Let's take a nostalgia trip for just a moment. You're back at your favorite childhood camp with canoes and s'mores abound - everything was simple and seemingly old-fashioned. No cellphones, computers, or a thing called, "the Internet."
However, the age of technology has finally caught up to camps, and the last decade has brought many incredible changes.
There is no denying it: your old, manual camper registration process is becoming more obsolete by the day.
Camp owners, directors, and counselors are now starting to explore how to transform that old-fashioned, time-consuming process into one that is much simpler and more efficient for both camp organizers and registrants alike.
What are the industry trends showing? Online camp registration forms are the way of the future.
The first few questions that many of you may have is, "Where do I even start?" "What's the big deal about online camp registration forms?" "Do I really need to make the switch to online registration?"
Fortunately, we've compiled 8 key reasons why online camp registration forms are the future so you don't have to answer those questions by yourself.
Sit back, relax, and keep reading about how to best guide your camp through the age of technology!
1. Data security must now be top of mind
Although technology has vastly improved our lives in many ways, it is important to consider the negative effects, too.
The truth is that a significant portion of camps do not think about the consequences of a cyber attack on camper personal information. Furthermore, the old-fashioned, manual registration processes that camps have long relied on introduces an even greater risk as papers containing campers' social security numbers, addresses, and health information could be sitting anywhere.
You may already store your campers' data online, and if so, congratulations! However, just because their information is online does not mean it is protected from data breaches.
147 million Americans can attest to that possibility after Equifax endured a massive cyber attack in 2017.
So, what does this mean for you and your camp?
Your online camp registration platform must take every possible precaution to protect your campers' data. A single data breach could break the trust that campers and their parents have in your organization and cost you thousands in legal fees.
The good news is that Payscape Registration was built with security in mind and is hosted by Amazon Web Services.
2. Consumers want to use an array of digital and super flexible payment systems
It's 2019.
You, me, and your next door neighbors use a myriad of options to pay for the products we want. From Venmo to PayPal to the classic credit card and even cryptocurrencies like BitCoin, we couldn't blame you for getting overwhelmed by the endless list of ways to pay for stuff.
That is why it is crucial for you to transition to an online camp registration platform that gives you a variety of options for how you want to accept payments from registrants. These options can include 'Bill Me', 'Deposit & Remainder', and of course 'Up Front' for camps that prefer to receive payments in full during the registration process.
Today's consumers want to register for a camp and arrange payment all at once and in the terms that make sense to them. There is just no way around it.
And, of course, Payscape Registration enables attendees to pay in a matter of minutes, the way that works best for them.
3. Custom reporting is now easier than ever before
So, you've successfully registered hundreds of eager campers to take part in your next amazing camp experience.
What's the next step?
You probably want to organize all of the information that you've received from those campers.
The problem is that your old reporting process has taken too much time away from your work day for far too long.
That's where online camp registration forms once again come to the rescue.
Rather than tediously mapping out which data points you want to gather on your bland Excel spreadsheet, registration platforms like Payscape Registration enable you to create custom reports from scratch, in minutes.
In addition to making it easier to learn more about your campers and their important information (like allergies and dietary restrictions), custom reporting also provides the opportunity to learn about your camp itself so you can better prepare for the next one.
For example, let's say you recently offered a variety of 'camp excursions' for registrants to select from during the sign-up process. With the help of custom reporting, you can quickly identify which excursion options collected the most registrations. So, when it's time to set up your next camp, you can remove less popular options and add multiples of the best performers to further enhance your campers' experience and your bottom line!
4. Say goodbye to those classic pain points of camp registration
Question: Does your current camp registration process really deliver a seamless experience for your registrants?
If you are unsure, then chances are that your campers and their parents are still experiencing any number of pain points.
From lengthy camp registration forms to confusion around downloading and re-uploading waivers, there are so many potential ways to complicate and drag out a process that should only take a few minutes.
Fortunately, the introduction of online camp registration forms has begun a transformation from complexity to simplicity.
Although there are multiple registration platforms available, there are only a select few (like Payscape Registration 😁) that really eliminate these pain points and many others. Simply put, online forms have automated the camp registration process and, in doing so, have saved time for the two most important parties: you and your campers!
With a few easy clicks, a registrant can select pricing options, fill out a questionnaire, and arrange payment details all at the same time. No more long waiting periods between requesting a signed waiver and actually receiving it. No more lag time between requesting payments and actually receiving them.
Imagine all of the time you'll free up with the help of an online camp registration form as opposed to your classic paper form!
5. You can stay informed with real-time registrations
Who wants to wait for a single daily report of how many new registrants are anxiously awaiting the start of your next camp?
If your answer was absolutely no one, then you are absolutely correct!
Most platforms containing online camp registration forms are able to notify you every time a new registration has been completed in your system.
Real-time alerts accomplish several key tasks for you:
- 24/7 awareness of the total registration count for any particular camp
- Accurate measurement of the total revenue accrued from completed payments
- Precise calculation of the total number of outstanding payments yet to be completed by registrants
- Data analysis of which pricing options are selling at the highest rate so you can properly staff and supply your camps
What's the biggest takeaway here? It's always better to be in the know than out of it.
Online camp registration forms keep you in the know at all times. It's that simple.
6. It has never been simpler to create more revenue-generating opportunities for your camp
Although you, like many other camp organizers, owners, and counselors, place camper satisfaction at the top of your priority list, it is important to remember that every camp also needs to earn revenue to stay in business.
One of the most prevalent comments we hear from clients and influencers in the camp industry is that they sometimes struggle to find ways to up-sell registrants.
The truth is that creating additional revenue streams via offering a bonus package, t-shirt, or other premium options isn't difficult as long as registrants can sign up for them in the blink of an eye.
That's where online camp registration forms hit the jackpot!
We cannot stress enough the importance of choosing a registration platform that not only enables you to easily create multiple pricing options and sub-options but also easily displays each option to your registrants.
7. Keeping all of your waivers and documents in one place is no longer impossible
Who wants to download tons of waivers and documents one at a time, fill them out, and then scam them into an email?
Unfortunately, such has been the life for registrants when signing up for camps in the past.
Online camp registration forms have brought new life into this process by compiling documents needing signatures into one place for easy access and completion.
Campers and their parents already have a million things going on and certainly don't want to spend extra time on tediously finding every document to sign before sending them back to you.
Registration platforms have fully embraced the all-in-one model where every step of the sign-up process can be completed in a matter of minutes instead of over a couple of days.
8. Deliver a seamless registration process for your attendees
We'll cap this post off by reiterating the massive importance of cultivating a seamless registration process for your campers.
Benjamin Franklin, back in 1748, famously wrote in a book, "Remember that time is money." Fast forward to 2019 and this statement still rings true in every aspect of business and life.
Time is money to your registrants, and as a result they want to spend as little time as possible on registering for your camp.
The best way to help them accomplish this is by upgrading your camp to a platform that utilizes online camp registration forms for every step of the sign-up process.
From obtaining camper information to collecting payments, it is now possible to check off every box while delivering a professional, clean registration experience that will keep your attendees coming back for more every year.
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So, there you have it! We recommend that you carefully consider these 8 reasons before choosing a platform that optimizes the online camp registration form experience. We're talking about the future after all!
Competition between camps has never been more fierce than it is today. Remember, a major step you can take to help your own camp stand out from the rest is delivering an excellent registration experience. That's really all there is to it!
Ready to get started in an online camp registration platform? Click below for a free demo!
