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PAST NEWSLETTERS
Online Registration: Getting people to use it.
In our last article we talked about the benefits of online registration in terms
of time, money and convenience. So let’s assume you’re sold on the benefits and
you’ve gone out and set up an online registration system with a vendor. Now
what? Before you can reap the benefits of the system, you have to find a way to
actually get people to use it.
With that in mind we’ve come up with a few tips on how to get customers to use
your online registration system.
Educate your customers:
Your customers may be used to faxing and phoning-in registrations, or they may
think it’s too complicated, or just wary of providing information over the
internet. Whichever it is, you should let them know why you are using online
registration. Outline the benefits for them and for you. At a minimum they need
to know that your online payment option is secure, that the form is easy to use
and will make the process of registration easier and more efficient for all
involved, and lastly, that you have a solid privacy policy about the use of
information you collect on your registrants.
Make online registration the preferred or only option:
If you can get away with it, having online registration as the only option would
be ideal because it saves you from having to do any manual data entry. If that’s
too great a leap, you should still make it clear in all your promotional
materials and on your event website, that online registration is the preferred
method as it will make things much easier for both you and your customers.
Make it obvious:
Make the link to the online registration form prominent in all your promotional
materials and on your event website. If you send an invitation or print an ad,
make sure your customers’ eyes are drawn to information telling them where to
register online. On your event website, give large, prominent, obvious clues
e.g. “Click here to register online” in big letters or have a big “Register”
button. If you must provide phone and fax registration numbers, make them less
prominent.
Provide incentives:
Bribery is a great way to get people to do something. We all have a price. Offer
incentives to customers who use your online registration system. Offer discounts
or random draw prizes, for example, available exclusively to online registrants.Please feel
free to contact us if you have any questions or
comments about this article.
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