Online Registration Woes? Or Whoa's!

No matter the size or type of event, all of our clients have one thing in common; online registrations. Collecting information on those who are attending, participating in and working for your event is essential, but it can also be the biggest headache. Having been on all sides of registrations, being the participant, the parent, the judge, the manager and now the tech support, I have picked up on a trend that can help turn your registration woes into “Whoa’s!”

If you don’t want to read through the next few paragraphs, just read the last one and you will get the point of this article. Honestly though, what is the likelihood that you will read every word in this article?

No one reads everything

I recall a worksheet a teacher gave to my class once. It was a long list of instructions and we were supposed to follow every step. After 5 minutes, the teacher asked us who was finished with the worksheet and only about 3 people raised their hands. The rest of us were questioning how that was possible.

Well, the directions at the top of the page were very clear, “before starting this assignment, read all the steps carefully.” Most of the class skipped over the directions and just jumped into the assignment. We were all very disappointed to find out that the last step was to not do any of the tasks and just write our name at the top of the page and hand it in. Had we followed the directions, then we would have saved ourselves a lot of work.

Although directions are important to follow, the reality is that most of us just skim over all the words and move on. So why waste time writing a novel?

Here are a few tips:

• Give instructions in a video which is often easier to follow and more engaging than reading.

• Give instructions in bullet points. Giving short statements rather than bulky paragraphs makes instructions easier to read and keeps the reader interested.

• Bold, underline, or change the color of important text to visually guide the reader to key information as they scan the document.

• Eliminate unnecessary blab. If you can condense or summarize a point, do. If you can get rid of it altogether, definitely do. 

• Make sure your first sentence and your last sentence state what you need to cover in the paragraph (that is how I got through most of my college readings…).

• Communication is key, but don’t overdo it. Keep instruction emails short and to the point, and limit bulk emails as they can quickly become annoying.

• Simplify your registration form(s). Keep them short and clear. Fewer words means less confusion. Shorter means less frustration and more likely to be finished in one sitting.

• Get a second pair of eyes. Get another person, or two, to go through your registration process and give you feedback on it.

By just simplifying and reducing the amount people have to read, you can transform a tedious registration into a seamless, user-friendly experience. Prioritizing clear, concise instructions and simplifying your forms are critical steps in this process. Following these tips will not only reduce confusion, but they will also save YOU time. Say goodbye to those registration woes and hello to “Whoa! That was quick and easy!”