If you have a small, one-off event to gather registrations for or a very limited budget, it’s tempting to consider using a free or a very cheap event registration system. We’re happy that you recognise the benefits and time-saving opportunities that using an event registration system provides, but we want to offer some words of caution. As with anything in life, nothing is really free – and those free and cheap registration systems usually have some hidden costs, financial and otherwise. Here’s how to be an informed consumer of online registration systems.

First of all, it’s wise to be sceptical. How can any business stay afloat if it offers its products or services for free? They have to operate very cheaply, which will probably impact the level and quality of service you, and your potential registrants receive. They also really do have to do something to generate revenue and if not from you, then from someone else. If they’re not selling their event registration system, what then are they selling? You may be surprised at the answers.

What you probably don’t know is that the Terms of Use and Privacy policies of the companies providing the free event registration system may allow them to use and sell your own information and the registration data from your event. That’s right — they generate revenue by selling your information – and what’s even worse, that of your registrants. You could be exposing the information your customer is entering (and incidentally, trusting you with) to advertisers and others. And it’s not just the data that people enter into the registration form that’s up for grabs; if you give registrants the opportunity to connect through Facebook or other social networking sites, information that they’ve authorised that site to give out, including their credentials and email account information, are now readily available.

To protect yourself and your customers, carefully read the Terms Of Use provided by the event registration system providers. Look for text on what information they collect and how they collect it; be aware of the distinction between the info that’s entered voluntarily by the registrants into your registration form and the data that’s collected automatically when they visit the registration site, often through cookies. Pay special attention to how all this valuable data will be used. Beyond helpful and expected uses, such as soliciting feedback and providing customer support, you may find you’ve agreed to the company sending you offers that you’ve opted in to receive, performing analysis about your interests in products and services and allowing third party entities to send you all kinds of stuff.

Now read the last sentence again, but put “your customer” in place of “you.” Is this what you really want?

Our next “buyer beware” points are some that you’re probably aware of, but we just want to identify their full impact on your business. Free and really cheap event registration systems are usually advertisement supported, and the ads are placed on your registration form. So in effect, the company is selling advertisers your customers’ valuable attention and time – and your customers are a conveniently targeted audience. Maybe people have become immune to seeing ads on web pages, but we think that it’s unprofessional and looks distracting; it also leaves a bad first – and lasting – impression of your business. And you can’t control which ads your registrants see — your registration form web space goes to the highest bidder.

Free or cheap registration systems also usually have very limited features. This may be OK if your event is a simple ticketed item. If your event is a little more complicated, has sessions, or tiered pricing, you may be able to work around the system. But workarounds takes time and effort, and you may not really know what you need until you start to set up the form or run reports. The cost to you here may be in terms of time and stress, rather than straight dollars.

Following right along, don’t underestimate the value of a great customer support service — especially the day before you go live and you just can’t get the excursions option box to work. We recently had a really bad customer experience ourselves, when we encountered a serious problem with a service we use. We phoned the support line, worked our way through the menu system and ended up at a voice mail message that promised to respond in 24 hours. That wasn’t any good for us, so we submitted a ticket through their website — also with a 24 hour turn-around. Thinking out-of-the-box, we phoned the sales queue and finally got a live person — who transferred us to the support line and we ended up back at their voice mail. All this for a problem that could have been solved in a five-minute conversation with the right person. Check the customer service options of your free event service provider; this may be one place they’re cutting costs.

But it’s not just in emergencies that customer support earns its keep. If you’re considering a cheap or free event registration system, chances are that you’re new to developing such a form — and could probably do with some help or advice. A direct phone number to a support rep who understands the software and how registration should work in the real world, and who can proactively make suggestions to improve your form can mean the difference between frustrated registrants and sluggish registrations and a smooth easy process that fills your event. Does the cheap registration form service provide this level of service?

Maybe a free or really cheap event registration system really does suit your needs. Great, we just ask that you go into any such arrangement knowing all the potential trade-offs. Keep in mind that it’s not just about you; you’re agreeing to all this on behalf of your registrants. If they want to register for your event, they have to go along your decisions.

For further advice on this subject, read our The Privacy Risk of Event Registration Systems article.

The Real Cost of Free or Really Cheap Event Registration Systems

The Real Cost of Free or Really Cheap Event Registration Systems

Healthy scepticism

Selling data — and not just yours

Renting out your web space

Non-financial costs

Customer service – forgotten until you need it

Practical advice

It’s not just all about you

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