The Email Wars

Often a topic when we are building a new campaign or site is just how much data should we be capturing or requiring to let a new customer, prospect, user or lead into a site. Forms are always something that are debated over and over again. Should we ask for 3 fields, 5, 7, 10? Are we creating roadblocks to completion or reasons for someone NOT to complete a registration or sign up for a newsletter or account? Many times clients are trying to ask too much. And how do we know this?

1. Basic rule: Would you complete this form in order to move forward?
2. Do you need this? Are you going to use this information in order to validate or allow them to get/use something?
3. What will you do with the data? Many times they just feel they need to get everything at once without a clear understanding of what they are going to do with it

And just what will they do. 9 out of 10 times they cannot tell us. So why ask? If you are blocking your goal with too many fields that will stop forward progress, get rid of them. Keep it simple and then look at the idea of progressive profiling.

Just what is progressive profiling you ask? It is the practice of asking more data as you need it, as people progress through a customer lifecycle, or you need to get more to give more. And guess what? It works. Really, we know.

Gradual engagement or progressive profiling allows you to shape the relationship and walk people through an expected (clearly define why and what you need) level of task completion.

Best Practices

Here is a great article and examples on the topic that might help you see how you can use progressive profiling to your advantage and create a better user experience.