Handling and managing your small business has its own perks and challenges. Perhaps the greatest challenge for every small business owner is how to grow their business.
While there are many marketing strategies out there like digital marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing, it’s so easy to get lost and be misguided. You’re probably wondering where to start.
The best-case scenario is to lean on some web design company and let professionals do the magic. A good example is the San Francisco website design company.
Creating your business website is like introducing your business to the digital world. As a matter of fact, Devrix reports that “64% of small businesses have their own website.”
Websites increase sales and revenue. According to research done by KPMG, “55% of people will search online for reviews and recommendations before making a purchase, with 47% visiting the company website, 26% checking out the physical store, and 23% of people talking with friends and family.”
WordPress Plugins enhance your business website
Since websites play a critical role in marketing your business, it would be in your best interest to have a functional and efficient website. You should optimize your website for better conversion. Websites reflect your business. This means that a poor user experience will result in negative brand impressions.
To enhance the functionality and usability of your website, many use WordPress plugins. Each plugin serves a specific feature and functionality. Some improve SEO, others help you create contact forms and help in website design, while others connect you to Google Analytics which allows track user activity and engagement. Among the 59,000+ WordPress plugins, one is called a WordPress event registration plugin.
What is a WordPress event registration plugin?
An event registration plugin for WordPress functions as an event manager. An event registration plugin is a must-have if you’re just starting your small business. According to research done by Jobs in Marketing, 31% of marketers believe that events are the most effective marketing channel. Furthermore, 52% of business leaders named event marketing the biggest ROI driver.
When you host events like a baking competition for your kitchen appliance business, you build brand awareness and open up networking opportunities. In addition to that, events allow you to interact with your potential customers personally. This builds connection, cultivates relationships and trust, and ultimately increases revenue.
Furthermore, a good experience from your event will encourage your customers to share your brand with their peers as well. And that alone is an effective marketing tool. The more events you host and participate in, the more opportunities you get.
And hosting your own event requires a registration plugin to make things easier.
How does it work?
A WordPress event registration plugin automates the whole registration process for you and your customers. Specifically, a registration plugin helps you do the following tasks:
- Allows you to create and customize your registration forms – You get to choose what details you want to include in the registration forms. You might want to include basic details like name, age, occupation, address, and other contact details. However, due to the pandemic, additional items like vaccination status can also be added.
- Collects and stores registrants’ information – After a person registers, the plugin automatically collects and safely stores the information for you.
- Offers flexibility in payment options and helps you collect ticket payments – The registration plugin also allows you to offer several payment options like PayPal, Stripe, Square, and credit card payments. After payment is made, the funds will automatically be reflected in your merchant account.
- Helps you send out emails and links for your online meetings – After a registrant finishes registering, the plugin will allow you to send out customized emails for confirmation and reminders. You can include event details in your messages like venue and schedules. Prior to or on the day of your online event, you can send out meeting invitations and links.
- Safe event check-ins – Your registration plugin will be with you from start to finish. During your in-person event, you can do contactless check-ins by scanning the QR or bar codes embedded in the tickets of your participants. This will help maintain a safe and secure in-person gathering.
These are just some of the basic ways an event registration plugin for WordPress helps you. More than these, a registration plugin grows your small business through the following ways:
How a WordPress event registration plugin elevates your small business
1. Helps advance your marketing strategies
This is perhaps the most direct benefit of a registration plugin. By providing easy-to-use registration solutions, you can get the most out of your event marketing efforts. As previously mentioned, event marketing is considered the single most effective marketing tool.
According to a LinkedIn report, “74% of consumers said that they would be more likely to purchase a product after attending a branded event.” Websites, coupled with event marketing, will help you increase revenue for your e-commerce store, for example.
You might be thinking that event marketing is not for you since it might cost a lot. However, this is not true. According to an article of Nurture, hosting or participating in events don’t necessarily equate to big expenses. You can sponsor local sports events, attend business events, and organize free events while staying on budget.
You want your business to succeed this 2022. And you want to advertise your business in any way possible, and events are a great way to do that. And in order to encourage people to register, you should provide a registration process as convenient and as easy as possible. One thing you need to take note of is that your registration process can either break or make your upcoming event.
When you automate the process with the help of an event registration plugin, you provide a hassle-free way that helps you save time and resources.
You need the best tools to advance your marketing efforts, and an event registration plugin is the best fit for that.
2. Adds additional value to your business website
Don’t you know that “38% of people will stop interacting with a poorly designed site?” Most people, if not all, like to browse through a website before purchasing a product or service. People judge your small business based on what they experience and see on your website.
Your website design is therefore very important. As equally important as the design, features and content are also important. When you add promotional events, in addition to the products and services you’re offering, it brings additional value and life to your business website.
Customers can look forward to something other than your products alone. In addition to that, you can display pictures and testimonials from your recent events. Testimonials are also powerful marketing tools. They build your brand’s integrity and strengthen your brand image.
3. Helps you to have a global reach
Today, online events have allowed small businesses to reach a worldwide audience which was difficult to do during pre-pandemic. With the help of the event registration plugin, people coming from different parts of the globe can participate and join your product launch and other promotional events.
Events not only bring value to your business but, most importantly, brings value to your customers. It helps create meaningful experiences, helps build networking connections and relationships, brings a sense of community to like-minded people, and brings lasting joy.
When you provide a valuable experience to people, something that money can’t buy, you don’t only gain new customers but you are gaining loyal customers. The impact of an event, when planned well, can’t be quantified. And your registration plugin will be there to help you create meaningful and valuable events.
4. Streamlines and automates the registration process
The world just keeps busier. With organizations shifting to a hybrid workforce, online transactions are a must. Your event registration plugin will automate the process for you. This means that you can accept registrations and sell tickets 24/7 without attending to them. And people can register anytime, anywhere.
Managing a small business is a tedious job. And there are other important matters to attend to regularly. Hosting events, for one, means a busier schedule for small business owners. You can always choose to handle the job yourself or let the plugin do the work for you.
And this is not just a one-way deal. Your customers and potential clients will also benefit from the automated process as well. Automation and the streamlined process will lessen the time, energy, and money usually spent on traditional methods.
5. You gain support from a dedicated team
Whether you are a solopreneur or a seasoned entrepreneur of a small business, you need every help you can get. You don’t only get the services of an event registration plugin, but you also get the team behind the plugin.
Reliable and supportive customer support will come in handy in your business journey. If you experience troubles in the future, rest assured that the team will assist you in every way possible. Connecting yourself to these teams will also open up networking opportunities in the future. When you are outsourcing, you can always ask for their honest and reliable references. You may even have discounts. Think about that.
Strong businesses are always built on strong relationships – both on internal networks and external connections.
And the more you foster these relationships, the stronger your small business becomes.
Conclusion
The beauty of a small business is found in the close-knit relationship it can build with its customers. With small businesses, you can interact more with your customers on a personal level. Businesses are about people. When you attend to the needs of people, growing your business will just be a piece of cake.
We have provided you with the practical ways how a WordPress event registration plugin grows your small business. May this help you advance your marketing efforts. May your small business continue to make a big impact. Good luck!