A researcher looking at your conference for the first time will spend about 30 seconds on your website before deciding whether it is worth reading further. In that 30 seconds, they are looking for signals of legitimacy, quality, and relevance. These are the 10 elements that make the difference.
1. Clear, Prominent Dates and Location
The conference date, city, and country should be visible on the homepage without scrolling. This sounds obvious — but a surprisingly large number of conference websites bury this information three pages deep. Researchers are scanning many events at once; make the basics instantly findable.
2. A Live, Up-to-Date Submission Deadline Counter
Show the paper submission deadline prominently, with a countdown if possible. If the deadline has passed, replace it immediately with the next relevant date (notification, camera-ready). Nothing erodes trust faster than a website showing a deadline that expired six months ago.
3. Indexing and Publication Information on the Homepage
"Accepted papers will be published in IEEE Xplore and indexed in Scopus and Ei Compendex" — this single sentence, visible on the homepage, will determine whether a significant portion of your potential submitters investigate further or leave. Do not hide it in the Author Guidelines page. Put it front and centre.
4. Programme Committee with Institutional Affiliations
List your programme committee members with their names and institutions. Researchers evaluate venue quality partly by recognising names on the PC. A completely anonymous programme committee is a major red flag. A PC drawn from respected institutions across multiple countries signals a well-connected, internationally credible event.
5. Past Edition Track Record
A dedicated "Previous Editions" or "History" page showing past proceedings (with links to publisher pages), acceptance rates, and attendance figures builds trust rapidly. First-edition conferences can alternatively list the organisers' track records with other events.
6. Author Guidelines with Template and Submission System Link
Provide:
- The exact LaTeX or Word template (or a link to the publisher's official template)
- The page limit (minimum and maximum)
- Whether the review is single-blind or double-blind
- A direct link to your submission system (EasyChair, CMT, OpenReview, HotCRP)
Authors should never have to hunt for submission instructions. Put them one click from the homepage.
7. Keynote Speakers Announced Early
Even one or two confirmed keynote speakers, announced as early as possible, significantly increases submission volume. Researchers are motivated by the prospect of attending a talk by someone whose work they admire. Aim to announce at least one keynote simultaneously with the CFP launch.
8. Registration Information and Fee Schedule
List registration fees — early bird, regular, student, and virtual attendee rates — on a dedicated page. Hiding fees until after acceptance creates anxiety and can reduce author registration rates. Transparency about costs, including whether proceedings access requires separate purchase, builds goodwill.
9. Visa and Travel Support Information
For international events, a visa support page is increasingly important. Include:
- Whether the conference provides official invitation letters (and how to request one)
- General visa information for the host country
- Travel and accommodation recommendations near the venue
Researchers who face visa complications need to start months in advance. A conference that acknowledges this and provides support generates significantly more international submissions.
10. Clear Contact Information
List a specific contact email for submission enquiries and a separate one for general organisation questions. A contact form with no response in 48 hours is indistinguishable from an abandoned website. If you use a form, set clear response time expectations ("We respond within 2 business days") and actually meet them.
Bonus: Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
A significant portion of researchers first encounter your website on a phone — via a link shared on Twitter/X, a WhatsApp message from a colleague, or a notification email. A website that requires pinch-zooming to read basic information will lose submissions from busy researchers who do not have time to return on a desktop.
A Note on Trust Signals
Every element above serves a dual purpose: providing information and building credibility. Predatory conferences are increasingly sophisticated in mimicking legitimate events. Researchers are trained to look for the signals above. A website that confidently displays programme committee names, past proceedings links, publisher affiliations, and transparent fee schedules is self-evidently not a predatory operation.