If you are in search of the best way to host virtual events in WordPress, this article is for you.
It might be your next webinar or a business conference or a networking event, virtual events are quite in trend now. It is a fact that nothing can replace the convenience of an in-person event but the advantages of online events are also undeniable.
If you too want to embrace the new trend but are stepping back due to lack of technical knowledge or guidance in this field, this virtual events guide is surely going to help you. You will learn about:
Why should you host virtual events?
Virtual events allow people to connect through their computers or mobile devices and attend an event without being physically present in the venue. Such events cover small gatherings to big business conferences or exhibitions with a huge number of guests and attendees.
Virtual events bring multiple benefits to your organization as it removes geographical boundaries. It highly enhances your audience reach if conducted in a proper way.
You need to keep in mind that virtual events are fully technology driven so you need to take measures to avoid technical difficulties. To organize a successful virtual event, you need to have the right plan, resources and effort. We can help you in this regard through this WordPress virtual events guide.
Here are the advantages that a virtual event offers:
- Enhances business exposure.
- Increases event audiences by removing geographical boundaries.
- No hassle of finding a venue for an event.
- Cost effective as organizers don’t need to pay for venue, transportation, fooding or lodging.
- Boosts sponsorship opportunities.
- Increases scope for lead generation.
- Increases user engagement and more.
How to set up a WordPress events website?
Having a WordPress events website is the first step that you take towards hosting a virtual event. If you already have a full fledged WordPress site for your events then you can skip this step.
Here are the things you need to create a WordPress site:
- A unique domain name: this is the name of your website which will be used to build your online identity.
- WordPress hosting: this is the place where your files will be stored.
- Select a suitable WordPress event listing theme for your website. To get a guidance on this, you can consider this article “12 Best Customizable WordPress Themes for Events and Conferences in 2023”.
If you want to set up your WordPress site for a perfect live streaming event, you can refer to this article for details “The best way to set up your WordPress site for live video streaming using a plugin in 2022: Complete Guide”.
Why choose WordPress for your events website?
There are several reasons why we recommend self hosted WordPress.org for building a website for your events.
- One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress is that it is open-source which signifies that everyone can use it the way they want.
- Easy to use.
- It speeds up your website as it takes less time to load.
- Lets you take control of your entire website.
- It offers several plugins to enhance the features of your events website.
- Ensures security through regular updates. All you have to do is to maintain your website based on these updates.
- SEO friendly.
- It is a suitable platform for all types of businesses including eCommerces, events and blogging.
Selecting the right WordPress plugins for virtual events
As mentioned earlier, WordPress offers a huge option when it comes to choosing the right plugin for your WordPress events website. These plugins help you empower your WordPress sites with various event management functionalities like adding an event calendar, managing registrations and ticket sales and more.
We recommend WP Event Manager for your events as it is:
- Open source.
- Scalable.
- Customizable.
- Fully responsive.
- SEO friendly.
- Offers multiple resources on plugin usage.
- Helps you take control of your events completely.
- Has a huge number of extensions that are built to fulfill different event management requirements.
- Several awards and recognitions.
- Positive reviews and ratings on popular platforms.
Which is the best plugin to host virtual events in WordPress?
If you are searching for the best virtual events plugin for WordPress, go for the following ones based on your requirements:
- Zoom for virtual meetings, conferences, and webinars.
- Expo Networking for networking events and exhibitions.
Zoom
The plugin is built with the combined strength of Zoom and WP Event Manager.
Some of its key features include the following:
- Allows users to share the Zoom meeting directly on their website.
- In case of paid Zoom meetings or conferences or any type of events the link will be shared with only the registered users.
- For paid events, transactions are handled through WooCommerce.
- The overall control of the Zoom event lies in the hands of the WordPress virtual event host.
- The meeting link can be joined through any device.
If you are going to organize a WordPress virtual event, we would also recommend you to get the Registration and Sell Tickets addon to manage registrations and ticket sales with ease.
The additional benefits that the plugin offers when you use it with the Registration addon include the following:
- The attendee data that they provide you during the registration process get automatically synced with your zoom which makes it easy to manage the whole details.
- The details of your registered event attendees are also displayed on your Zoom dashboards.
Expo Networking plugin
This is another revolutionary plugin from the house of WP Event Manager for WordPress virtual events that you can use.
Some of its key features include the following:
- Lets users host interactive sessions, booths, lounges and more.
- Users can handle the mainstage with attendees, speakers and hosts.
- Advance live streaming facility.
- Enables users to create packages for exhibitors and booths.
- Live polls and real time chats.
- Private video meetings.
- File sharing to improve your presentations and more such opportunities for everyone to interact.
In a nutshell the expo networking plugin gives you everything that you need to make your virtual events engaging and successful.
If you wish to add additional advantages to your WordPress virtual events then we recommend you to have a few more addons that include:
- Calendar: it helps you display the dates and details of your events on an interactive calendar. You can also highlight your virtual events on it.
- Speaker and Schedule: it helps you showcase the details of your speakers and their speech schedule directly on your website.
- Registrations: it gives you a superior registration management system through a customizable registration form.
- Sell Tickets: lets you sell tickets to your virtual events directly from your WordPress site and accept payments through WooCommerce.
Picking up the right audio and video instruments
It is better to not rely on the built in webcam and microphone of your computer or laptop. If you do not have a limited budget, you must always go for high quality audio and video equipment. This is because if your audio and video quality is low it instantly turns off your attendees and ruins the excitement amongst them. They may also lose the interest in joining your future events.
Make sure that you use a good quality microphone. A USB mic is recommended as it is easy to plugin into your laptop without any additional gear.
How to increase attendees in a WordPress virtual event?
Every event organizer aims to gather the maximum number of attendees to his or her events. It is one of the biggest challenges that they face. However, some promotional tricks and tactics do help a lot in this regard.
Here are some tips to increase your attendees in your virtual events in WordPress:
- Promote your events effectively.
- Use email marketing.
- Utilize the power of social media.
- Ensure a smooth check-in process.
- Offer a hassle free registration process.
- Share a pre-event Q and A session with your attendees and more.
To know more about different ways to increase attendees in your virtual events, you can refer to this article, “How can you increase attendees for your website event”.
Wrapping up
Hosting virtual events in WordPress is the new trend that every event organizer must follow to boost their business exposure and audience reach. All you need to have a WordPress website, some good plugins like WP Event Manager, good quality audio and video equipment and a great event promotional strategy to increase audiences in your event.
The post How to Host Virtual Events in WordPress: (Complete Guide) appeared first on WP Event Manager.
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