So, you created a race on RunSignup. That’s great! And we’re flattered you chose us to help with all things registration related for your upcoming event. Getting started is often the hardest step, so now that you’ve crossed that bridge, there are a few more things you should do to make the experience go as smoothly as possible.
Set up your payment account
If you’ve gone through the setup wizard, then you’ve seen the request to set up a payment account. Many opt to hold off during the initial setup, as they may not have all the needed information on hand. Though that’s alright, it is very important you finish setting it up as soon as possible.
There are two main reasons for that:
- You can’t open registration until it’s done
- You don’t have access to email capabilities until it’s done
The process is relatively simple and the approval process generally doesn’t take too long. That said, there’s no guarantee that things will move quickly. So, to err on the side of caution it’s best you address it early so you’re not kept from doing things like opening up registration for your race.
If you’re curious to learn more about setting up a payment account, check out the video below.
Customize your website
One thing that’s guaranteed to help you stand out from the crowd and have a professional looking event is by customizing your event website. We see it semi-regularly where people simply leave the default settings for a webpage. Those pages certainly don’t look bad, but they could look a lot better.
For reference, on the left is a default page and the right one that’s been customized.
It’s easy to see the difference. And making a website like the one on the right doesn’t take a ton of time. Doing things like adding in different components like the countdown clock, or even changing the color scheme go a long way in taking a website from okay to outstanding.
With our Websites V2 builder, it’s easier than ever to make a beautiful website that matches your brand. It can also encourage people to sign up. In fact, one study found half of internet users use website design as a factor to formulate their opinion on a business.
In short, looks matter. If you take the time to invest in creating a good looking website, it will pay off in the long run.
Add email contacts
In 2023 almost 17% of all transactions on RunSignup came directly from emails sent from our platform. That alone shows just how powerful a promotional tool email is. And since it’s a free feature of our platform, it’s clearly one you should use to your advantage.
Adding email contacts is easy to do. You can choose to either add people manually one by one, or upload a list to expedite the process. Email addresses are captured for anyone who signs up for an event. So, if you’ve hosted an event on RunSignup previously, you can access those contacts.
If you want some suggestions on how to create an email schedule, this article is a great resource.
Moving forward
There’s a lot to do when planning a race. By taking the above steps you set yourself up for future success and fewer headaches. If you want to have an even smoother event, check out our article Four Common Mistakes Small Races Make.