Convention Fans

As you can probably imagine, I’ve seen hundreds of websites for conventions and various fandom events by now, and I think some of them could really benefit from a list of Dos and Don’ts. I’m not going to pick on any websites in particular, and call them out for bad design or navigation. I will, however, highlight some good ones as examples. But first, here is the Convention Fans list of “Dos and Don’ts for Convention Websites”.

Dos for Convention Websites:

1. DO make sure the city, state, (and maybe even country) of your convention are posted on the main page in a visible spot. You wouldn’t believe how many conventions don’t do this! Not only does it make it difficult for press like me to cover your event (trust me, others won’t spend too much time digging around looking for that info), but it also makes it difficult for potential attendees to find your event via a Google search. You want people to find your convention, right? That’s what I thought.

2. DO make registration price information easy to find and easy to understand. I know you want everyone to see your convention’s amazing guest list, but the costs involved in a convention are often the real determining factor in whether or not someone can attend. Make that information easy to find, and clear to understand. Don’t bury the information in a paragraph filled with options and caveats. Just tell us how much the darn ticket is, okay?

3. DO make press releases, logos, and/or photos from past years available for press. Having a little press packet, or a press section, for your convention website is only going to benefit you. It makes it easy for press outlets (like this blog) to put together some coverage for your event easily and quickly. If you’re going to make photos available, make sure you have some high resolution versions for print media (300 dpi is standard for print, 72 dpi is standard for the Internet).

4. DO test your site to make sure it’s compatible with multiple browsers (or at least put up a warning if it isn’t going to work with Firefox, Safari, etc.)  More than likely, you should have access to some basic web statistics for your convention’s website. Take a look at the browser stats. If your site is only Internet Explorer compatible, but half of your traffic is coming from Firefox or Safari users, maybe you should consider making a change. Internet Explorer is evil anyway. Make your site work on the other browsers too please.

5. DO offer as much additional information as you can. Information is a good thing! Do you have info on your convention’s website about nearby restaurants, parking, hotels, etc.? This is all extremely useful for potential attendees, especially if they have never attended your convention before. The more they know in advance, the more comfortable they might feel about traveling to your convention (especially if they are coming from far away).

 Don’ts for Convention Websites:

1. DON’T make potential attendees register to find out the price of your convention. I’ve come across more than a half dozen convention websites that do not post the prices for registration anywhere. The only way to find out the price is to use their “checkout” system and create an account. Essentially, you have to start the purchase process before even finding out how much you’ll have to spend. Do. Not. Do. This. It’s not very nice to potential attendees, and it doesn’t make good design sense.

2. DON’T make the site’s navigation difficult! Sometimes a convention’s website is so bogged down in cool effects and crazy drop down navigation menus that it is difficult to use. If your convention’s site is done in Flash, Java, etc., you may want to consider offering an HTML only version. Additionally, name your navigation menus clearly, so attendees can quickly locate what they need. Common headings may include: FAQ, Registration, Location, Guest List, Events, Contact Us, etc. Always give your navigation menus a good thorough testing before taking the site live.

3. DON’T make the website’s content difficult to read/hard on the eyes. This is not a 1996 Geocities page! This is a website where you are trying to promote an event and get people to turn over money to you for registration. No hot pink text on a purple background, Mmmmkay?

4. DON’T leave a forum/message board completely unmoderated or underused. Having a forum or a message board as part of your convention’s website can be great. It allows attendees to talk, make plans together, organize car pools, talk about events, and make suggestions. It can also be a cesspool for spam, trolls and haters. Have some moderators look out for these undesirable elements. On the flip side, don’t let your forums stand there empty and unused. That is a sign of unexcited attendees. Get your staffers and volunteers to post regularly. Use the forum as a tool, and as a way to get feedback and input to make your convention better.

Examples of some good convention websites:

Dragon*Con - MTAC Ninja - FX International - Anime Matsuri - Kawaii Kon

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