Why Might People Register for Your Online Event but Then Tail to Turn Up? 

With a physical event, particularly one related to the workplace, it’s really hard not to attend! You have to take time out of your day to get ready, travel, prepare – it is a tangible commitment that one must adhere to. Indeed, online events are a little different, and their virtual element complicates attendance a lot more. 

People can view online events as an afterthought, an unimportant obligation, or they might forget ever registering for it at all! It’s easy for an online commitment to slip from the minds of your audience – they need only register at the click of a mouse, and the emails about the online event slowly creep into their spam folder. 

Online events are revolutionary, but innovation comes at a price. So, let us break down the potential causes of poor attendance. 

No clear audience

A virtual event depends on identifying and focusing on a clear audience demographic. For example, you’re presenting on a specific videogame, therefore you would target fans of this specific videogame. If you have a weak, unfocused invitation process, people might sign up but they won’t follow through on this commitment. Invite your audience with an email or social media post but ask them to respond and register! Remind them consistently before the event that they’re attending, and make sure they know just how to access your online event.

Complicated log-in process

So, people are ready to attend your event, but what if they can’t figure out how? A complicated log-in process ruins virtual attendance, to the great detriment of many online events. Therefore, opting for a webinar format is so helpful: log-in is easy, perhaps with a password or two that can be clearly passed out to your audience. Logging into your online event shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds, and anything more than an email address and password. Make accessing your event quick and easy.

Uninteresting content

We live in an internet-dominated age, where snappy and efficient content rules. Nowadays, people have a shorter attention span for online content, and want to be truly engaged if they are going to interact with your online event. Your topic of conversation might be complex and wordy, but holding interest depends on your phrasing and delivery. If you have exciting, upbeat delivery with interesting and digestible phrasing – no matter how complex the content or topic of your webinar, people will sign up and attend.

Amateur production

People might sign up for your online event, but if they take a glimpse at your webinar in action and find the production to be amateur, they’ll soon click away and onto greener virtual pastures. Don’t treat your online event like a childhood play; an audience will be used to professional TV programming, and you should uphold that standard to the best of your ability. Good sound quality, a clear picture, no lagging or internet delay and so on.

So, if you have found yourself wondering why people are registering but failing to turn up to your online event, follow these tips to increase overall attendance for each session your host in the future.