I agree with AJKock. In my experience, as long as you provide something useful and valuable to your user, you always will gain more goodwill if you present the registration options to the user at the end of the process. The user then won't feel forced to give away information and is more inclined to be happy to do so if you give them the service they require first.
It of course also depends on what you are providing. But a simple (free) download should definitely not require registration. A grave example: Some web sites demands that you give away your personal details before allowing you to see a demonstration video of their product. This is of course hilarious for obvious reasons: First, you hide promotion of your own product behind a wall and second people just have too little time on their hands to fill out a formula - no matter how small it might be - just to be able to watch what basically is a commercial for your product. Think about the following scenario: You walk into a clothing store and want to buy a pair of jeans. You find the perfect pair and want to buy them. You walk up to the counter and suddenly the guy behind it gives you a sheet of paper where you have to fill out registration details. Your perfectly normal reaction would then be bafflement and frustration. This only creates a bad experience. And remember that UXD is at the very core of Brand loyalty, since a good experience creates endorsements. So any good experience counts. I say, give people what they want, *then* ask them to give something back to you. This is my philosophy anyway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=30795 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
