Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Going back to a website is more difficult. I'd have my webmaster autogenerate a pin number for visitors. Then they're already there.

Michael

Hello Susan,

I am a little at a loss as to what your process is to generate your initial contact. Is there a letter that goes out asking your prospect to visit your website? I guess my ultimate question is "How are you generating web traffic in the first place?"

Once you have clarified this and what you really are seeking an answer to I will be able to better understand the problem and try to make some recommendations as to what you can do to solve the problem.

pauld

It has become an established factoid, determined through exhaustive experience by the major Survey Research companies (and their clients), that the more roadblocks, comprehensive infomation requests, complex access and/or navigation requirements there are in a Survey or retail web site, the more likely the individual will move on without consideration, unless strongly motivated otherwise.

My strong recommendation is that unless you have proprietary information or are a Wholesaler to approved retailers only, you should open up your site to full access and only ask for password protected access after the client has established an account with you contianing protected information.

The only other issue that comes to mind is that the navigation itself on your site may lead peole to believe they have experienced all you have to offer without feeling the need to provide any more personal information.

Of course you should capture those contacts and continue to contact them until they tell you no. In fact, follow up with a phone call.

People back off with a layer of security. It may mean they are end users, vs dealers. If they are, send them to a dealer. Dealers -- like all of us, are afraid someone will sell us something-- but we want to be sold (buy). Don't worry and go for it!

I have to agree that asking people to enter a pin code to view the site is disincentive aplenty. If your are sending emails to prospects, the link in your email to the site included an RID (reader ident) that would prefill the pincode field on the site, you would still have a large measure of security and not create a roadblock.

If you are sending postal mail, a URL alias can contain a tracking code for the mailing effort, either an ID tag or simple the incorporating it into the URL text, e.g., www.KingTutsBedding.com/June08. Of course an individual ID tag in a printed URL is possible, but a whole lot of work, and is not advised.

But other than for tracking who's responding (which can be done also with an RID) I don't understand why you require a pin code just to enter the site--why you would need such security in the first place. Except for subscription based content, this is a real no-no, and even then very few sites still successfully maintain walled content. Can you explain?

I don't have stats on this particular roadblock, but consider this: On sign up/reggie pages, each additional form field you require for sign up or reg can reduce conversions by up to 30% per field. The principle obtains in all scenarios. I too would run away if I had to enter a code.

--Arthur

Why not simply autosend the PIN to the email address they supplied (and make it clear that's where the email will be sent). The email should have a clickable link with the PIN embedded to make it less likely for problems.

I agree that the more steps that are between your prospect and your sale, the more likely you are to lose them. Streamline your process if possible.

Another solution: offer a US-version of your site which doesn't have the PIN overhead.