Get 'em Chattering

When it comes to the analyzing the data you collect at your Web site, you're doing a great job. You know which of your customers visit most often, where they live, which keywords they use to arrive at your site and which links provide the best traffic. But are you missing out on additional information your visitors would gladly volunteer?

In a post at the Dosh Dosh blog, Maki recommends methods like these for learning more about the people who visit your site:

• Polls. They're easy to set up and a good way to collect data gradually without seeming too intrusive. "Run a poll for two weeks and change the questions to pull in more information," Maki says.
• Surveys. Since these can be lengthy and often require more effort from a visitor, it's best to include incentives like a special offer or entry in a sweepstakes.
• Interactive features. Engaged visitors can be an excellent source of additional information. "Think strategically about what data you want and create a feature that allows users to indirectly reveal it," says Maki, though with the caveat that this requires a clear privacy policy and an easy opt-out process.

The Po!nt: "Instead of simply monitoring web statistics," says Dosh Dosh's Maki, "create opportunities for visitors to voluntarily reveal personal data and opinions."

Source: Dosh Dosh. Click here for the complete post.

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