On this blog, we talk a lot about increasing online registrations through marketing, social media, your website, and more. We do this because online registration has benefits for staff and customers. Staff members can focus on other projects than in-person signups and customers can save time and register when is convenient for them. Most of the time, we discuss tactics like improving your calls to action or using Facebook apps, but today we're going to take it old school. As ironic as it sounds, even your online registration numbers can be increased with these throw-back ideas:
1. Offer Phone Support
Do you take registrations over the phone? If so, put a plan in place for your staff members. Rather than doing the registration over the phone, ask the customer if they're interested in learning how to register on your website. Stress the benefits. From there, teach them how to use the system and walk them through the process. One by one, you'll reduce lengthy phone calls and increase online registrations.
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2. Teach Walk-ins How to Use the System
You offer walk-in registration and hold registration days before every session. Sound familiar? These are time-consuming activities. For your next walk-in, consider teaching them how to use the online registration system on one of your computers. And for those big registration days with lines out the door, think about setting up a station where people can learn how to register themselves.
SEE ALSO: 10 Easiest Ways to Increase Online Registrations
3. Direct Your Program Guide Readers Online
Do you send out program guides to households in your community? Direct mail is pretty old-fashioned but still works - people are used to receiving your upcoming program descriptions through the mail. However, you can still convert these readers online. All of your calls to action throughout the document should point to your online registration website address. Also, be sure to include benefits and instructions for signing up online.Learn how to create an online recreation guide.
4. Create a Flyer About How to Use Online Registration
Create a one-page flyer about online registration with benefits for the customer and step-by-step instructions. Also, talk about security - much of the hold up could be that people don't like to use their credits cards over the internet.This flyer should be posted on your website so people can use it as they register, at your office so you can hand them out as walk-ins come to the counter, and in your program guide as mentioned above.
5. Provide Great Programs and Cut out Offline Registration
I've been talking to a handful of ACTIVE customers lately. A few of them don't offer offline registration at all anymore. They talked about how the community loves their programs and how they have great instructors and a strong following. Once they started offering online registration, they cut out offline registration completely. The reasoning worked for these organizations - if you offer great programs, people will go online to register. Be careful with this tactic, however. Depending on the demographics of your community, there could be a backlash.How else do you increase online registrations? Comment below.
