Michelle and James Bettis have been in the endurance industry since 2011, when they founded their company 3W Races. They have been using RunSignup since 2012 and have been loyal customers since. Joining them in this interview is race director and timer Whitney Vessel, who has been with 3W for about five years.
Below are excerpts from the interview with the staff at 3W Races. You can view the full video here, on the RunSignup Youtube Channel, or click the embedded video below.
Q: Can you tell us a little about how you got started with RunSignup?
Michelle: We started our business in 2011, and by 2012 we already had 43 races on our calendar. I was searching for a registration platform that would not only be easy for me as a race director and timer, but for my registrants to use as well. I researched around two dozen registration platforms and RunSignup was by far the most customer responsive, even in its infant stages.
James: I change on the dime frequently and am always needing changes within a short period of time. The platform we were using would take a support ticket and get back to us in two or three weeks, which frustrated me. I like RunSignup because we are able to make a change ourselves and update the website within ten seconds.
Q: How do you manage giveaway inventory through the RunSignup platform?
James: One thing that RunSignup was very responsive to since the very beginning was creating an inventory for our giveaway. Whether it was hats or shirts, having an area where I can input the amount of shirts I have ordered and their size breakdowns really helps me manage my inventory. I can give my racer what they are expecting and give my volunteers and staff an idea of what we can sell. Just that small inventory feature has really impacted my bottom line in a positive way.
Q: What is your favorite feature on RunSignup?
Whitney: My favorite feature with RunSignup has been the development of built-in marketing features. Now we don’t have to do much outside of the RunSignup platform. We use the coupon and referral codes that have been built into the platform. Another thing that we do is send out alumni emails through the platform. These built in marketing tools are helping us promote our races without doing much work.
James: We used to do this through another email platform that cost a significant amount of money each month. Now we do it through RunSignup, which allows us to maintain our database of between 20,000 and 50,000 racers for free.
Q: How has 3W Races been able to use RaceDay Photos?
Michelle: We have a lot of volunteers who come and take pictures for us. When participants are done their race they get a link to view their results and their pictures are on the page. Any of our race photos are provided to our racers for free. We upload them right to RunSignup. The feature is awesome because it starts to automatically analyze the bib numbers and match them to the racer. I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from racers about it. It eliminates a whole other website and makes it easy for racers because everything is in the same place, from registration to photos.
