You have complete control over how your website is presented, and any changes you make are only done so when you decide. Not so with social media – platforms are constantly changing and tweaking. Images that look great on your fan page today may look wrong tomorrow due to a tiny change one of these platforms could make. Plus, social networks come and go. One that's trendy today and one that you put a lot of resources into, may be gone tomorrow.
So it’s time to really invest in your event website to make it work for your attendees. These are three ways to improve your event websites right now:
Have important information easy to find
Yes, this is basic, but there are many websites that make it difficult to find the most important details of their events. Imagine a potential attendee who loves your program but is trying to get more detailed information on the event pricing to see if it's worth the investment. They click on your big registration button to find the price to attend, only to discover a screen telling them to create an account. Okay, perhaps the prices are in a different section. The user then proceeds to click on every navigation menu item only to find it buried in another section, or worse, nowhere at all. This prospect may move on at this point instead of creating that account.
Don’t let that happen. Instead, create clear navigation buttons that deliver on the information promised and make sure that none of that information requires an account to see it. Event location, schedule, hotels and registration prices should be readily available and easily accessible, giving potential attendees all of the information they need to make their decision.
Justify your event
Now that you have spent the time making your event information accessible to your potential attendees, it’s time to sell your event to their bosses. Make it as easy as possible for your potential attendee to get their boss excited about the event as well.
Create a downloadable and customizable packet for attendees. This can include info on: return on investment, expected takeaways, networking opportunities, etc. Provide easily accessible information that demonstrates how their businesses will move forward by attending this event. You might even convince decision makers to attend as well.
Give your event a face
Make your event websites personal to deliver exceptional customer service. When potential attendees have questions, sometimes they only have an email address and a phone number with no name connected to it. This can make it very intimidating to call and a bit awkward to email.
On the other hand, the NAACP Annual Convention has the name and faces of those working on the event in Cincinnati front and center. They also include multiple ways to contact each person. If an attendee prefers Twitter for a quick question, that's an option. This also creates the opportunity for your attendees to connect with the individuals behind your event on social media, which will help reinforce that they need to register for your event year after year.
What is your favorite event website? Have you seen any website features that have really stuck with you?
