What is Progressive Profiling?

Progressive profiling is a lead generation technique used by online marketers to gradually acquire lead data over time. This is accomplished with the help of dynamic forms which ask for different information each time a lead visits your website. After a couple visits, you will have all the information you need about a lead.

But why not ask for it all at once?

There are at least two reasons.

First, if you ask for too much at once, you run the risk of not getting anything at all. The exchange always needs to be balanced. If people feel they are giving too much away, they won’t participate. There is evidence to back this up: forms with only 3 or 4 fields convert 160% better than forms with more than 16 fields according to FormStack (link). By asking questions in batches you can increase overall conversion.

The second reason is the ability to tailor questions based on previous answers given. Usually a standard long form is fairly static. It poses the same questions to everyone regardless of how well they apply to the individual. Progressive profiling allows you to tailor your questions – significantly improving user experience.

Downfall:

You have to trust that your leads will return to your website. A good way to measure the likelihood of this happening is by looking at your google analytics. On the very first page of your dashboard you can scroll down and look for ‘% of new sessions’. This number will tell you the ratio of new vs. returning visitors. If your percentage of new sessions is 75% or below, you should definitely give progressive profiling a try.

Benefits:

• Keep your forms shorter
• Increase overall conversion
• Target leads with content they’re interested in