If you offer online registration for your activities, you know how valuable it is for your staff and customers. You also know that the higher that percentage is of your total registrations, the easier life is for parks and recreation staff. But maybe you can't seem to get more people online. For some reason, they keep calling in and lining up at peak registration periods to sign up for activities.The problem may be you, not your customers.
1. Your marketing materials don't include a link to registration
Emails, social media posts, and even direct mail and posters should have a link to registration. If the link isn't memorable, send them to your homepage and post a big registration button there.
2. You don't have a way to get to registration from the homepage
Lots of people will come straight to your homepage for information. Make sure you have a way to get to registration from there or you'll lose customers.
3. On your website, you have a link to registration rather than a button
Buttons stand out more than regular text links.
4. Your registration link/button isn't visible
Maybe you do have a button on your homepage, but is it visible? Make sure it comes above the fold, the color and size make it stand out from the content around it, and test that eyes are drawn to it.
5. Your website has too many options
If you have a really big menu or tons of links to many different pages, your registration link seems less significant. Make sure to simplify your site and highlight registration.
6. Each page has too much text
They say you get 3 to 5 seconds to catch the attention of your website visitors. Too much text means you'll lose people quickly: potentially ones that could become customers.
7. There are too many pictures/distractions
Pictures are great and help solve #6. However, lots of visual content can distract people from taking action.
8. You have a lot of old/dead links
Make sure to audit and update your site. Does it have a news section with articles from 2009? Do you have links to classes from 2010? These outdated and dead pieces of content lead people to dead ends and take away from the current offerings.
9. Your site isn't formatted for mobile devices
Fact: at least some percentage of your website visitors view your site from their mobile phones. What does it look like? If it's a mess, visitors will be lost.
10. You don't have directions
Now we're getting toward the end of the process: converting visitors into paying registrants. If you don't have clear directions about how to use the registration system from account setup to program selection and payment, people will turn elsewhere.
11. Contact information is hard to find
Even if you provide #10, some people will still get confused. You need to offer a way for them to get in touch to talk them through the registration process.
12. The payment processor doesn't seem secure
And finally, let's imagine the customer with his or her credit card out. For some reason, it may not seem secure. Terms of use and privacy policies can go a long way helping build trust in the security.
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