For many B2C marketers, it’s a best practice to convert as many website visitors to your email list by using a one-field form-- collecting an email address only. So how do you segment based on just an email address?

First, use the landing page to gather more data. Don’t make it mandatory, but be sure to present some benefit to the subscriber. Sometimes it’s enough to let subscribers know that they can get more custom or relevant information if they provide additional data. Offer a "Guide to Great Fall Sweaters" or "Three Tips to Lighting Even the Darkest Corners of Your Home." Usually, these guides can be easily created from content already on your website. Just package it up into an easily printed PDF guidebook. It doesn’t need to be long or detailed -- just relevant -- in order to be interesting to new subscribers.

B2B marketers can employ this same strategy by offering a whitepaper. In some ways, offering content as the "thank you" is stronger than other incentives because it’s relevant. It also helps you set the stage for future email messages-- your subscribers are more likely to be active and engaged if you entice them with material that is related to your email program. For example, sweeps are a great way to generate a big list, but often many participants are more interested in the prize than in your email, leading to high inactive rates and low response going forward.