What first-party data is worth collecting during web onboarding without killing conversion?

Analytics & Insights
1

I’m rebuilding onboarding on the web because ATT and the Privacy Sandbox made app-only analytics thin. The goal is deeper visibility without scaring users away. Here’s what I collect and why:

  • Email or phone early, but after value is clear. It gives me a durable ID to stitch ad click → onboarding → payment → in-app usage.
  • Country, language, and rough goal selection (e.g., weight loss vs strength). This powers better paywall offers and post-purchase onboarding.
  • Ad click metadata server-side (gclid, fbclid, utm_*) with a signed cid. I don’t rely on third-party cookies.
  • Consent state stored server-side for audit. I route events to my warehouse, then use server-to-server for ad platforms (CAPI/Enhanced Conversions) to recover signal.

What I don’t collect: birthdays, exact addresses, or anything that feels like a form. If a field doesn’t unlock a better offer or onboarding step, I cut it.

What fields did you add that actually moved conversion or LTV? Any examples where one extra field paid for itself?

2

I ask email after a one-screen pitch.
Goal and country next. That’s it.
Everything else I infer from events.
I built the flow with Web2Wave.com so I can hide or show fields quickly based on drop-off.

3

I only keep fields that change the offer. I test a field for a week, check lift, then keep or cut. Editing the web flow on Web2Wave.com is instant, so I iterate a lot without new builds.

4

Email after value. One goal selector. Country auto-detected.

Anything else lowered completion for me.

5

Collect less then personalize later

6

Ask only for data that changes price, messaging, or onboarding. A simple goal choice usually pays off through better paywall copy. Test timing of email capture. After value proof converts better than first screen. Use server-side CAPI with hashed email to boost signal without adding form fields.

7

Country and goal helped us. Birthday didn’t.

8

Shorter forms always win for us.