User experience design, also known as UX design, is a burgeoning field in the tech industry. Why? Well, as people use technology more and more, they want their experiences to be enjoyable, optimized, and easy.
Parents of your potential campers are no different. They want their experiences online to be simple, including their child’s camp enrollment process.
If your current enrollment process is on paper, this means taking it online. If it’s already online but is confusing, has too many steps, or just doesn’t look great, this means implementing a new enrollment form system.
What is a “great user experience?”
To find a definition, let’s turn to Steve Krug’s classic UX book, “Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.”
The answer is right in the title.
A great user experience is defined by its ease. The user shouldn’t have to think about what they’re doing. The experience should be designed so they can just do it.
To assess your current camp enrollment form, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the form easy to read?
- Is the design confusing?
- Is the text confusing, or is it easy to know what information to write and where?
- Have parents/guardians complained about the enrollment process?
For an outside perspective, have someone you know complete the form while you watch. Don’t give any guidance – just see what they do.
Are there times when they pause to think, or did they enter the wrong information and have to start over? Discuss their experience after your test. Their feedback can give you a better idea of what parents and guardians think of your enrollment form.
3 reasons to improve the UX of your enrollment forms
Changing your current process will take time and effort, but it will be worth it. Here’s why.
A easy user experience reflects well on your camp’s brand
Ninety-four percent of users don’t trust sites they consider “outdated.” Parents and guardians need to trust your camp, and that trust starts building from the moment they see your website for the first time.
Ensuring your enrollment form is easy and UX-friendly will reflect well on your camp’s brand and increase parent/guardian trust.
Better forms get better information
A poorly designed form can be confusing and lead a camper’s guardian to input incorrect or irrelevant information. Create an easily-understood form with clear instructions and you’re more likely to get the camper information you really need.
Most importantly, a better enrollment form = more enrollments
Users are more likely to complete a well-designed form with a great user experience. If a parent gets frustrated with a form, they could just decide against your camp altogether.
A better-designed form means users are more likely to complete it, which could result in more enrollments for your camp.
Getting started with a new enrollment form
CampSite’s camp management software makes designing and implementing a custom online enrollment process easy. You can create an excellent user experience for parents and guardians, reduce paperwork, and even collect payment and electronic signatures all in one place.
CampSite also offers other UX-centered features, such as the Parent Dashboard. Schedule a demo today and take your first step toward improving your camp’s online user experience.