Your Opt-In Box

I just collect email. I used to collect the name (and even phone when I did MLM), but I ended up getting a lot of fake names, so customizing emails wasn't a benefit. It's really up to preference, but the fewer fields generally means better initial conversions.

On the flip side, those who are willing to fill out more fields tend to be a bit more serious about what it is you're offering. Again, I just collect emails and that works for me.

I only ask for email BUT I also use IP/Location services and save their City, State, Country, Zip Code, DMA.

Generally, the fewer the better.

However, there are exceptions.

For instance, if you want to get more personal with the subscriber in niches that have a kind of personal feel to them, you can go with even 4 or 5 fields.

Just to give you a good example. For the home-schooling your kids niche, you could ask for the email, the name of the parent, the name of the kid, and even an additional open field asking "what's the biggest problem you're facing."

This approach would make your form a lot more real.

I always get a name... fake or not.

People like hgearing others use their name, it creates familiarity and as we all know building relationships is KEY in this business.

What better way to build that relationship than by using someone's name directly in conversation..

If it's a fake name then they aren't truly serious anyway so what's the difference if you address them wrong..

That's my take and hasn't done me wrong yet.

-Mike

Yea just email, even on buyer optin

It's always gotten me the most amount of optins

I only collect emails but a few years ago I also asked for their names. But, when you go into a book store and purchase a book do they ask for your name or just your email address?

Every store that asked me for my email address never once asked for my first name.

besides, when I used to collect first names as well I would see a ton of profanity in there. I guess they liked to be addressed in that manor but I figured if that was happening I'd just go with the email address.

Depends on the Niche, but i either do First Name & Email or just Email...

The biggest problem I see in this business, is when people focus on the numbers, instead of results. Personally, I couldn't care less how high the conversions are on my landing pages. The only thing I care about, are results.

If a person enters in a fake name, or doesn't even bother signing up because you ask for their name, there are two reasons for that. 1) They're wasters who sign up to too many email lists, and therefore will most likely be a low quality lead anyway. 2) Your landing page doesn't give them enough confidence to believe you're worth listening to.

The same goes for click through rates and open rates. They're pointless unless they lead to direct sales. I hear people saying "write for the click" but that's very misleading advice. Anyone can get a blind click on a banner, or a link. What matters are qualified clicks.

Back to the name field: Used in the right way, a personalized email "on average" will produce better results than an unpersonalized email. Most people don't think logically. The point is to hit emotional hot buttons... and... since we get them emotionally engaged in the email, it just makes sense that using their name in the email (in the right place) can have a bigger impact on how they perceive the message.

This doesn't mean that getting their name will get you better conversions on the back end. There are many things to consider. If you know how to write well, and engage your reader, you can easily get away with not using their name. Keep in mind that the offer and how it's positioned plays just as much of role in conversions as the message itself.

Sales pages don't use the persons name and they can really get into the mind of the reader. So, many things to consider. Personally I use both types of forms. The one in my sig only asks for the email, but I also have other landing pages that ask for both name and email.

We're not in a science lab, so opinions here are nothing more than that... opinions! Why not set up two separate lists. One asking for both name and email, and the other asking just for email. Send a couple of hundred people to both pages. Send each group the exact same 30 day sequence of emails, and track your sales. My opinion, is that in most cases, if the name is used in the right places inside the email, you will make you more sales. It has to be tested though.

I do use my friends names when sending emails. Of course, it's used in a natural way because it's genuine. And that's the key point here when using a persons name inside an email. It must look genuine.

This could, and will, be debated for many years. Truth is, there's no right answer. Your market, audience, offer, positioning, and who you are, all play their roles on conversions. Again, we're not in a science lab, so my results will be very different than yours.

Opinions Opinions Opinions. They're worthless until you can prove them true or false in your marketing.

I agree with Declan and Karol.

It definitely depends on your intended audience - or, in the usual parlance, your niche.

It also depends on the purpose of the opt in.

There are definitely niches, especially those where intended subscribers are likely to subscribe to a lot of lists, where just an email field is best.

But I'm in a niche ("hobby" type) where many of my readers, including the new ones, still love to be addressed by their first name.

And I also have a client in a local market, where we have 8 fields on the opt in. Granted, the main purpose is one sell, and the subscribers are only interested in that one sell, but it goes to show that there is no "one size fits all".

I have switched to email only a few years ago.

I tried both and to tell you the truth, you will probably get the same results.

If you are planning on a long term relationship with your subscribers, I would collect their name too.

I don't really find a logical connection how getting the name helps build a relationship...

When you get an email and it mentions your name, but you don't recognize the person it already seems suspicious.

They know your name, but you don't really know them... strange... oh yeah I filled it in the form.

So, yeah I don't ask for names.

On the other hand it can comes across very sales-like. As if you're a sales man always using their name and trying to be familiar and friendly with them even though you don't know them personally.

I just ask for email.

Have tested it in the past and asking for name didn't result in higher open / clicks / conversions or more money being made so just email it is.

I used to use both email and name in my optin forms but switched completely to asking just for the mail. I haven't split tested it but it seems that it's just easier for the subscribers to optin to a list that way.