If you want people to visit your website to enter the competition then don't give out an email address for entries! This is a sure fire way to attract spam, lose entries and end up in a bit of a mess. Our advice is set up a web based form and perhaps include a CAPTCHA element as well.
Why?
Email entry competitions are the easiest to be cut and pasted around the web. This means ...
1. You will get entries from people who have perhaps not even visited your site. Your competition will probably be cut/pasted to forums and you'll be losing out on traffic!
2. You are also much more exposed to Automated Entry Services, spam, and multiple entries.
3. You also have no means of tracking where your entries are coming from or who's entering.
With a form based entry system, users must visit your website. You can track referrals, monitor traffic and IP addresses and with CAPTCHA stop automated or bot entries. You can also use your competition to promote your site to the visitor.
Email entry route competitions are not good for your business, attract cheats and are hard work. They should be avoided at all costs.
