We've put together a list of 10 crucial aspects to consider to make the most of your next registration platform.

1. Identify your needs

Your choice of registration platform should be driven by a clear understanding and anticipation of your needs.

This will let you compare features and pricing objectively.

Here are a few factors that can strongly influence your choice:

  • Is registration for your event free or paid (ticketing)?
  • Does the platform need to handle group registrations?
  • Will you need features beyond registration: check-in, networking, meetings between attendees, etc.

2. Don't underestimate privacy and security!

One benefit of using a platform is no longer having to share your lists by email and limiting who has access to them. But the platform you choose still needs to be secure. To make sure of that:

  • Read through their privacy policy
  • Make sure the platform has a credible size and track record
  • Ask whether security audits have been carried out
  • Ask for details on GDPR compliance
  • Check that data is stored in the EU. A French company (e.g. Digitevent, Weezevent) is more likely to operate under a regulatory framework similar to yours.

3. Compare!

A sales pitch and a nice presentation aren't enough. Ask for a product demo and/or a test account. This will let you form an opinion on the user experience, both for your future attendees and for the organizing team. Also compare ratings on Google. "The platform you choose needs to be user-friendly, fast, and reassuring," explains Lucien Derhy, cofounder of Digitevent. "You need to actually enjoy working with it!" Behind the term "registration platform" can hide several very different realities.

4. Don't rush into setting up the platform

The platform is a way to bring your event plan to life technically. But to do that, your strategy needs to be clearly defined beforehand. Before starting the setup, you need to know who your stakeholders will be and what motivates them to attend the event. Always ask yourself why people would come and what will draw them in. Based on that, you'll be able to build an optimal communication plan and address the right message, both in your campaigns and on the registration site.

Set clear goals, particularly around registration growth. By setting a target number of attendees and assuming a conversion rate, you'll know how many prospects to invite and, if needed, whether to step up your marketing efforts.

5. Import your brand guidelines and apply them, carefully!

Stay true to your brand image, both on the site and in your marketing campaigns.

  • Import an up-to-date logo in png format, with a clean cutout
  • Identify the 4-5 official colors in your brand palette. Use only those and don't improvise variations.
  • Identify the font used by the brand (sometimes different for body text and headings)
  • Identify the level of roundness, particularly for buttons. For example, the Orange brand is "square" while Natixis is much more "rounded."
  • Use only official brand visuals!

A good platform should let you create beautiful, on-brand sites without requiring design effort on your part. For example, on a platform like Digitevent, your brand guidelines are centralized to ensure consistent styling.

6. Make sure your event website is engaging and complete

Organizers can tend to forget to put themselves in the guest's shoes when designing the event site. For those who are familiar with the ins and outs of the organization, certain details have become obvious. Before you start, take the time to ask various people questions such as:

  • "What arguments would convince you to register for the event?"
  • "If you had to register, what information would you need?"

Here are examples of things your site should address:

  • Why it's worth attending the event
  • Address and directions (parking, carpooling, shuttles, etc.)
  • Price and cancellation terms
  • Whether guests can bring someone or transfer their invitation to a colleague
  • How to update a registration

Include an FAQ and a way for attendees to contact you from the registration site.

7. Write a concise, clear registration form

The registration form needs to be simple and clear. The fewer questions you ask, the higher your conversion rate will be. Two tips to consider:

  • Segment your forms so each guest only sees the questions relevant to them (for example, only ask about dietary restrictions to those who indicated they're attending the "event lunch")
  • Send a follow-up questionnaire after registration to ask for other, less essential information.

8. Define your invitation and reminder strategy

Design your invitation messages carefully. Choose a platform that lets you segment your campaigns to send different invitation sequences depending on guest type. You need to be able to send reminders only to those who haven't registered yet. Plan precisely how many reminders to send and on what dates. Send each reminder at different times and on different days to maximize your chances of reaching your target, and vary your arguments to make sure they land!

9. Test, test, and launch!

Be a perfectionist and take a step back. Test the entire registration journey. A good way to catch mistakes is to run through the whole process with a few colleagues. Each time, cover a different case (e.g. mobile journey, VIP attendee journey, etc.).

10. Write a performance report and iterate!

During and after the event, make an effort to write up a report on your experience with the platform. Identify what worked well and what fell short (or what wasted your time). Share this report with your team and your contact at the platform to learn from it and improve how you run your next events.