You can buy almost everything online. Especially when it comes to the event and travel industry, people are accustomed to booking flights, rental cars, hotels and more online. It makes sense that delegates will also want to browse and register for events online.
As a female motivational speaker, I speak at over 90 events per year. I find event website design and function all over the map.
Some events don’t have a website, while others, you have scroll and search forever for critical details like convention dates or location.
Below are things to consider when planning your convention event website:
Make it Easy to navigate.
People will not tolerate websites featuring hard to find ( or read)information. Online attention spans are lower than ever, so people can easily give up and move on.
Deliver critical information.
Today’s tech-savvy consumer demands instant gratification. If I go to an event website looking for hotel information, it needs to be easy to find.
Search engines need to find it.
Write your website, so Google recognizes it correctly ( through keywords). Make sure pages are appropriately titled and have good headlines. Help people find you online.
Google analytics can show you who visits, how long they stay and what they do. With this intelligence, you can figure out who your target is and how to reach them.
Convert viewers into customers.
Lead the viewer to a call to action, which is usually to register for the event. Remember, lots of information can overwhelm someone if they have no impetus to act.
Secure event website registration should be able to capture delegate information and process payment.
View other event websites and garner ideas. Aim for a bright and simple design.
Web pages need to have relevant information, like the call to action, “above the fold” where people can see it without scrolling down the page.
Make sure to confirm the event on every page. I appreciate event websites with the convention name, date and location on the header of every page.
Also, make sure that your writing tone is personable and welcoming.
People don’t want to attend events that are dry or unbalanced so hire funny motivational speakers.
