For web-based business one of the most important measures (usually single most important one) is a database of users. When we think “user” we see “email”. Sometimes more but the very first thing is an email address. There are lots of businesses which are valued highly only because they gathered a big number of emails… I mean users. The more emails… I mean users you have the better.
That’s web-business owner perspective.
On the other hand we, as users, are always suspicious when someone wants us to give out our email address before we can see the application or use the service. Who doesn’t have so called spam email which is entered whenever we have to sign up to the application we don’t know we will use longer than five minutes. We don’t even check what is there. We only click the confirmation link and voila. We’d prefer to keep our emails private as far as possible.
That’s user perspective.
I value services which allowed to be used without registration. YouTube is a standard example, but we did exactly the same in Overto. You can use main features (search through auctions) without registering. Although in YouTube when you want to upload a clip or access all content you have to sign in. When you want to use subscriptions in Overto you have to sign in. Service owners get information they want. You trick them with crappy address.
By the way that’s smarter tactic than just forcing users to register before they can do anything. In that case I usually walk away.
Lately I see more and more sites with another approach. They don’t force you to register at all. A good example can be myminicity.com. A kind of on-line game where you build your virtual city. The game keeps people coming back by giving them personalized website (their city). And it works. Sure they won’t spam you with newsletter covering features they have just added but who likes that spam anyway? If you don’t force people to register in any way those who do give you right emails.
That’s always a quality versus quantity question. Think about it another time when you ask your users to give you their email.
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