Advantages of Online Registration

The advantages, one by one

Each advantage below is tied to the work it replaces. If a point does not match a problem you actually have, it is not a reason to switch.

• One record per person

  Every registrant, ticket choice and answer is stored in one place the moment it is submitted. There is no typing from paper forms or copying out of emails, which is where most data entry errors come from.

• Sign-up at any hour

  A registration page is open when your office is not, so people in other time zones or with different working hours can sign up when it suits them.

• Payment in the same step

  Ticketing and payment can sit inside registration, so the person who signs up also pays, instead of you chasing invoices afterward. Eventdex describes ticketing and payments through integrated payment gateways, and refunds and partial refunds.

  Eventdex event registration software

• Choices captured up front

  Ticket tiers, session selection, dietary needs and other questions are answered during registration, so your lists for catering, rooms and badges are built from data rather than guesses.

• Live counts

  You can see how many people have registered, by ticket type, while registration is still open, and adjust marketing or capacity in time.

• Self-service changes

  Attendees can be allowed to modify or cancel their own registration, which takes routine requests off your inbox. Eventdex says organizers can register, cancel, modify and refund attendees, and let guests do this themselves if they wish.

• Automatic confirmations

  A confirmation can be sent as soon as someone registers. See the event ticket confirmation guide for what it should contain.

• A reusable setup

  A form built once can be copied for the next event. Eventdex describes cloning a previously built event setup for recurring or new events.

• Cleaner handoffs

  Registration data can feed check-in, badges, reports and your CRM without being retyped. Eventdex describes CRM integrations and customizable reports.

Online registration compared with paper and email sign-up

The right choice depends on the size and type of event. A small private dinner can run on a reply-by-email list. The table shows where each method starts to cost you.

Where online registration does not help

It would be misleading to say it fixes everything. These are the limits to plan for.

• A bad form is still bad

  Too many required fields, or unclear ticket names, will cost you sign-ups online just as they do on paper. The tool does not write the questions for you.

  Event registration form guide

• Some people will not use it

  A few attendees will still call, email or turn up unregistered. Decide in advance how you will handle them. Eventdex describes registering walk-ins and collecting payment onsite.

• It adds a setup step

  Building the form, tickets and confirmation takes time before the first person registers. For a one-off small gathering that can cost more than it saves.

• Privacy and payment duties

  Once you collect personal and payment details you are responsible for handling them properly. Eventdex says it is PCI compliant for payments; for data you collect, check the rules that apply to your attendees.

• Numbers need reading

  A live registration count is only useful if you know what you are comparing it with, such as your last event at the same point in the schedule.

How to check that it is working

Pick a few measures before registration opens, write them down, and compare them with your own previous event. These do not need outside benchmarks.

1. 1

   Time spent on data entry

   Note how many hours staff spent typing or correcting registrations last time, and how many this time.

2. 2

   Errors found at check-in

   Count misspelled names, missing badges and wrong ticket types at the door.

3. 3

   Support requests about registration

   Tally the emails and calls asking for changes, receipts or links. Fewer repeats mean your confirmation and self-service are doing their job.

4. 4

   Where people stop

   If you can see how far people get before leaving the form, look at the step where most stop and simplify it.

5. 5

   Registration curve

   Track registrations against days to the event and compare with last time. It shows whether your promotion and deadlines are working.

   Event KPIs