Information on web page 2

[buzzp]

I have a lot of informatin which I want to share with my end users. However, I am a little concerned with posting so much information because the competitors will also have access to this information. I do not want to make it difficult to get this information in the end-users hands but want to make it difficult for competitors to get a hold of. I have thought about making them register on the site to download info but I think this is a bad idea. I say it is a bad idea because we already have a zillion passwords and user id's to remember and the time involved. What other recommendations would anyone make? Or what are your feelings on having to register at every other web page you visit? Would snail mail work after the user requests information? Thanks for any comments/suggetions.

 

[zdas04]

I subscribe to a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) newsletter and a recent issue dealt with this. They say that registration is the only way to get the information to users without just giving it to competitors.

On the other hand, I've elected to post some pretty useful information on my web page and leave it available to anyone who wants it without a log on. So far, a lot of people have seen this stuff and many have downloaded it for their own use (or maybe to file off the serial numbers and re-sell it), and some have called with work. It seems to balance out.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

http://www.muleshoe-eng.com

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[jmw]

See the thread on publications.

You must recognise and define what it is your web site is to do for you. Be clear and be tough.

It is to help you and not your competitors. I can't tell you what a boon some of my competitors web sites have been to me and what continuing use i make of them.

Web sites are invaluable in finding live potential clients for you. A well designed web site will get plenty of hits. The better it is the more hits it will get but a proportion will be casual browsers.

My approach (which i insisted on at my last company and which worked extremely well, but i have yet to do myself) is to make the entry level quick to load and easy to navigate. I use the page to provide "tasters" that show what i can do but not how and do not give helpful information to anyone. If it is a casual browser, he will leave. If it is someone with a genuine interest it is no trouble to make a once only registration.

Take this site. I slect the autologin feature. Once registered i just fllow the link and am logged in automatically.

The registration provides you with real contact details. It makes all those web stats valuable. Knowing who the serious vistors are lets you see what serious visitors are doing. It is tremendously informative.

Just remember that you are not a charity, it is a business. make your web site work for you.

Try these links and look for professional assistance if in doubt.

http://www.bruceclay.com/

Sorry, there was another link i can't, at the moment find. If i find it, I will post it... it describes how to design a web site that no one uses.

JMW

http://www.viscoanalyser.com

Eng-Tips: Pro bono publico, by engineers, for engineers.

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[buzzp]

I guess, ultimately, the info will end up in the competitors hands one way or the other. Whether they use a home email address, fake company name, or some other false information. I will admit that I have used these tactics to retrieve information from competitors web pages. I guess what comes around goes around.

As far as the registration process, I personally hate it when I visit a page. Especially if I need a user name and a password. I can not imagine a different way to do this without irritating some people so am just looking for any alternatives.

 

[zdas04]

Buzzp,
I think the important thing for you right now is that you think through the issues and make an informed decision.

If you hate registering, you can be sure that at least some of your target audience also hates it (probably some hate it to the point they won't do it). If you're willing to use a home address to get into competitor's web pages, you can be sure that some of your competitors will too.

Now you have to weigh the risks vs. the rewards and decide if you'll: (1) have registration and hope for the best; (2) just post abstracts with a "contact us for the entire article" statement at the end; or (3) post the information and hope that it does more good than harm to your business.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

http://www.muleshoe-eng.com

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[buzzp]

Thanks guys for your comments. It has given me a few more things to think about.

 

[imagitec]

Buzzp,

I agree with your own reply that competitors will find a way to get the information in spite of a registration requirement. But registration is still valuable as a way of generating leads. The key is to provide enough information for the potential customers to determine whether it is worth the effort. Registration should require a minimum of information: perhaps only a name, verifiable e-mail address, and password. Additional, optional fields may be provided. Do not contact the registrant unless they select an opt-in check box. Summarize your privacy policy and link to it.

A web-site format I've been playing with (on paper) is similar to the news aggregation sites like slashdot.org. At the top of the page would be a spiffy image map representing my expertise and services: optomechanics, precision machine design, etc. Click on the relevant area and be taken to the relevant area. Below would be capsule summaries of white papers and other information: a headline, a cathcy lead, then links to the full story, to reply to me, or to forward it to someone else who may be interested. All would require registration. The forwarded info would provide a little more information (forwarding the story to someone - maybe themselves - is a positive response that you should be capitalized on) and a link back to the site.

In addition to white papers, I'll provide other resources, such as an annotated bibliography of books and papers in my areas of expertise. These would also require reistration.


Rob Campbell

http://www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

 

[imagitec]

If the registration is short and sweet, it can be on the same page as your teaser. Customers can see they won't be required to jump through hoops, so they'll be more inclined to sign up. I would be.

Use the person's e-mail address as a user name; one more piece of information they won't need to remember. When signing in, this field should be labeled "E-mail address" and not "User name". Some sites are kind enough to use my e-mail as my username, but the sign in field says "User name". When I return in a few months, I don't remember and am left to guess at the name I might have used.

If you use e-mail addresses as user names, don't use a silly script to verify that it is a valid format. Monster.com had one that wouldn't let me update my e-mail address because it had two periods to the left of the @. They fixed that bug, but it's still in other forms. If you want to validate an e-mail address, send an e-mail to it that requires a response.

Respect your users' privacy. More than not using their personal information for purposes they didn't agree to, this means protecting it from theft. One of the easiest ways to screw this up is by rolling your own script to collect user info, etc. There is plenty of opensource and proprietary software to do just about anything you want; a decent webhost will include the most common packages in their standard offering. Don't reinvent the wheel.



Rob Campbell

http://www.livejournal.com/users/robcampbell

 

[sc]

When setting up registration I prefer to define my own username and password. That way I can use the same user name and password on several sites.

I'm not to worried about this as I generally group my passwords by: product, personel or critical (top secret, must retain for my own use, etc).

Let your clients set their own passwords, as it takes the pain out of having a million passwords composed of number and letters.


regards
sc