Online Registration Success: Make Signing Up Easy
Have you ever heard of K.I.S.S.? It stands for 'Keep It
Simple, Stupid.' It seems obvious that you should make it easy
to sign up for your event but are you really making it
easy?
People Hate Hurdles and Hoops
Think about your prospective attendee. Are they a busy
professional trying to squeeze in some extra training? Are they
the head of human resources for a small non-profit trying to
learn the latest techniques? Are they workers in the high-tech
industry looking for the latest and greatest technology? In any
case, they are considering registering for your event, so why
not make it easy?
Give your prospective attendees as many opportunities as
possible to say "yes" to your event. How many times have you
come across an event you've wanted to attend... only to have to
sort through web pages to try to find the small "register here"
text link hidden at the bottom of a page. This means lost
registrants and revenue.
Do it for Them, and Yourself
Having a confusing sign up process also means more staff time
used for directing people where to go. Display the sign-up link
prominently on your home page, in the navigation bar, certainly
on every page that discusses the event, at the bottom of emails
(in the signature), and include the URL on your printed
materials.
Your prospects want to register, and you want them to register,
so remember to keep it simple.