Chances are, you’re reading this on your phone. While mobile browsing is the norm, only 35% of businesses have mobile-optimized sites. And those that aren’t mobile-friendly are missing out! Consider these stats from Invesp:
- 40% of consumers are going to turn to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience.
- 43% of consumers are unlikely to return to a slow-loading mobile site.
- Companies with mobile-optimized sites TRIPLE their chances of increasing mobile conversion rates to 5% or more.
Participants expect seamless experiences from registration to check-in, and organizations that prioritize mobile-friendly solutions stand out (and make more money in the process). Let's dive into why mobile-friendly check-in and registration is a must-have for programs and events.
Fitness Classes
Let’s get physical! But first, let’s get with the program (the online program). By prioritizing mobile-friendly check-in, fitness facilities demonstrate their commitment to customer service and that they value their members' time. But the benefits extend to instructors, too. Less time managing check-ins equals more time to teach and connect with the community. Plus, it enhances facility security compared to traditional key cards.
Embrace Last-Minute Drop-Ins
Fitness enthusiasts often lead busy lives, juggling work, family, and social commitments. For them, time is of the essence. Mobile-friendly check-in for fitness classes eliminates the hassle of paper forms and waiting in line, allowing participants to breeze through the check-in process with a simple tap on their smartphones. This convenience allows for more last-minute “drop-ins” according to Exercise.com:
“Whether they are running late or want to squeeze in a workout during their lunch break, a mobile check-in system provides the flexibility and convenience that members desire.”
Tip: ACTIVE Network’s registration tools allow for mobile-optimized signups and help you manage waitlists to ensure full enrollment and optimize class space. Learn more here.
Make Classes More Social & Secure
While mobile check-in provides obvious benefits to participants, it also returns time back to instructors who can now converse with class-goers and be more active in the community. In addition to the opportunity to forge real connections, instructors gain real-time attendance data, helping them better manage class sizes and tailor workouts to the skills and preferences of each class’s attendees. This personalized approach not only enhances the participant experience but also fosters a sense of community within the class. There’s also the added benefit of enhanced security, outlined by Exercise.com:
“With traditional check-in methods, members often have to carry around their membership cards, which can be easily misplaced or stolen. However, with a mobile check-in system, members can simply use their smartphones, which are typically kept close at hand.”
Tip: ACTIVE Network’s member management tools provide a 360-degree view of each participant, class analytics, and secure membership access control. Learn more about member management tools here.
Youth Camps
Summer camp should be fun and games, not piles of paperwork (for you or parents!). It’s essential for camps to provide efficient and secure check-in processes that parents can trust when dropping off their precious cargo. When check-in is as easy as a summer breeze, organizers can connect with families instead of pushing paper.
Wave Goodbye to Waivers
With mobile check-in, parents can complete necessary forms and waivers in advance, reducing wait times and minimizing paperwork on the day of arrival. This is quickly becoming the standard, as the American Camp Association found that over half of parents register their kids on a mobile device:
“60 percent of parents booked camps for their children on their phone or tablet. Camps that rely on phone calls and emails to make bookings would miss out on this revenue. Consider using a registration software to let your customers easily book how and when they want.”
Tip: ACTIVE Network’s childcare management tools digitize forms, waivers, and other documents required for camp registration. Learn how you can automate system reminders and provide access to sign waivers online here.
Add Payment Options for Added Signups
An overlooked benefit of mobile-friendly registration is the ability to offer payment plans, an option that makes your camp accessible to more families according to the American Camp Association:
“When you offer flexible payment options like payment plans and buy now, pay later (BNPL), you make your camp accessible to more families. Of the 7.2 million bookings processed in 2022, 11 percent utilized a BNPL option. Offering payment plans and options with a big ticket item like camp can increase your registration.”
Tip: ACTIVE Network’s online registration tools allow you to offer a variety of payment options to families, including credit card payment, payment plans, and automatic billing. Save time with automated email payment reminders. Learn more here.
Endurance Events
Ready, set, register! Athletes are signing up for a challenge, but registration shouldn’t be part of it. For participants, mobile check-in means quicker access to race packets and bibs, allowing them to focus on preparing for their race rather than waiting in long lines. But before race day even arrives, participants expect to find, learn, and register for events through their phones.
Make the Race a Challenge, Not Registration
An Eventbrite survey of 2,000 endurance event participants found the following mobile behaviors:
- 82% use mobile to search for endurance events.
- 81% read endurance event information on mobile.
- 51% have registered for an endurance event on mobile.
The survey asserts that “it’s crucial for race directors to optimize the registration flow for mobile devices, because even people that like a challenge don’t want to be challenged by the registration process.”
Tip: If your organization hosts a local 5K or endurance event, ACTIVEWorks Endurance has everything you need to make event registration quicker than a personal best. Learn more about mobile-friendly tools for race event management here.
Race Events Are Social Events, Too
Self-described “social participants” are most likely to sign up late—motivated by “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out. In the same Eventbrite survey, it was found that 15% of all endurance event participants are of the social type.
“Half of participants would sign up earlier if they knew their friends were attending, so make it easy for them to get their friends on board. Be sure to enable social sharing on your registration page, and make it as easy as possible for people to register when they’re out and about talking with friends.”
Mobile check-in opens up opportunities for organizers to engage with participants before, during, and after the event – helping amateur and first-time participants feel supported and thus more likely to return because of the connections they made.
Tip: ACTIVEWorks Endurance uses referral marketing to encourage registrants to share programs with friends and family, offering configurable incentives such as automated discounts for friends and rebates for the referrer. Learn more here.
Experts in Mobile Optimization
Mobile-friendly check-in is not merely about expediting administrative tasks; it's about prioritizing customer service, enhancing participant experiences, and fostering meaningful connections. At ACTIVE Network, that’s the inspiration behind our registration and check-in solutions used by thousands of organizations worldwide.
Ready to automate routine tasks, manage participants at scale, and access performance metrics that matter?
Book a demo with the ACTIVE team today!
References
“Camp Booking Trends to Know for 2023: Insights from Industry Data.” American Camp
Association, 10 Jan. 2023, www.acacamps.org/blog/sponsored/camp-booking-trends-know-2023.
Endurance Sports Participant Study, Eventbrite, July 2014
eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/marketing/britepapers/Endurance_Report_Survey.pdf.
“The Importance of Mobile Website Optimization [Infographic].” Invesp, 14 Nov. 2013,
www.invespcro.com/blog/importance-of-mobile-website-optimization/.
Spraul, Tyler. “How to Develop a Mobile Gym Check-in System.” Exercise.Com | Software to Grow Your Fitness Business, 16 Nov. 2023, www.exercise.com/grow/how-to-develop-a-mobile-gym-check-in-system/.
