Time intervals for prompting the user for profile information

Question

I have to collect some piece of information from the user and add it to his profile. The screen that asks the user for the information is skippable but with without a "don't remind me again" option.

The user is only prompted after a sign in action, with username and password. If he has a remember me option, he will not me prompted until he signs out and sign in again.

Trying to get the best approach for this, without annoying the user but in the same time collect as many inputs as possible, I'm thinking of implementing some sort of a Fibonacci style progression for the interval of time after which the user will be prompted again if he chooses to skip.

Something like this: 5,8,13,21 - toped at 21

So the actions will be something like: Day 0 - user creates account After 5 or more days, after a sign in action, user is prompted and skips After 8 or more days, after a sign in action, user is prompted and skips After 13 or more days, after a sign in action, user is prompted and skips After 21 or more days, after a sign in action, user is prompted and skips

From now on, user will be prompted only at intervals of 21 or more days.

Any advice on improving this, any reading available? How can I test this?

Answer 1

I think it's more relevant to ask "when (and why) will something change that makes the user want to give this information, when they've repeatedly refused in the past?"

If providing the information won't benefit the user, and they don't want to (or can't) provide it, then they're never going to. It may be that you want the information, and see it as part of the price of admission, but then just be upfront: "we need this info before you can continue". Possibly you'd wait 30 days initially, to let them see the value of the service, but beyond that I don't see any reason to prolong a necessary but annoying interaction for month after month.

Allowing them to schedule an optional reminder is different, as that's a service to them. For example, they might want to upload a photo, but it's on a different computer.

If providing the information does benefit them, then you may want to give a reminder once they've used the service enough to understand the benefit. For example, "you've started posting to our forums-- did you know that if you give us your email address, we can send you a weekly digest?"