It happens more often than you’d think, so I’m going to use the Eventbrite website integration to illustrate a solution to this common situation. I’m talking about websites encouraging their visitors to leave! Yep, they literally show them the door by linking to booking services that open in the same tab. This ends the website session and ends the possibility that your visitor will browse a few more pages.
Instead, you should let people register for an event or book an appointment without leaving your website. Most booking services have an option to embed a widget on the page, and the booking can be completed here. If you can’t embed the booking form, then you should make sure that the link opens in a new tab, leaving your website open.
A solution – demonstrated with Eventbrite’s website integration
Option 1 – Eventbrite checkout embedded on the website page
Use this for a single event or a recurring event.
After creating the Eventbrite event, find the Marketing menu within the event and choose ‘Embedded Checkout’. Choose the option ‘Embedded within content on the page’. Copy the generated code so you can paste it into your page builder.
After clicking ‘Tickets’, the visitor can fill the form and order the ticket all within this pane. The success message appears within the pane.
Disadvantage: this calendar can be slow to load on the page.
Option 2 – Eventbrite button embedded on the website page
Use this for a single event or a recurring event.
After creating the Eventbrite event, find the Marketing menu within the event and choose ‘Embedded Checkout’. Choose the option ‘A button that overlays a modal window on the page’. Copy the generated code so you can paste it into your page builder.
The button can be customised. On clicking, a modal window opens and the visitor can choose an instance of the event and complete the order process all within this window. When the window is closed, the visitor is taken back to the website page.
Option 3 – Display a text link on your web page
Use this for a single event or a recurring event.
In the Event Dashboard, scroll down and copy ‘Your Event URL’. Create a link on your web page, adding some link text. Be sure to choose the link setting that will open the link in a new tab.
Tracking website visitors who register/book
Google Analytics will track visitors to the page on which the booking widget is embedded. However, it will not track actions within the widget by default, as this is another domain.
Most booking services provide a partial solution – they provide a field to add your Google Analytics code, and then you will see visits to your booking pages in your Google Analytics reports. I say ‘partial solution’ because, in most cases, the session breaks between your web page and the other domain. This is not ideal because you get artificial inflation of session numbers and, if bookings are tracked a goals, they will not be attributed to the correct source of the website visit (they will all be shown as ‘direct’ visits).
The solution to this is cross-domain tracking. The set-up for this varies according to the service with which you are integrating. In the case of Eventbrite, a solution for the link method (option 3) can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy2gnsg1GDM. I have not been able to find a solution for cross-domain tracking for options 1 and 2. Sometimes, you will have to be satisfied with being aware of the limitations when looking at your data.
Always choose an option that will keep people on your website
It is increasingly common for businesses to include some sort of booking facility on their websites. This might be to book an introductory phone call, to book an appointment, or to register to attend an event. There are lots of different software platforms that you can use for this. Most give you options for navigating from your website to your booking calendar or event page, including linking or embedding a widget.
Choose an option that doesn’t end the website session. If you are using a link, make sure it opens in a new browser tab. Embedding a widget on your page is often the best solution, providing a seamless experience for the user and keeping them on your website.
Try the Eventbrite integrations I have demonstrated in this article. The events may be fictitious, but the lesson is real!
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