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Mass participation events, such as marathons, triathlons, and open water swim events, rely on the engagement of a large number of first-time participants to achieve their registration goals. Similarly, e-commerce businesses rely on a large number of people converting into customers to achieve their sales targets. While organising marathons and selling dishwashers may seem like vastly different industries, there are lessons that mass participation can learn from e-commerce conversion tactics to massively increase the chances that a potential participant will click on “Register” and reduce cart abandonment rates, i.e. starting the checkout process but then aborting halfway. In fact, e-commerce has broken down the topic of online sales conversion into a science, so why not learn from the best in the industry about how to increase sales?

In this blog article, we will explore some key e-commerce conversion tactics that mass participation event organisers can adopt to enhance their success.

1. Create a sense of urgency.

One of the most effective e-commerce conversion tactics is to create a sense of urgency. By emphasizing limited availability or time-sensitive offers, businesses can encourage customers to take action and make a purchase. This same principle can be applied to mass participation events by creating early-bird registration discounts, time-sensitive access to perks (i.e. register now and you get a special medal, or dedicated parking near the race village) or limited entry spaces to generate a sense of urgency among potential participants.

2. Simplify the registration process.

E-commerce businesses understand that a complicated checkout process can lead to high cart abandonment rates. In the same vein, a complicated registration process for mass participation events can discourage potential participants from signing up. Simplifying the registration process by minimizing the number of steps and fields required, and using clear and concise language, can make it easier for people to sign up and increase conversion rates.

Your registration provider should be sharing detailed data about cart abandonment rates and how long it takes for a person to complete a registration, from when they hit “Register” all the way to payment. If any of those seem high (ex. more than 60–70% cart abandonment rate), you must understand why. We also wrote a blog specifically on this topic a while back, which you can find here.

3. Use of social proof, aka Reviews.

Social proof is a powerful tool in e-commerce, with customer reviews and testimonials from an independent platform often cited as key factors in purchase decisions. An independent platform is key here because cherry-picked quotes and testimonials will likely backfire as they are not trusted. Generic review platforms such as Google and Facebook are too easy to game, making those equally unreliable. Mass participation events can use social proof to encourage participation by showcasing past participants, highlighting their achievements and experiences, and sharing reviews from previous years’ events. This can help to build trust and credibility with potential participants, making them more likely to sign up.

Showcasing social proof at the point of sale is critical, especially among a younger audience who is more prone to using reviews for making any purchase, whether choosing a restaurant or hotel. If first-time participants are your target audience, you simply cannot afford NOT to use social proof on your website and sales channels. Book a demo, and let us show you how you can harness the power of social proof for your next race.

4. Personalize the experience.

Personalization is a key trend in e-commerce, with businesses using customer data to personalize recommendations and offers. Mass participation events can use this same tactic to enhance participant engagement. This can be achieved by tailoring the event experience to the individual, such as by providing personalized training plans or sending targeted communication based on their interests and preferences. Racecheck provides advanced analytics reports based on your participant’s reviews, highlighting your biggest strengths and weaknesses. Using this data, you can amplify your strengths in your marketing message, as well as address how you plan to improve on weaknesses. Essentially, tell your participants exactly what they want to hear.

5. Offer incentives.

Incentives are a tried and tested tactic in e-commerce, with businesses offering rewards such as discounts, free shipping, and loyalty points to encourage customers to make a purchase. Similarly, mass participation events can offer incentives to encourage participation, such as prizes for reaching fundraising goals, staggered monthly payments to spread the registration fee or even a small discount for repeat participants to reward loyalty. Getting creative with incentives can seem trivial and tiresome, but seeing the impact it has on e-commerce, it will be worth your time.

In conclusion, while mass participation events and e-commerce businesses may seem like vastly different industries, there are lessons that can be learned from e-commerce conversion tactics to enhance participant engagement and conversion rates. Consumer psychology and persuasion principles are timeless concepts that transcend industries, making e-commerce a great mentor to learn from. By creating a sense of urgency, simplifying the registration process, using social proof, personalizing the experience, and offering incentives, mass participation events can encourage more people, especially first-time participants, to sign up and ultimately achieve their goals.

Visit us here to learn more about how Racecheck can help collect and display social proof for your events.