Too much personal information?

I recently installed a script on my site that requires users to become a member in order to download free/purchased products.

However, the signup form currently requires users to enter far more personal information than I need, including phone number and address.

Would I be right in thinking that asking for this information may put people off?

 

Yeah... For sure...

I am very very cautious about where I post those kind of details...

 

Yeah, and if I was signing up for something it would all be false info I was putting down anyway.

 

I can't even remember the last time I gave out my real phone number.

Someone a few digits off from mine is probably getting a lot of sales calls!

 

I choose a random number each time

 

One benefit for potential members is that we are registered with the Data Protection Registry, a UK governmental organization that regulates the handling of personal data.

However, I neither need nor want that info; email address for confirmation, login, password an possibly name are the most important. Unfortunately, to modify it I need to know about modifying Smarty templates.

 

I don´t know anyone who´d happily give that much info out off or on- line. If you know all the info you need to gather but don´t know how to modify the code you´ve got, why not ask for help in the appropriate html or programming forum?

 

It wouldnt make any difference to me. As far as im concerned any idiot can make a website and any idiot can add an image saying they are a registered data protection registry.

 

Any site I have that requires people to sign up, I tell them that I hold all info confidential, but I have to have an email that can send them info. I promise not to use the email for anything else, but suggest they use an anon. email or hotmail or gmail and also tell them to use a fake name.

Sites where I'm delivering goods - of course I need a real address.

Most sites where I have to provide things like postal codes, ages, but they just want that for marketing, I have a set of standard fake identities.

Anyone want a phone number, I won't sign up.

I've been playing with osCommerce, and one of the problems with their ecommerce model is having to sign up to order anything. Of course to deliver they need to provide an address etc., but the requirement to create a profile I think will lose customers.

 

I also provide the registration number (which I have just altered, made a mistake), and when you search for that registration number, it will come up with company details. Just checked them, and am currently adding the site trading style to it.

A bit more protection than the average.

Can you recommend the right forum for asking about modifying Smarty, please?

 

I don´t know anything about Smarty. Try here: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Or here: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

See which one has topics closest to what you need.

 

Thanks for that.

 

Its best to keep the sign up info to the minimum ,specially if people are paying to get your product . For free downloads sometimes its better to keep a long sign up form ,as you might want to use that info later.

 

Yes the less the better, stay away from too much personal information - with all the identity theft that's about many are careful about providing this information. Name, website and email address - depending on your product. Shipping address if you're delivering your product.