Registration is the first step users have to go through to attend your event, no matter if it’s virtual or otherwise.
Studies show only 60% of registered participants show up to events. You have to maximise registrations to minimise no-show damage. How you decide to set the system could prevent people from joining – or encourage them to do so.
That’s why the registration process should be as easy and convenient as possible. You have every reason to make the whole thing as straightforward as possible.
There are other benefits as well. Many of them help organisation efforts and future events. We’ll talk about that below.
Efficient way for users to sign up
The number one reason you want to set up event registration platform like Eventtia is to encourage people to sign up. You will lose would-be participants if you decide to make it somewhat difficult for someone to register for your event.
Everyone is now used to doing everything through the web or apps. You have to follow that trend. A straightforward sign up form and the click of a button is what most people tolerate nowadays – and you shouldn’t try to make it any more difficult than that.
Easy way for organisers to set everything up
Users are not the only ones who will benefit from online registration. Organisers will get a heavy weight off their shoulders if they decide to go down this route. Otherwise, they will have to write everything down, keep the log, and hope they don’t lose it.
Offline registration is also a very repetitive process. You have to pick up the phone and ask for the same information countless times. That’s a lot of calls if you expect hundreds or thousands of people to show up.
Effortless confirmation system
Getting people to sign up is half the battle. A third of it, even. After people register for your event, they’ll have to confirm as the date gets closer. Then, they have to show up.
Whether people show up or not is up to them. You can see who is more likely to flake if you send a confirmation email a week before the event.
Sending a massive email is easy. You write it down and send it – if you asked for emails during your online registration process. Having to manually check for confirmations can be a very long process.
Secure payment process
There’s no better way to charge a fee for your event than with an online payment process that comes during registration.
It’s perfect for many reasons: convenience is the main one. You can accept multiple payment methods (from credit cards to e-wallets and everything in-between, including cryptocurrency) and have to do nothing but wait to see the money in the bank.
It’s also safe for both sides: users know they can trust secure payment process methods; organisers don’t have to carry the money around.
Great for data management
You know you have to write down your name, phone, email, and a few more things if you ever registered for anything. Some users may find it a little invasive – but there’s a reason why everyone asks for that information.
The more you know about your users, the better you can organise the event. At the same time, you can use that information for future events.
You can also use emails to start a newsletter – but make sure you ask beforehand if they’d like to join. Nobody likes spam.
Follow the progress
Hosting an event is a little nerve-wracking. You don’t know if you have something good going on until people start to show up. You have to wait and see if they like what you have in store for them. It’s not for the faint of heart.
You can get information as time goes by if people register online. You get to see who’s signing up in real time. You can also send a confirmation email close to the event’s date, as we’ve discussed above.
Of course, you may get more or fewer people than you expected. It won’t be a 100% accurate figure – but it’ll be a fair estimate.
Eco friendly
Before the internet, people used fax machines and similar ways to register for an event. That meant using a lot of ink, paper, and energy – and that’d be before the event started.
It may seem like little effort, but imagine you have thousands of people attending. It all snowballs fast.
Online registration removes paper from the equation. It’s also energy efficient. It’s not a perfect solution – but it’s the most sustainable one we have right now.
Imagine you have 10,000 people attending your event, and you have to send a letter to each one because of a change of venue. That’s a lot of paper. You can do the same with one quick email.
Real time updates
The example above is far from uncommon. Hosting an event isn’t as straightforward as people may think.
There are a lot of moving factors: A three-hour delay means the whole event changes – and you have to inform everyone involved. Maybe you have to move the event to another venue – unless everyone knows about it, you lose people.
The great thing about online registration is the registration form. You get phone numbers, emails, and names. You can easily inform everyone of any changes with a few clicks if you have the right contact information.
Better for your long-term marketing strategy
There are no downsides to online registration. It’s good for the users, organisers – and it’s good for the environment. Everyone wins!
The people behind the event are the ones who win the most. After the registration process is over, they’ll get data to prepare for future events. They can also use that information to better shape the event that’s underway.
It also helps to cut costs: less paperwork, fewer people doing work, and a more efficient way to collect payments.
The question isn’t why you should use an online registration process – it’s why you aren’t doing it right now.