Ten Mistakes Event Planners Make When Using Online Registration.

Online registration helps many event planners save time and money and reduce
stress related to event registration. At the same time, other event planners
seem to experience the opposite effects from online registration.

We have identified ten common mistakes event planners make when using online
registration so that you can avoid them and experience the many benefits it can
offer.

Mistake #1 – Assuming people will register online

Just setting up an online registration system doesn’t mean that people will use
it. You need to clearly communicate to event participants that online
registration is available and that it is the preferred method. If your group is
used to faxing or mailing registrations, you may need to offer some incentive to
break old habits.

Mistake #2 – Assuming people can find the online form

Just because you can navigate to the online from doesn’t mean everyone can. The
link to the registration form needs to be very obvious. Use large fonts,
different colours or some other effect to make it stand out. You may even want
to put the link on several pages just so it can’t be missed.

Mistake #3 – Not allowing enough time to get set up

If you are new to online registration, allow lots of extra time to get set up as
it takes longer than you think. Set up times vary considerably depending on the
complexity of your form and especially if you need to open e-commerce accounts
etc. Allow plenty of time to get approvals from your clients, managers and/or
committees and for the time it takes to make any necessary changes and get final
approvals.

Mistake #4 – Not fully testing the system yourself

Whether you use an online registration supplier or build something in-house, be
sure to personally test the entire system to make sure it has the right look and
feel. Programmers can verify that it functions correctly, but only a
professional event planner will notice the finer points to make it perfect.

Mistake #5 – Making registration too complicated

Nobody wants to spend time trying to figure out how to use your online
registration system. Some systems are very complicated, even for advanced users.
Look at several different systems and you will be amazed at how different two
systems designed to perform the same function can be.

Mistake #6 – Spending time and money on unnecessary options

Technology is great and almost anything is possible, but carefully consider what
you really need and what your event participants will actually use before paying
for special features. Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s right for
your event.

Mistake #7 – Trying to collect too much information

Just because you aren’t doing the data entry doesn’t mean you should ask your
event participants for lots of extra information. Your participants will get
annoyed, especially if you have too many “required” fields. Find a balance
between collecting enough details and keeping the registration form easy to
complete.

Mistake #8 – Not being fully committed to online registration

For some events going online is a big step. When you decide to take it, make
sure you are committed to promoting online registration and using the system to
its full capacity to get your money’s worth. If you or your event planning
committee is only half committed you will see disappointing results.

Mistake #9 – Not making event participants feel comfortable

People are concerned about what happens to the information they submit online.
Post a privacy policy, make the form match your website and don’t ask for
information that you don’t need. Also, a big turn off for online registrants is
creating an account with an online registration company before registering for
your event.

Mistake #10 – Offering the wrong payment options

Know how your event participants prefer to pay. Real time online credit card
transactions are efficient and cost effective, but if many people registering
for your event don’t have credit cards (or maybe don’t have a company credit
card) you will also need to consider offering “pay by cheque” or “send me an
invoice” options.

Please feel free to contact
us if you have any questions or comments about this article.

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