Thanks Matt

It's interesting to look at how the problem of registration generation affects a massive segment of websites, notably online retailers. As you identify in this example, once someone has indicated they're interested in making a purchase, it's tough to justify increasing the bounce rate of that purchase funnel, regardless of the data you can collect — particularly in commoditized retail businesses where an assumption that people even want to give you that data is, as you mention, "arrogant".

Looking beyond the purchase funnel, it seems that retailers face this registration-generation problem across their entire site. Checking Quantcast traffic metrics for most retailers, it's a common profile: 50-90% of unique visitors will essentially bounce, becoming grouped into a "Passers-by" class of uniques that will rarely, if ever, return. The problem of generating registration profiles for the few percentage of visitors that get to the purchase funnel seems to be the tip of the iceberg if we look at the massive volume of anonymous traffic that doesn't even get that far.

So how can sites increase registration data and "de-anonymize" traffic while making the user feel that their time hasn't been wasted? This reminds me of a study that Jupiter Media released, showing up to 82% of people will provide information about themselves in exchange for a chance to win something.

I'd be willing to bet that the real key to generating registrations comes from incentivizing people to do so, not forcing it — and to look beyond the few percentage of visitors that purchase, and instead focus on the majority of people that don't. Could a few percent of you please give us your email address and password and waste more time during check-out? No thanks. Would the rest of you like to enter to win $1000 in exchange for giving us your name, email, and A/S/L while you're surfing our site? Yes please.

Of course, I'd be willing to bet this because it's exactly what Sweepery, my company, does

It's interesting to look at how the problem of registration generation affects a massive segment of websites, notably online retailers. As you identify in this example, once someone has indicated they're interested in making a purchase, it's tough to justify increasing the bounce rate of that purchase funnel, regardless of the data you can collect — particularly in commoditized retail businesses where an assumption that people even want to give you that data is, as you mention, "arrogant".

Looking beyond the purchase funnel, it seems that retailers face this registration-generation problem across their entire site. Checking Quantcast traffic metrics for most retailers, it's a common profile: 50-90% of unique visitors will essentially bounce, becoming grouped into a "Passers-by" class of uniques that will rarely, if ever, return. The problem of generating registration profiles for the few percentage of visitors that get to the purchase funnel seems to be the tip of the iceberg if we look at the massive volume of anonymous traffic that doesn't even get that far.

So how can sites increase registration data and "de-anonymize" traffic while making the user feel that their time hasn't been wasted? This reminds me of a study that Jupiter Media released, showing up to 82% of people will provide information about themselves in exchange for a chance to win something.

I'd be willing to bet that the real key to generating registrations comes from incentivizing people to do so, not forcing it — and to look beyond the few percentage of visitors that purchase, and instead focus on the majority of people that don't. Could a few percent of you please give us your email address and password and waste more time during check-out? No thanks. Would the rest of you like to enter to win $1000 in exchange for giving us your name, email, and A/S/L while you're surfing our site? Yes please.

Of course, I'd be willing to bet this because it's exactly what Sweepery, my company, does

Approve

Stepping back to look at the broader issue, I think the key is to be polite, informative and attentive with your product's experience. Or in other words – care to offer, but don't force. Much like a traditional retail store should be.