Using WordPress for Event Registration

WordPress is widely known as the most popular, flexible, and robust content management system (CMS) on the web. It currently accounts for 39% of the CMS market (more than 4x the share of its nearest competitor) and more than 25% of ALL websites.

Maybe lesser-known among everyday users is that WordPress is also hugely popular for ecommerce, and the leading ecommerce plugin, WooCommerce (now owned by WordPress) currently powers more than 39% of ALL online stores.

But to get even more specific, many organizations want to use WordPress for event registration, which provides some unique challenges. Sure, you can set up an event as a “product” in WooCommerce–but then you forego features like customized registration forms, product add-ons, and admin features like tickets and check-in lists. And yes, you could use an off-site solution like EventBrite–but that degrades the user experience by taking users away from your website, puts your users’ data in someone else’s hands, and erodes your revenue with additional fees.

Fear not–there are plenty of robust solutions for event registration, from right within your WordPress site. Here are the ones we recommend most:

WooCommerce with Event Tickets Plus

Event Tickets Plus simply extends WooCommerce, to add features like an events calendar, custom registration forms, email-based ticketing with QR codes, and on-site check-in capabilities. A single site license starts as low at $89, with no recurring fees.

Event Espresso

Event Espresso goes even farther, by allowing greater customization of ticket types and pricing, multiple days and times for each event, promo codes, staff and venue management, customizable designs and emails for each event, and much more. The availability of 30 premium add-ons makes EventEspresso a leader in this space. An annual license ranges from $69.95 to $279.95.

Events Manager

If you’re just getting started with event registration, Events Manager is a free plugin that provides a great place to start. Out of the box, it provides single-day and multi-day event registration, re-usable event locations and categories, and integration with Google Maps and Google Calendars. Their Pro version adds coupons, customized forms, PayPal & Authorize.net integration, plus a year of premium support, all for just $75.

If you have questions about this topic, or other questions/suggestions about website development, brand development, or digital marketing, please send an email to [email protected]. We appreciate your feedback, and enjoy helping you make the most of your brand and your online presence.

Tags: ecommerce, ecommerce web development, event web design, event web development