Protecting your brand when running events: A focus on website and booking journeys
Your audience’s experience on your website may make or break their opinion of your company.
This is especially true when you are organising events or activities. The booking journey is a vital touchpoint that not only influences ticket sales but also your brand’s reputation. Here’s how to protect and improve your brand when managing events via your website.
1. First impressions matter
Your website is frequently the first interaction potential guests have with your event. Make sure your website reflects your brand’s identity and values. A well-designed website with good UX, UI, and UC that is visually appealing, easy to browse, and consistent with your brand’s aesthetics establishes a positive tone.
- Consistent branding: Use your brand’s colours, typefaces, and logo consistently throughout the website. This results in a coherent appearance and reinforces brand recognition.
- Professional design: Invest in a professional, modern website design that exudes trust and professionalism. Avoid clutter and make sure the layout is intuitive.
2. Clear and concise information
Attendees should be able to easily locate all of the information they need about your event, including dates, times, locations, ticket prices, and any additional relevant information.
- Landing pages: Create separate pages with detailed information for each event. Use bullet points, headers, and illustrations to break up text and make information more digestible.
- FAQs: Anticipate frequent queries and provide straightforward responses. This not only benefits participants but also decreases the workload for your customer service crew.
3. Seamless booking journey
The booking process should be as uncomplicated as possible. A difficult or frustrating booking process might result in abandoned carts and negative perceptions of your brand.
- User-friendly forms: Keep forms short and just request the necessary information. Use auto-fill features whenever possible to speed up the process.
- Mobile optimisation: Make sure your booking system functions effortlessly on mobile devices. As more customers book on the go, a mobile-friendly interface is essential.
- Payments: Use a secure payment gateway to protect client data. Clearly display security badges to reassure users.
4. Personalisation and engagement
Personalising the booking process can increase client satisfaction and brand loyalty. Engage your audience through their trip to ensure a memorable experience.
- Personalised recommendations: Suggest other events or activities based on the user’s preferences or previous booking. This not only boosts sales, but also improves the user experience.
- Email confirmations: Send tailored email confirmations and reminders about the event. Include valuable information in these mailings, such as attendee tips or special content.
5. Transparent policies
Clear and open policies for cancellations, refunds, and adjustments are required. Ambiguity in these areas might lead to unhappy customers and harm your brand reputation.
- Refund and cancellation policies: Explain your refund and cancellation policies on your booking page. Ensure that these policies are fair and customer-friendly.
- Terms and conditions: Make your terms and conditions easy to locate and understand. Avoid using legal jargon, which can confuse users.
6. Customer support
Effective customer support is an essential part of brand protection. Ensure that guests can readily contact you if they encounter any problems or have queries.
- Multiple support channels: Allow customers to reach you in a variety of ways, including email, phone, and live chat. Make sure these channels are monitored and that responses are prompt.
- Online help centre: Create a thorough help centre on your website that includes articles and guides to frequent difficulties and questions.
7. Feedback and continuous improvement
Collecting input from guests is critical for further growth. Use this feedback to improve future events and the booking experience.
- Post-event surveys: After the event, send out surveys to get guests’ feedback and suggestions. Use the data to discover areas for improvement.
- Customer reviews: Implement a review mechanism on your website so that participants can provide feedback.
- Customer service interaction: Respond to all reviews, favourable and negative, to demonstrate that you appreciate consumer feedback.
Case study: SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain reached us because they wanted to improve their website’s accessibility, inclusivity, and engagement.
We created a new website with a completely new information architecture, user-centric design, and more effective use of visual assets to reflect SS Great Britain’s vision and fulfil the different demands of its audience. Here’s a video case study from our early collaboration. We continue to assist them with additional work that improves the website, and the client experience and helps them achieve their strategic objectives.
Over two years, the website’s ROI was 2,300%. Our work raised conversions dramatically, resulting in an anticipated 30,000 more bookings.
More recently, we helped them with their Shopify site, which improved the alignment of their gift shop’s digital and physical experiences. This included an accessibility evaluation and work to improve the purchase experience.
Here’s a clip of Noah from SSGB discussing the gift shop and his plans for it.
Takeaways
Protecting your brand when running events is a multifaceted undertaking that includes providing a smooth and engaging booking experience on your website.
By concentrating on clear information, a user-friendly interface, personalised involvement, transparent policies, good customer service, and continual improvement, you can ensure that your events not only succeed but also increase your brand’s reputation.
Remember to make sure every interaction counts.