November 22, 2007 | Category: Tips for Creative People | Tags: Auto Logos, Web Design Tips

If you want to build your customer database, using an online registration in your Website is a big help. Of course we want to get as much information as possible to make our marketing approach more effective.

Here lies the problem. With privacy a very big deal these days combined with numerous identity theft cases, it is very hard to convince online users to provide their personal information to any Web site, particularly startup companies.

According to a survey last 2005, ninety percent of online users want to be anonymous when they are searching and almost all hate unsolicited information.

If what you’re offering for free is really tempting, some online visitors are willing to give their personal information. Unfortunately, most online registration pages are quite long that many visitors dare not continue.

Marketing Hipster has a good experiment you may want to try. Just get ask for basic information in your online registration: first name, e-mail address, and Zip code.

With that information, I can contact this person again, I can personalize that next communication with his or her first name and I know what part of the country they live in. Now if I created a site that offers people something of value they will want to come back time and time again and as they come back again and again, I can ask them further questions about themselves.

The key here is providing something that is very useful or valuable to your target market. Moreover, explain the reasons why you want to get hold of their personal information. Believe me this can lower their defenses if you do it correctly. Otherwise, you will be stuck with just that 3 info and it will be a matter days before they unsubscribe.