Registration forms are far more than just a way for people to register for your event. And truth is, if that’s what you think they are, there are some powerful aspects you’ll be missing out on.

Say, for instance, that the format of your event means you’re needing to collect event registrations. As a result, you know you need a registration page, but chances are you’re already paying for event ticketing. Paying extra for a registration page might not be an option.

In addition to being a way for people to sign up for your event, your registration page is:

1. A key first impression that people have with the brand of your event.
2. A critical tool for collecting data that you can use to plan your event as well as future ones.

On top of this, it’s also a sales tool.

Regardless of whether you’re looking for a free or a paid option, these kinds of requirements mean you need to be sure to choose the right template. So, if you’re not using a tool optimised to make your data usable so you can scale your events as you grow, it’s going to be hard to do exactly that when the need arises.

On top of all of this, if your form doesn’t work properly or it’s not easy enough for people to sign up, you’ll most likely lose potential registrations. And that defeats the whole purpose of the form.

Luckily there are several online Registration Form Templates that are free and are specific to event registrations. Try out Quicket’s free event registration here. Otherwise, keep reading for tips on how to make sure you make the most of your registration template.

The best way to approach selecting which information you want to collect from registrants is to think strategically about it. Having lots of information can, of course, help with planning your event and making sure it’s the best it can be, and the online tools available to you make it really easy to begin dreaming of collecting endless amounts of data.

The catch is - each question, or step that you add to a form will result in a drop in sales. In fact, too many steps is a top reason that people don't book tickets to an event. So, immediately you can see, asking too much of your registrants is the wrong move. Our advice is to rather just keep it short, and only ask what you really need to know.

Before starting on your form, take time to ensure that you know exactly what info you need from your guests. Obviously, you will need their name, contact number and, at the time of their ticket purchase, their purchasing card details. But what about additional details like their social media handles or what they like to do on a weekend? Not needed.

But, how else will you hone your marketing and communications to your target audience? There’s plenty of room for asking those sorts of questions differently, later on that won’t jeopardise your sales. For example, you could put together a poll on your social channels or a survey via email that you can send to registrants once they have their tickets or even after the event.

Finally, Every Registration Form Template should offer you some metrics about your sign-ups. Furthermore, some have settings that allow you to set up an email notification when you receive a new registration so you can pore over every detail.

Although where some templates fall short is in generating live reports from your data. Simply put, you want strong reporting functionality from the tool you’re using. This will allow you to make proper, practical use of your data. Quicket does exactly this, giving you access to real-time reports consisting of:

• Maps showing the areas that your guests are from.
• The number of people who have looked at your event listing so far i.e. pageviews.
• How many tickets you’ve sold over time, laid out nicely in graph form.

If you’re wondering how all this could be useful to you, think of it as the little nuances that turn a good event into a great event. It’s all about tweaking, improving and perfecting the planning of your event and your event’s marketing.

Let’s say the majority of people who have bought tickets are not locals. Your marketing efforts could absolutely include suggestions for transport and accommodation. You could even offer specials to your guests if you form partnerships with hotels or an airline.

We know that you have an endless amount of things on your daily checklist, and that it might feel like a large amount of effort to set up a proper registration form. However, we guarantee that doing so and taking an extra minute to choose a tool that offers to capture the right information will set you up for success well beyond a buyer filling in their registration information.

If you’re looking for a free registration platform for events and event organisers with dedicated support, create your next event on Quicket.