Webupon

One of the liviliest discussions regarding lead generation through Web sites revolves around requiring Web visitors to register with a Web site before being permitted to view restricted Web site content.

Howard Sewell, president of Connect Direct, presented an interesting article on this topic on the SmartMarkters Web site (see SmartMarketers: Should You Require Registratio).

His coaching on this subject revolves around the purpose of the content.  If the purpose of the content is strictly to generate leads, then the answer is “yes” – some sort of registration should be required.  If the purpose of the content is merely to share information and build brand, then distribution of the content should be uninhibited.

Sewell encourages Web marketers to make the registration process as painless as possible and to require a minimum of information, possibly just the first and last name and email address.  As the relationship with the registrant matures, more information can be requested.

See Sewell’s article for a link to a white paper dealing with this topic titled: “Lead Recycling: A More Cost Effective Approach to Demand Generation for High-Technology Companies.”

The other side of this coin is the negative impact requiring registration has on Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  One of the primary strategies for bumping search engine rankings is having links to content from other Web sites.  Requiring registration or login to access content restricts linking to content, thereby, negatively impacting search engine ranking.

In addition, the advantage of position content against competitor content must be evaluated.  If competitor Web sites are permitting access to similar content without requiring registration, a similar strategy must be considered for your Web site.

The guidelines for determining whether or not to require Web visitors to register before viewing content revolve around:

• the purpose for the content (lead generation, branding, etc)
• the value of the information in regards to search engine ranking
• the competitive advantages in permitting more relaxed access to content.