15 Tips to Create a Registration Form for Events that Converts

What is a problem that every event planner would love to have?

Of course, too many registrations! 

All of the event planners aim to maximize the number of signups. Among many factors contributing to the number of registrations, one stands out i.e. your event registration form.

It can either bring you closer or far away from achieving your ambition. 

Take it from the numbers.

According to Formstory, 27% of users abandon registration forms because they are too long. What’s crazier is that complex registration forms lead 67% of users to abandon the process permanently. 

We can go on and on about the importance of having a well-designed registration form for events.  

This blog is here to help. You’ll learn how to create a registration form for an event that maximizes conversions through 15 easy-to-implement techniques.

Now, let’s get into the specifics of designing a compelling registration form for events.

15 Tips to Design a Smarter Event Registration Form

1. Keep Forms User-Friendly

The temptation to know your customer as much as possible is real. You might want to collect as much data as you can. But this can negatively impact the number of registrations you’re going to get.

More than 67% of site visitors will abandon your form forever if they encounter any complications.

This number alone should convince you to build a form that’s super simple for anyone to fill.

Here are different ways you can make your registration forms for events straightforward. 

• Minimize text input from the user’s end. Instead, provide them with fields like dropdowns, checkboxes, etc. This can be implemented for various options like country, city, education, etc.
• For returning users, automatically fill in the fields using saved data. 
• Combine fields when it’s logical. For example, instead of collecting first name and last name separately, go for a full name field, to reduce clutter on the form.
• Avoid Captcha unless it is necessary. They can decrease form conversion rates by as much as 40%. 
• Offer quick guest sign-ups for people who want to access the form without logging in.

See how this alone improves the number of registrations for you.

2. Remove Any Extra Fields

While we’ve briefly talked about removing extra event registration form questions earlier, let’s get into the details. 

You’ve got to make a form that includes the required fields only. This is important because reducing unnecessary fields can increase form conversion rates by 27%​.

Here are some ways you can reduce the clutter on the form.

• Focus on what you truly need to confirm attendance. Typically, for events, this includes:
  • Name
  • Email address
  • Ticket type or session selection (if applicable)
• Do not ask for secondary details like city, country, address, etc. unless necessary.
• Look at registration questions examples from previous events that attendees didn’t fill. It’s a clear indicator that you should remove them.

Understandably, secondary information helps you make crucial event decisions. You can collect these details by sending additional forms after someone has registered. This ensures you do not lose anyone during the registration phase.

3. Build Dynamic Forms with Conditional Logic

Imagine you’re filling out a form to register for an event, and one of the questions asks if you need accommodation. You answer a “No”, but the form goes on to ask you if you’d like to stay at Hotel Scherman or Hotel Chelsea. Imagine the frustration.

To save yourself from such awkward encounters, you should opt for dynamic registration forms that enable conditional logic. These forms hide or show questions to the attendees based on their previous answers. 

For example, if a guest selects “Yes” to attending a workshop, additional fields about workshop preferences will appear.

Dynamic forms are super effective and can lead to a whopping 160% increase in conversion rates. 

If you’re unsure how to create registration form designs with dynamic features, start by mapping the journey of someone who is filling out the form. Identify different options that should be displayed and shouldn’t. 

Once done, test each possible scenario. 

This ensures that the user only sees what’s relevant to them on the form. On the other hand, it will substantially improve the accuracy of the data you collect. 

With vFairs, you can build dynamic event registration forms with conditional logic using a simple drag-and-drop builder.

4. Check for Errors as Users Fill the Form

Imagine filling out a long conference registration page with about 50 questions, only to know that at least 10 of the fields have been filled incorrectly, and that too when you’re hitting the submit button.

It’s always wiser to inform the users about any mistake they’re making the moment they make it. 

For example, if there’s any issue with the email one has entered, they should be notified instantly so that it can be fixed.

Use inline validation to notify the users of mistakes. You can provide visual cues to highlight problematic fields like displaying warning signs or marking them red. 

If you want the user to fill a field in a certain way, then mention such instructions beforehand. For example, if you want someone to mention their identity card number without dashes, then display a sample number on the field.

Finally, make sure that people do not lose what they have previously entered in case of an error. It’s going to create a lot of friction leading to frustration. Instead, enable them to continue what they were entering previously.

5. Arrange Fields in a Logical Order

Having an intuitively designed form is more important than you think. The structure of the form should feel natural. This means that users could easily sift from one field to another without guessing what information is needed.

This can translate into grouping related information together, placing more important fields at the top, and providing clear headings for each section.

You can use AI tools like ChatGPT to help you figure out the logical flow of your form. Or, you can also refer to a sample registration form for event planning to understand how to group fields and create a natural flow.

6. Place CTA Strategically

While placing your registration form CTA on the event landing page, do not opt for vague CTAs. Instead, choose action-oriented words that will inspire action from people who are casually visiting your website as well. For example, “Save Yourself a Seat” or “Claim your Ticket”.

There are many ways you can drive attention toward the signup link for the event. For example, use vivid colors for the CTA button to make it stand out. Moreover, you can position it strategically around places where people are more likely to make a decision. 

Let’s say you’re designing a virtual conference registration page. Place a “Register Now” CTA button at the very top of the page, so users can easily sign up without having to scroll. 

Then, place another CTA button right after the session selection section, where users are actively making decisions about which event to attend. Finally, include a third “Complete Registration” button at the bottom, just before the payment section. 

7. Accessibility in Multiple Languages

If you’re targeting a global audience, then make sure your registration form is available in multiple languages. Your event website should be able to optimize the language of the webpage and the registration form based on attendees’ location. This ensures an inclusive user experience.

8. Use Steps or Bars to Show Progress

Long forms can be exhausting. Especially, when people have no clue when they’re going to end. 27% of users abandon online forms because they are too lengthy. 

It’s important to keep people notified about their progress. This will help them stay updated and anticipate how much longer it will take. You can do so in numerous interesting ways. For example:

• You can provide step indicators. These divide the form into clear stages, such as “Step 1 of 3: Personal Details” or “Step 2 of 4: Payment Information.” Each step is labeled to provide meaningful context. 
• You can also integrate a bar that visually fills as users complete sections of the form. This gives a quick, visual sense of how far along they are.

The goal is to keep a user hooked until they hit the submit button.

9. Simplify Payments with Built-In Checkout

A lot of event planners rely on readily available resources like Google Form event registration template, which offers a basic solution for registration needs. However, these forms have a major drawback. They do not allow built-in checkouts. This creates an additional step in the buyer’s journey which can lead to people backing off. 

On the other hand, some forms also direct people to third-party sites for payments. This fragmentation can lead to abandoned registrations.

To save your audience from analysis paralysis, it’s important to have an integrated solution that offers diverse payment options on the go.

Here are some action items that can help you simplify payments within the form.

• Offer flexibility to pay through multiple options like credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, or even direct bank transfers, all within the checkout.
• Integrate with reliable options like Stripe, PayPal, or Square with your form. These payment methods are widely used and they provide robust fraud protection.
• Finally, once someone makes a transaction, notify them immediately. You can show a confirmation message and email them the receipt.

10. Enable Payments via Digital Wallets

Everyone uses digital wallets today. As of 2024, there are about $4.3 billion digital wallet users. And the number is going to increase to about 5.8 billion by 2029.

Hence, it’s mandatory to allow payments with mobile wallets like Apply Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, etc. This helps users complete their transactions on the go, providing a smoother experience and ensuring every registration is complete.

vFairs enables you to integrate over 30 payment gateways with a single toggle in your form. With all these choices, you can offer localized payment options to attract and accommodate attendees worldwide. 

11. Add Event Photos or Videos to Grab Attention

Signing up for an event is a big decision. People have to make space within their tight schedules, pay money, and whatnot. 

For a huge commitment like that, individuals often trust social proofs. In fact, according to GetLeadForms, adding social proof elements to your forms can enhance conversion rates by up to 26%. 

You can include photos or videos that capture the essence of your event. That can be your speakers, attendees, key moments from the past, etc.

12. Make Sure Your Form Loads Quickly

Your registration form has to be super quick. Research by WebFX shows that 40% of users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, and it gets worse if people are accessing it over a mobile phone. 

To make sure your registration form loads quickly, you can:

• Use modern formats like WebP to reduce image sizes without sacrificing quality.
• Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to reduce the amount of data the browser needs to process.
• Reduce the number of redirects during the registration process to prevent unnecessary delays.

Finally, don’t forget to regularly test your page speed. Tools like Google PageSpeed can help you do it. If the speed’s slower, then identify the bottlenecks and get them sorted as soon as possible.

13. Make Sure Your Form Works on Mobile

According to Statista, more than 60% of internet traffic comes from mobile phones. Ironically, most event planners do not make their event registration form design mobile-friendly. Think about all the times you’ve tried to fill out a form on the phone, and it just didn’t work. You do not want to repeat that for your users.

Here are a few things that you should prioritize.

• Design a form that’s responsive to any screen size whether it’s a phone or a tablet. The user shouldn’t have to scroll sideways or zoom in to view any field.
• Vertical field alignment is recommended for phone screens. Everything should be in a single column. This enables the user to fill in all the fields with their thumb.
• Optimize input types for various fields. For example, when it comes to numeric fields like phone numbers and payments, enable a numeric keyboard. 
• Make sure the elements on the form are large and tappable. You don’t want them to press one button, and have another option displayed.

Once you take care of all these things, test these features on different popular devices. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or BrowserStack can be super helpful in identifying and fixing compatibility issues.

14. Make Help Easy to Find

You can’t risk losing a registration just because the user was confused or couldn’t understand what to fill in a specific field. To empower them through the process, it’s important to enable 24/7 customer support on your event registration pages. 

Today, generative AI has made it extremely easy to have a fully functional chatbot reply to any query throughout the day. You can integrate a genAI-powered chatbot, and make help easy to find for your users.

Remember to place the help icon on your event landing page, as well as the registration form. You can also link different fields to relevant FAQs for people to find information automatically.

15. Show Users Their Data is Safe

People are filling in confidential personal information in your event registration form. There can be a lot of skepticism around how their data is going to be used. It’s your job to provide them an assurance.

You can display well-known security icons (like SSL certificates, padlocks, or “Verified” badges) near the form. These icons indicate that your site is encrypted and secure.

In addition, include a link to your privacy policy with a brief statement that assures the user that their private information will not be shared with anyone.

Aligning Your Goals With Registration Fields

Registration forms should always be in line with your event goals. Think about what information is required to help support your objectives. Based on that, you should choose the fields of the form. 

Here are some of the goals you might be looking to achieve, and how to address them in your registration form.

Goal: Lead Generation

Events are a popular way to collect new leads, especially at virtual trade shows. What better way to kick off your lead gen efforts than through registration? 

If you’re using a CRM platform, you can integrate it with your virtual events platform so that your registrants can be migrated as new contacts automatically. If you’re using a registration form that doesn’t allow you to integrate with your CRM, apps like Zapier allow you to connect the two. 

Include:

• Contact info
• Preferred communication methods
• Opt-in to receive further information
  

Goal: Content Development

You may already have an agenda ready to go, but you can still tailor your content based on the interests people express in their registration form. Asking questions about what topics or information your attendees are most interested in will help you, your exhibitors, and your sponsors understand what content to focus on. 

Use this info to develop presentation materials, downloadable documents, and speaking notes for your representatives, and in turn increase engagement within your event!

Include:

• Topics of interest 
• Question: What do you hope to take away from this event?

Goal: Target Market Insights 

Keep a pulse on which segments of your target markets are most engaged, and understand which channels are helping to drive action on your initiatives by asking about their demographics and what referred them to your event. You can use that information to focus more on those customer segments and channels leading up to and during the event, and afterward when you seek to target highly engaged audiences.

Include: 

• Demographics: age, location, role, industry
• Question: How did you hear about this event?

** Sidenote: Understanding your audiences’ locations will not only help you get a good idea of where your prospects are coming from but also help you understand when to schedule various presentations or activities during your event – this is especially important if you’re targeting a global audience

Goal: Optimizing user experience

Optimize user experience by sending registrants pre-event communications tailored to each track. If you’re using a marketing automation platform, you could create a drip campaign for each group where email communications showcase presentations and exhibits tailored to their preference. You can also use this info to understand which tracks will be getting the most traffic and allocate your time to perfecting the most popular areas.

Include: 

• Track selection 

Goal: Selling tickets

Perhaps it’s a bit obvious to mention you should include a ticket option or payment field when selling tickets to your events, but it’s important to also consider that you can tier your ticket options. Make sure to discuss whether you’d like to offer tiered ticket pricing in your planning process, and clarify what benefits each level would offer.

For example, a basic ticket includes access to all presentations and an exhibit hall, but the next level includes an invite to an exclusive group video chat with a leading industry expert.

Include:

• Ticket selection with benefits of each ticket level
• Payment processing form (such as Paypal or Stripe)

How to Promote Your Registration Form to Maximize Conversions

If you’re looking to maximize participation at your event, make sure you’re promoting it right! Here are a few tips to help drive people to your registration form. 

1. Publish your event on an events board. Eventbrite and Meetup are great places to post, as people frequently check to see what events are upcoming! Create an event page on one or a few of these platforms, and remember to include a link that leads them to your registration form. 
2. Include a CTA in your follow-up emails to get those who have already registered to invite guests! Make it easy for them. Create a link to an email invite template that they can send to friends or colleagues. 
3. Promote on socials. It won’t come as a surprise that no matter who your audience is, they’re on social media. Create a social media plan with posts that drive your followers and networks to your registration form. Get your whole team to share these posts out to their networks to increase reach!

Reduce Friction and Maximize Conversions

As an event planner, you should design a registration process that is smooth like butter. This means it should be quick, easy, and non-fragmented. 

You can create an amazing experience by focusing on simple factors like clarity, mobile optimization and secure payment options, encouraging attendees to follow through. 

In addition, dynamic features like conditional logic or multi-language support make the process even more user-friendly. Implement these tactics and see the results for yourself.

vFairs can help simplify the event registration process for you. With our easy-to-use platform, you can create branded event landing pages, dynamic registration forms that support multiple ticketing options, and a lot more. Book a demo to see how we can streamline your event registration experience!

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