Creating simple profile pages for each classmate makes your website that much “stickier”. Learn more about what else you can do to make your class reunion website stand out.
A class reunion website is an absolute necessity in today’s day and age.
Creating a website for such a large event is no longer considered a luxury. It is now a necessity.
But do you really need one?
There are many reasons why a class reunion website is absolutely essential to planning the event. Here are the top 5 reasons.
1- Creating Class Reunion Websites Is Simple With No Programming Required
There are a lot of online companies that specialize in helping you create your own class reunion website with no programming knowledge at all. It as simple as click and drag and you will have a website up and running in less than an hour. If you don’t believe us, then read our Class Reunion Website Builder Reviews.
In addition, many class reunion website builders offers a free trail (No credit card required), so there is no risk in getting started.
2- Increase Attendance By Increasing Interaction
There is one very important factor in any website and that is called the “Stickiness” factor. This is a measure of how much time people spend on your website.
Most class reunion websites have basic information regarding the event. At most, they have the dates, location, and hotel room block information (Read: How To Reserve Hotel Rooms For A Class Reunion). This sort of website does not facilitate interaction between the reunion committee and the classmates.
In addition, it does not provide the ability to have classmates chat and catch up with each other ahead of the class reunion.
Ideally, classmates should be spending a lot of time on the website interacting with others through message boards, chat rooms, polls, and games. Here is what you need to do.
Get conversations started
Of course, getting them to the website will not increase attendance all by itself. You will have to facilitate initial conversations in the message boards, post interesting polls and surveys, and create engaging content. Some class reunions will include chats with a famous members of your class, or just host an informational session where the class reunion committee answers questions in a live setting.
Add photos to increase interaction
Other ways to increase the stickiness factor is by posting “Then and now” photos and videos of your classmates on the website. Being able to view how each classmate has changed over time keeps people interested and forces them to continue visiting the website.
Quiz them
Post quizzes about your college or high school history to continue to engage your attendees. Create forms where your classmates can update their current information for everyone to see. Have them update their marital status, kids, jobs, significant accomplishments etc.
As more people post information about themselves, others get encouraged to do the same, creating more engaged attendees at your class reunion. Do you need help creating a class reunion website?
3- Online Registration Is Simple With A Website
You can create registration information for classmates in one of two ways.
The old school method would have you typing and then printing a bunch of documents. After that, you would have to print address labels, buy large envelopes, and then put together the mailer (licking envelopes and all). Cost $5 per mailer.
Finally, after spending hours putting everything together, you would be ready to lug everything to the post office, which is a whole new hassle.
Or, you could just create a registration form online in less than an hour right on your class reunion website. Once created, send an email with a link to it to your classmates.
For example, if you use MyEvent.com to create your website, attendees can fill out a registration form and pay for the event online. And the software keeps a list of of confirmed registrations and maintains a list of “Who is coming?” for all attendees to see. Plus, every time someone registers, you’ll get an email confirmation.
Which method sounds simpler? Online or putting together a bunch of mailers?
4- Collect Money Online
Ever tried to collect money from 200 attendees? Would you be ready if you had to collect registration fees from 400 people? Imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to track who paid, and who did not. Just the time spent depositing checks calls for a better solution.
With a class reunion website, you can collect payments for the event online. The money shows up in your account in less than 48 hours without having to worry about whether the check cleared or lost.. It also provides a built in paper trail that is easy to track for everyone.
Another reason to sell reunion tickets right on your website is that many people prefer to pay with their credit/debit cards. Most of the younger generation doesn’t like writing checks and would much rather use plastic.
5- Who’s Coming Section
A class reunion is much like any other party that you may plan. Most people want to know who is coming. Instead of fielding calls and emails about who is coming and who has cancelled, you are better off maintaining a list of confirmed attendees right on your website. That way when someone wants to know who is coming, they can look it up in an instant.
So How Do You Get Started?
If you are ready to start a class reunion website, there is no better place than to read out reviews: