5 Ways to Successfully Implement Mobile Event Registration

ActiveTrail // 01.08.19

People are increasingly engaging with the Internet almost exclusively from their mobile devices. From scrolling through social media to reading articles to checking emails, one of the most convenient aspects of the Internet is its ability to be accessed on-the-go.

There are many ways to successfully plan, market, and host an event, but why settle for a more complicated and likely more difficult strategy when you can easily adopt software to help simplify things?

The registration process is a challenge for most. The value of an effective registration process cannot be underestimated. Mismanaged registration can lead to significant obstacles that can easily limit your event’s success.

Mobile event registration is the next step that your organization needs to take in order to ensure your events reach their maximum potential these days. Don’t worry about adopting a new event strategy, because with the right technology, you will be able to manage your event effectively and efficiently. Let’s dive in and prepare you to perfect your mobile event registration technique.

Here Are 5 Ways to Successfully Implement Mobile Event Registration and Bring More Attendees in No Time

1. Optimize your website.

Your organization primarily engages with individuals through its website, so you need to make your website count. The registration process has to be easy and efficient.

Make sure your website is not only mobile-friendly and user-centric but also that it remains the main hub of information for any and all prospective event attendees.

Your website should allow attendees to complete the entire registration process seamlessly and without being redirected to a third-party website. Many web users are discouraged from completing forms on websites when they are time-consuming. Plus, redirecting and bouncing them around can oftentimes lead to a lack of user trust.

By embedding a registration software on your website’s event pages you could watch your registration rates grow. When registrants aren’t forced to leave your website or divert their attention away from your event, you will see more registrations and less abandonment.

Too often, registration sites will redirect users to third-party sites or even force them to complete a combination of online and downloadable forms. This is unacceptable for many users and results in an incomplete registration form.

Remember, with one swipe of a finger or press of a button, potential registrants can terminate their registration, never to return. It is all too easy for individuals to lose their interest in your event so you should do everything in your power to encourage them to complete the entire registration process.

Here’s a pro tip. Because it is so easy for potential registrants to terminate their registration, create an intuitive registration interface based on conditional logic that will customize the process for each individual. Mobile registration forms based on conditional logic will:

Limit the opportunities for users to get bored.
Ensure users only answer the questions that are relevant to them.
Allow you to capture all the information you need.
Cut down on the administrative time needed to direct individuals to the correct forms.

Boost the success of your event by ensuring all aspects of your website appeal to the user and satisfies their need for convenience and efficiency. Don’t forget that anything you do on your website needs to be mobile-friendly—this means using mobile-responsive forms so people can register to your event from the comfort of any device.

2. Allow group registration.

While mobile registration certainly relies heavily on the design and responsive nature of your website, this is not the only factor in maintaining an effective mobile registration process. The fact that people use their mobile phones to interact with the internet should tip you off about one thing: your site visitors value speed, efficiency, and convenience.

When you want to highlight these qualities in your event registration process, group registration forms are a must.

The concept behind group registration is simple: you allow one individual to register multiple people for your event. Yet, many registration tools do not easily accommodate this feature. This is perfect for families, clubs, companies, friend groups, schools, and more!

When you use the right registration software, group registration is easily incorporated into your existing strategy. Don’t let your organization miss out on this opportunity for efficiency.

Group registration will still:

Accurately capture data. Registering as a group doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to record the data you need on individual event attendees.
Follow the conditional logic structure. The person filling out the form can answer the appropriate questions for each person in their party and follow the same intuitive, conditional logic as an individual process.
Easily accommodate payment processing. The individual filling out the form pays the entire fee for the event. This is perfect for companies who are paying for their employees or a family where a single primary registrant is paying.

Your events are important and they deserve to have an audience in attendance that appreciates the work you do and values the cause you support. Don’t let your audience be deterred from completing your mobile registration process and miss out on the opportunity to attend your event.

3. Utilize integrated payment processing.

Payment processing is always a tricky component of event registration—but with the right tools, it doesn’t need to be. Your payment processing software should facilitate a seamless, efficient check-out process for all of your event attendees.

Your event attendees should be able to complete their registration and pay for tickets, entry fees, and more all through one quick and easy process.

Oftentimes, payment occurs in a separate system than the registration. When payment processing is not a seamless integration in your mobile event registration software, you will need to spend your valuable time and resources cross-checking your databases and manually entering data. This will only lead to more confusion and ultimately, a less efficient process.

The intuitive nature of your registration forms should be clearly reflected in your payment processor. Your payment processor should recognize when individuals need to be prompted for payment when they have opted out of an item and do not need to be charged. For example, if an individual signs up for one session at a conference, they will only be charged for one session and the others will be removed from their form.

Above all, appeal to your users’ desire for convenience and clarity by using a payment processor that allows them to:

Choose their method of payment.
Customize their payment plan.
See when payments are due.
Know exactly what they are getting and how much it costs.
Charges automatically according to the chosen payment plan.

Equipped with the right tools and knowledge, your organization will be set up for success.

4. Communicate with your guests.

Communication is the key to organizing a good event. Not only do you need to communicate effectively within your team, but you also need to frequently communicate with your event attendees.

The success of your mobile event registration depends on the extent to which you are able to interest first-time attendees and regain the attention of previous event attendees with your communication strategy.

One of the best ways to communicate effectively with attendees and prospective attendees alike is through email marketing.

The best registration software will come with a built-in email marketing tool that automatically engages your attendees when they complete certain actions. All you would need to do is set the trigger actions for your software to follow, then the platform will send the attendee a preset message via email encouraging them to take the next action.

These triggers could include:

Starting a registration form.
Completing a registration form.
Filling out a contact sheet.
Clicking on a website pop-up.

With Marketing Automation platforms, you can also create and save your own email templates to be used at a later date, effectively reducing the time your administrative staff has to spend on bulk emailing. Get your important information directly to your attendees’ and potential attendees’ devices as they indicate their interest in your event.

5. Offer scheduling incentives.

Mobile event registration doesn’t end with simply completing the registration forms. Your event attendees should be able to interact with their event schedule and officially check-in using their mobile phones, too.

Offering additional features that make attending your event easy and uncomplicated will further engage your registrants and get them excited to attend.

If your event offers multiple sessions or time options, your prospective attendees should have access to this information.

For instance, if you are hosting a conference that has individual sessions that people can attend, you must provide an easy, manageable way for individuals to see these sessions and sign-up to attend them.

With scheduling tools, your event attendees will be able to easily check-in and out of events and view waitlists. But, don’t forget there are benefits for you too. Not only will the convenience of scheduling their time at your event ensure more people register for your event, but you will also be able to filter schedules, track attendance, and check-in participants all through the same system.

Mobile event registration can greatly enhance your event’s success and encourage more people to engage with your work. When you follow these 5 strategies, you don’t need to worry about registration becoming more of a hassle than a help.

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