That was where Mike of Mudslinger Events found himself when I reached out to him about streamlining his event pages. (To be clear, I reached out because I wanted to ride one of his events and wasn't feeling confident about hitting the 'register' button. And I've learned that if I have that feeling, others do too.)
Project Goals:
- Streamline the 10+ event pages to increase new rider numbers
- Lower the number of emails Mike receives from riders
- Help Mike find confidence in his website
- Increase the number of female and BIPOC riders
- Increase the number of Triple Crown registrants (this is a multi-race registration - riders compete for a title and enjoy a discount)
Key Challenge:
Since Mudslinger Events races appeal to a wide range of passionate athletes, we needed to convey the appeal of the races to all of them. We also needed to make sure that everyone's questions were answered in such a way that they weren't overwhelmed. We wanted them to confidently hit that 'register' button.
Research Study Details:
To figure out what changes we needed to make to the website, I researched other similar event websites. I also used card sorting techniques to organize the information in a way that helped the most people and prioritized the most important details.Impact (TL/DR):
- Increased Triple Crown registration numbers by 30% YoY
- Moved the Triple Crown page into the top 3 pages for visits
- Mike felt more confident to share his website with new riders and sponsors
The first thing potential riders saw on the event page was a banner that rotated photos. The event name could sometimes be lost in the photo, along with the buttons. Oftentimes heads were cut off, as in this group of female riders who were effectively scrubbed out.
Each content block was differently styled, giving the site a hodge-podge look. Certain sections, like this black and white one proved dense and difficult to read.
- 1Group the most important informationWe put the most important information higher up on the page so that a confident or returning rider could register after one short scroll.
- 2Progressive disclosureWe put technical details that few people needed into the downloadable tech guide for each race. We also put general questions into an FAQ that sat at the bottom of each event page.
- 3Better photosTo improve female ridership, we chose photos that showed groups of riders. This helped convey the message that riders won't be on their own during the race, a big fear for new gravel riders. We also made sure to have pictures of smiling faces and people having fun.
- 4Copy that sellsHow do you get someone to pay to ride a road they could ride on their own for free? You sell them a story: a story of a weekend with friends, stunning landscapes, a podium finish, and celebratory tacos. Together we crafted enticing copy that sold the race and shared the vision of Mudslinger Events.
After telling riders why the race is one they won't want to miss, we put all of the most important information next. These are all the details a rider would absolutely need to make the decision to register, such as date, time, and price.
To really sell the race, we pulled out what perks riders enjoy. We bolded a phrase for easy scanning and then expanded it for people who wanted more information.
It took many iterations but in the end we had a clean event page that made deciding to race an easy decision.
You can find the website, and sign up for a race yourself, at https://www.mudslingerevents.com/.
- Mike took this opportunity to also update his tech guides, further reducing emails from racers
- We are waiting on the numbers but our goal is to sell out his triple crown, where riders pay to ride multiple races that year
- Mike felt more confident to share his website with new riders and new sponsors