This means that you can focus on other aspects and put more time and resources into the event itself. 

With all bids and payments being recorded digitally, it makes finding information much easier. You can easily find the data you need for tracking bidders, making sure payments have gone through, and more. 

Manages Payments Better

One of the most important aspects of hosting an auction is managing all the payments and making sure that all the numbers add up. When done manually, there is a lot of room for human error. 

Bidding software makes managing payments much easier and more efficient. 

Not only this but it also benefits the bidders. For people who make the highest bids, it can be confusing to know where to go to make their payments and collect their items. With mobile bidding, they can do everything on their phones. They can easily complete the transactions without any hassle. 

In A Nutshell

With so many benefits, mobile bidding truly seems like the way forward for auctions. If you’re a nonprofit or charity auction that hosts regular auctions for fundraising, this type of software or using an online auction platform can help streamline the process.

 With some help from BiddingOwl, you can better manage your auctions, save a lot of time, and focus on making your auctions a more enjoyable experience for your supporters.