The Many Uses of an Online Registration Solution: Part 2

Since, there are numerous benefits that can’t be covered in one article; we have divided this article into multiple segments.

In the last issue of the Event Avenue newsletter, the first segment of ‘The Many Uses of an Online Registration Solution’ series focused on the most important and relevant reasons for adding an online registration solution to your event website i.e. 24 x 7 registration facilities, instant registration closure and automatic registration confirmation. In the second segment of this series, we will discuss the ‘money’ factor i.e. the different ways an online registration solution reduces costs, frees up your event budget for other essentials and improves your profitability.

Reduce Marketing Spend

Marketing using the traditional media is expensive – you have to pay the advertising agency, printer, newspapers, magazines and billboard management companies. With events like concerts that appeal to the general public, you cannot eliminate traditional mass media advertising. However, for specialized events like medical conferences, you can reduce the wastage on traditional media spend by using specialized industry specific media. Also, you can launch an online campaign - direct mailers to doctors and banners on websites such as the 'All India Doctors Association' and so on. Online marketing has two other advantages. The first, you can target a niche audience more cost effectively. Secondly, in the online space, lead generation is driven by a search process. When your proposition appeals the prospect, you can convert visitors into delegates easily by adding an instant registration and payment link to your event website and/or your registration page on your mailer or banner. By being able to accept registrations and accept payments instantly on your websites, you ensure that customers are not lost due to conversion problems like procrastination, lack of a convenient method of making payments, indecision etc.

Reduce Labor, Reduce Costs

Before any conventionally managed event, you have to a hire extra staff to handle the registration calls, the faxes, and the walk-ins. You also need to hire or allocate staff to enter the delegate’s registration information in a single database. By opting to launch your event online,you eliminate the need for extra staff. The entire registration process now happens directly online. The delegate registers directly online at his own convenience and the information is directly stored in a secure database that is accessible by you from any PC with an internet connection. Moreover, since the delegate enters his own information, it reduces the chance of data entry errors.

An online registration solution reduces your workload and frees up time, thus enabling you and your staff to work on more important planning and implementation tasks.

Print Less, Lower Costs

In old process of promoting your event, you would have a heavy print bill. You would have to print branded invoices, registration forms, receipts, promotional material like brochures, posters, POS material etc. You reduce many of these expenses when you take your registration and payment process online. Your registration process happens completely online, thus eliminating the need for printed registration forms. All delegate data gets stored electronically, invoices and receipts are generated online and if required they are printed by the delegate directly. An online registration solution enables you to send brochures and flyer via email. You no longer spend thousands on printing. This is also extremely environmentally friendly which can serve as a marketing push.

Fewer Couriers, Postage & Other Admin Charges

With online registration solution, all your information is available on your website and you eliminate the need for paper based registration forms and brochures. Thus, you are less likely to send forms and brochures by courier or post. This will reduction in courier charges and postage cost will also help free up more funds for other purposes.