Mowing the Digital Landscape

Yes, consumers are becoming more comfortable with sharing information about themselves with the rest of the world. The popularity of Facebook and YouTube are perfect examples. As marketing professionals, however, it behooves us not to take it for granted that people want to tell us everything that we would like to know about them. If we are too forward with our requests, often consumers will look elsewhere for information on a brand.

Luke Wroblewski, in his article, Sign Up Forms Must Die, argues that consumers are more likely to interact with your Web site if you allow them to engage with the content and/or service before asking them to answer a series of questions. People visit your site for a reason. Allow them to try your service first before they commit to providing their demographic info.

Case in point. Google Video requires content generators to complete an eight question form before being granted access to their services. Jumpcut, a lesser known competitor, used to allow you to upload and edit short films without providing a single piece of information about yourself. It was not until you decided to publish your video that you were asked two questions: name and email. Unfortunately, Jumpcut now requires a Yahoo! login and password to complete the same tasks you used to be able to do effortlessly.

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential site visitors before implementing a sign up form early in the process, especially if your product or service may not be something most people are comfortable with others knowing about. I think that you’ll find that your guests are more willing to gradually provide info as their loyalty to your site builds. Otherwise, it’s like you are asking for a recommendation letter from your boss on the first day of work.