Reward me for exposing myself to danger
If your firm really needs my personal information, give me a reason to take the risk--and to spend the time.
Almost two thirds of the folks out on the Internet have parted with their e-mail address and "real" name in order to get access to a site's content, special e-mail newsletters, affinity points on purchases (such as frequent flyer miles), or a chance to enter a sweepstakes.
If you offer the opportunity to personalize the site, 87% say they will give you their real name for that convenience.
People swap info for benefits. So write up the benefits on the page on which you are asking folks to respond to a question, complete a form, or opt into an e-mail.
Related article
Privacy policy, a chapter from Hot Text, Web Writing that Works (PDF, 255K, or about 5 minutes at 56K)
