As you set up your landing page, you may be wondering in terms of lead generation techniques; what data should you be collecting from your leads? Of course many website owners often want to collect as much information as they possibly can, but we are talking about new leads here and we want them to fill out your opt-in form, so how do you know what is enough and what may be too much?
This can be a tricky question; obviously as a site owner you are interested in gathering quality leads, and quality leads tend to be those that are willing to give you more information. However, with so much activity going on online and the scourge of spam emails and identity theft out there, many people are unwilling to trust a website they have just come across. No one wants their inbox to get bombarded with many emails, so what information should you ask for?
If we take a look at some basic opt-in forms, we can see that many of them are keeping it very simple to start with. Many successful sites that we know of are just gathering first name and email address, or even just the email address. Membership sites want a slightly more in-depth capture to prevent spam-bots, you will usually be asked for first name, last name and email address as well as assigning a password. Alternatively, many sites are offering the ability to sign up using a Facebook or Twitter account.
Unless you have a membership site and really need to protect from spammers, you are better to ask for less information (such as just first name and email address) and build the trust of your subscribers over time. You can do this using additional opt-in forms (such as by offering them a new free gift) or via product sales from your website.
Remember, one of the key points, particularly if you are just starting to build a list is that less is more. Many people will be put off if they feel that you are asking for too much information; having just one or two fields to fill out will give you a much higher chance of success. This way, people can get to know you through your emails or newsletters before committing to giving you any more information.
Another point that you need to bear in mind is; what do you need any extra information for? If you are going to be asking people for phone numbers or physical addresses, this should be because you want to send them something in the post, otherwise people will be suspicious as to why you need the information, particularly if they are getting a download!
So, overall, when you are deciding what data you should be collecting via your opt-in form, keep in mind who your target audience is and what your goals are for the site. Remember that you need to be able to gain the trust of your subscribers and if you are just beginning, don’t ask for too much information.