From the perspective of an event manager, event registration can sometimes take a backseat to all the other priorities of event planning. After all, finding the perfect venue, inspiring speakers, and ideal caterer seems much more critical to an event’s success than the registration process.
However, that idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Registering for your event is the first interaction guests will have with your brand. It’s where they’ll get their first impression of your event, and if that impression is a bad one, guests will go into your event expecting the worst. Some may even choose not to attend at all.
It’s crucial for you to create a picture-perfect first impression of your event right from the start. Here are five of the most common registration mistakes and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Lengthy Registration Forms
When attendees register for your event, you’ll need to gather enough information to contact, identify, and accommodate each of your guests. While getting enough information from them is essential, you don’t want to make your guests fill out forms for over half an hour. That’s a surefire way to lose potential guests’ interest, making them decide that attending your event isn’t worth the hassle.
Your registration form should only ask for necessary information to avoid losing guests. That can include contact information, dietary restrictions, and physical accommodations. You may also need guests’ demographic information, job position, and company.
Mistake #2: Mixing Up Optional and Required Information
Too many event planners make every field in a registration form required. This can deter registrants who don’t want to give an unfamiliar brand a huge amount of private information.
Conversely, some event managers forget to make any fields required. This presents a problem when registrants either forget or don’t find it necessary to fill out important information. If you don’t have all their contact information or accommodation requirements, you risk giving them a less-than-ideal experience.
When you create your registration forms, make sure you differentiate between required and optional fields.
Mistake #3: Making the Process Unclear
Have you ever signed up for or ordered something and felt like the process was as unclear as possible? Maybe you had no idea how to navigate the website, or you never received confirmation in the end. Regardless of the problem, you were likely frustrated and tempted to give up.
That’s how your guests will feel if any part of your registration process is unclear. Your landing page needs to be easily navigable, with clear calls to action and a registration confirmation at the end. You should also inform guests of everything they should expect—fees, food options, and any restrictions should all be prominently displayed.
Mistake #4: Not Prioritizing the User Experience
Not only do you want to make the registration process easy and clear, but you also want to make it look good. Remember, this is the first impression guests will have of your brand. If your landing page loads slowly, the language is confusing, or the form and branding aren’t aesthetically pleasing, your guests won’t come to your event with high hopes.
Make sure you use designated registration software for events that prioritize the user experience. Your software should allow your page to look clean, load quickly, and accommodate those with additional visual requirements. It should display your branding in a professional and positive manner that shows guests their attendance will be well worth it.
Mistake #5: Not Including a Registration Kiosk at Check-In
The majority of your guests will have registered for your event well before check-in, but some may not have. The last thing you want is to turn potential guests away at the door because they haven’t registered. Doing this can also prevent them from attending future events tied to your brand.
To accommodate any last-minute guests, make sure you include an event registration kiosk at the check-in site so guests can register and check in smoothly.
Avoid Mistakes and Plan for Success
When it’s time to develop the registration process for your next event, you might want to leave it for a later time. “After all,” you might think, “there are so many other components to plan for my event—who will really care about a simple registration form?”
Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of thinking like this. You want to give your guests a positive and memorable experience from the very first interaction they have with your brand. This first interaction doesn’t happen at check-in. It begins when guests see your email or advertisement and open your registration form.
If that form is too lengthy, confusing, or just plain ugly, it will turn guests off from your brand—or worse, turn them away from attending altogether. And if you don’t have a separate registration kiosk available, you’ll deny any guests who were interested in your event but hadn’t pre-registered.
Remember to avoid these common mistakes in your registration process to ensure your event will create lasting positive memories in the minds of all your guests.