Whether you are in charge of a charity 5K or an alumni event, registration forms are a great way to collect data from people who are interested in your organization. But it’s not just about signing people up: using the right form can lead to new customers and marketing opportunities.
A great form strikes the balance between collecting a customer’s data without turning them off. Instead of making blind guesses, you can use Formstack’s powerful analytic tools that let you determine what’s working on your form (and what’s not). Including the right fields on your form will ensure that you maximize your submission rate, while also making it easy for your visitor to understand the details of your event.
Our new Event field allows you to organize and setup events based on prices/available quantities and to adjust the handling after the availability has been depleted. An Event Description and Image can be added to customize the field and inform your submitters on the Event. Gone are the days when you need to watch your form and disable it when you've reached your max attendance; our Event field shuts it off for you.
Besides this field, here are a few others to include on your form for optimal lead generation:
1. Contact Information.
Let’s start with the obvious—you need to have some way to contact your participants. But do you really need their name, nickname, email address, day and evening phone number, home address, Twitter handle, and dog’s name? Too many fields lead to higher form abandonment. You will need the bare minimum to pull off the event—say, name and email address—but after that, consider what will be most beneficial to your marketing. If you get great results from direct mail, ask for their home address. But if you only use e-marketing, there’s no need. Keep required contact fields streamlined to make the process as quick as possible.
2. Future Communications.
One of the long-term benefits of your event is improving your marketing list. Depending on the nature of your event, you may want to include a way to allow participants to opt in or out of communications. It can be as simple as a yes/no option that says, “Send me your newsletter!” Formstack integrates with email marketing services to help you grow and maintain your email list seamlessly.
3. Secure Payment Processors.
Most events charge a fee, which means you need to figure out a way to deal with payments. Luckily, Formstack integrates securely with major payment processors, which gives your participants confidence in paying online. With most payment processors, basic billing information like credit card and address will be required. Since customers are used to providing this information when paying online, it won’t seem annoying or intrusive.
4. Merchandise.
Don’t wait until the event to sell your branded merchandise—why not offer your participants the chance to buy in advance? They already have their credit card out, so take advantage of the opportunity. With Formstack’s self-calculating form fields, you don’t have to worry about totaling up the cart. And if you include a free t-shirt with registration, be sure to include a form field for their size.
5. Conditional Logic.
While this isn’t technically a form field, it’s a great feature to consider. With conditional logic, you can customize your registration experience. Say that you are running an event and want to offer an optional meal. If a customer selects “Yes,” he wants a meal, conditional logic will allow him to select an option: chicken, vegetarian, mystery meat, etc. If he selects “No,” he will simply move on to the next part of his registration form.
After setting up your form, be sure to include Formstack’s analytics plugin. With insight into your participants’ behavior, you can adjust your form for greater success.
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