I took a look at your startup, Lookcraft. As a guy who likes fashion, it looked interesting.
But to be honest, I'm tired of having to register for these types of sites in order to use/try them upon the first encounter.
Most real-life and online retail experiences do not work this way.
If I had to register with Nike.com in order to see its shoes, I'd shop somewhere else; especially so if I had to do it in-store. (And that's an established brand. Though, perhaps I'm in the minority.)
I suggest you just let people see what you're offering first. Afterall, what you want is sales. But because of my initial experience with/reaction to your site, it's unlikely I'll ever buy something from you.
I know you want to track the number of users, have loyal customers, etc. But let me see the thing first. Let me easily buy something first.
Then, ask if I'd like to register.
Don't force me to, especially not before I've had the chance to say "hello" for the first time.
When I see an email registration form before an actual product, the first thing I think of is: I'm going to get a lot of spam.
I'm sure you wouldn't send that type of stuff to me. But many others have (and continue to do so), so I immediately think back button when I see it.
First, thanks for checking out the site. To your point, Lookcraft gives you personalized recommendations based on your style and fit. As a result, it doesn't really make sense for us to not collect registration info up front.
As a more general point, the reason you see this kind of stuff all the time is that it simply converts better. I spent two years working full-time on funnel and conversion optimization and unfortunately things that many people would view as 'user unfriendly' are the things that convert the best. This is not just measuring the next step in the funnel either, you can measure all the way down to purchase (or whatever your unit of conversion is) and this method of user interaction just works better. I may lose you as a customer, but the statistics dictate that I'm going to do much better overall if I do things this way which is why everybody does. (Groupon, Fab, Gilt, etc).
I also didn't like having to give my email just to see what you're selling, but did it anyway. And then found out that you're "full up", but you'll get back to me when there's room. I'm annoyed that that I'll now get email from you and so far you've provided me nothing.
>I may lose you as a customer, but the statistics dictate that I'm going to do much better overall if I do things this way which is why everybody does. (Groupon, Fab, Gilt, etc).
I've bought 1 thing on Groupon, 1 thing on LivingSocial, 0 on Fab, 0 on Gilt, 0 on One Kings Lane, and I initially signed up for all of them.
And yet reading that your site was fashion for men still (at least initially) piqued my interest.
Perhaps you should target a different customer: me -- a minimalist who just wants a good, focused product line that incorporates color (e.g. like J.Crew).
Sometimes my wife sends me a link to a Fab.com item. I am not registered and it asks me to register before I can see that item. I just close the window.
I agree 100% with this sentiment. fab.com, one kings lane, gilt.com etc. I don't know if I want to join your site and/or be a customer until after I've had a chance to see what you have to offer. I did register with one kings lane but haven't found much of anything I would actually buy. Then I got their daily marketing email which I didn't want and became even less likely to be a customer.
I don't understand why increasing the barriers to potential customers is in fashion right now with shopping sites. Anyone can sign up, they aren't exactly exclusive clubs.
We're doing something a bit different here where we actually do need your info to give you a good experience. We're creating a style/fit profile for you and providing a more personalized experience. However, as I mention in a comment above, the reason everybody does this is because it works better, so really you're just a victim of human nature.
If you've got the numbers to show that this sort of thing leads to more active and involved users then I can't really argue against it but you should stop pretending that this is the only way you could possibly give a good first experience. Off the top of my head it seems you could have an awesome first experience by starting with a bare minimum style quiz. I haven't seen what you have so far but odds are you wouldn't need the entire quiz you currently use up front. From that quiz you can present a page with a handful of selections that would fit the user's responses, giving them a rough view of what they can expect. From there you can prompt the user to properly sign up and take the full signup.
I have no idea what the numbers would look like, but it would certainly provide a pleasing no-registration initial experience.
Having put an email address into your landing page, it doesn't appear you've actually launched so I couldn't evaluate how necessary it is on my own of course and will have to take your word for it.
As for the other sites... this process might increase conversions up front but for me at least it causes fatigue. I'm much less likely to register at another site, or deal with any other product that requires registration before I can see any of the products based on my current experience.
I took a look at your startup, Lookcraft. As a guy who likes fashion, it looked interesting.
But to be honest, I'm tired of having to register for these types of sites in order to use/try them upon the first encounter.
Most real-life and online retail experiences do not work this way.
If I had to register with Nike.com in order to see its shoes, I'd shop somewhere else; especially so if I had to do it in-store. (And that's an established brand. Though, perhaps I'm in the minority.)
I suggest you just let people see what you're offering first. Afterall, what you want is sales. But because of my initial experience with/reaction to your site, it's unlikely I'll ever buy something from you.
I know you want to track the number of users, have loyal customers, etc. But let me see the thing first. Let me easily buy something first.
Then, ask if I'd like to register.
Don't force me to, especially not before I've had the chance to say "hello" for the first time.
When I see an email registration form before an actual product, the first thing I think of is: I'm going to get a lot of spam.
I'm sure you wouldn't send that type of stuff to me. But many others have (and continue to do so), so I immediately think back button when I see it.