by Osman Sheikh on
Your event’s website is often the only chance you get to convert visitors into attendees. It is also a resource for attendees who need access to event information, schedules, and instructions. Unfortunately, event planners often overlook their website and do not take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their event to potential attendees. For those who are interested in creating an event website that will serve as a valuable event marketing tool and a tool for attendees, this is an easy to follow guide on optimizing your event website for attendee happiness.
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This one is simple enough, but unfortunately it is something that many event and conference organizers forget to add. The dates of your event should be the single most visible thing on your website. Visitors should not have to scroll down to see the dates. If you want to go even further, use an “add to calendar link” to make it easy for visitors to add the dates to whatever online calendar you’re using. The date should be “above-the-fold”, meaning visitors should not have to scroll down to find it.
The event’s venue and all addresses relevant to the event such as after parties and hotels should be easy to find on your event’s website. It is crucial that the address be displayed in large and clear font. Attendees will often go on your website for quick access to the event address. With Google Maps, you can even create a small map to embed on your website that shows visitors the location along with important areas nearby.
People want to know what they’re in for. Having pictures and short biographies of speakers can help promote your event and your speakers. A bio should include what the speaker is known for, social media links, and a little information on what they will be talking about. We recommend asking speakers to submit a short bio along with their talk proposal.
For your attendees’ sake, do not make your schedule hard to find. A link to your schedule should be on your website and all social network profiles. Attendees need to have access to the schedule at all times so they know what is happening at your event. if you’re using a mobile schedule, and you definitely should be, instruct visitors how to use it. Sometimes that means installing a third party app and then entering a code for that specific event. If you’re using a BusyConf schedule, attendees simply save the schedule to their home screens. Avoid friction and instruct users how to access the schedule, regardless of how simple it may seem.
If people want to attend your event, make it easy for them to do so! Include a link to the event registration page on your website and every social network profile with a clear call to action such as “Register Here”. Again, have clear instructions on how to register for your event. You do not want to lose attendees because they did not know how to register for your event.
If you are organizing an event, then it is a given that someone will need to contact you at some point. Whether that be an attendee, press, or anyone else, make it easy for them to find your contact information. Having a basic email such as “info@yourevent.com” is not enough. Include the personal contact information of the event organizers, including phone numbers and emails. If an emergency happens, you want people to have access to the organizers. Having contact information also helps build trust, because it shows that the organizers of the event are accessible.
###7) Media from Past Event
If your event is an annual one, including images, video, and information on last year’s event is always a good idea. It will help show attendees that your event is worth attending and gives them an idea of how this year’s event will be. Embed slides from past talks, videos of the event, and statistics on the event such as the number of attendees, speakers, and things that happened at the event. If you’re using BusyConf, your schedule is archived so you can link to it to show visitors to your website how last year’s event went.
Social media is an important part of your event marketing strategy and can help you update attendees with time sensitive information. To ensure that attendees follow you on Twitter and like your page on Facebook, have social media buttons or links with call to actions. Share buttons are also a good way to encourage visitors to share the event website with their friends and followers.
Every website should be optimized for viewing on mobile devices, especially event websites. Attendees need to access your website while they’re at the event and away from their computers. Many Wordpress themes are mobile ready and BusyConf schedules are responsive to whatever device is being used. With tools like these available, there is no excuse for not having a mobile ready website.
