Comments on: Required Registration: Top Ecommerce Usability Mistake? http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/ #1 Subscribed Ecommerce Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:57:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Janis Lankahttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11333 Janis Lanka Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:34:07 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11333 Another alternative (which is done by some shops) is to let the user skip registration and finish shopping. When you send the invoice to their email, you also inform them that an account has been created and provide their login/password in case they want to return. This way they don't feel the pressure to make a choice b/w register or not. You simply create a new account for them and let. Just an alternative... And I would agree with Jason about the funneling. Such funnels can be easily set up and provide very useful insight on where exactly a shop is loosing the customer. Another alternative (which is done by some shops) is to let the user skip registration and finish shopping. When you send the invoice to their email, you also inform them that an account has been created and provide their login/password in case they want to return. This way they don’t feel the pressure to make a choice b/w register or not. You simply create a new account for them and let. Just an alternative…

And I would agree with Jason about the funneling. Such funnels can be easily set up and provide very useful insight on where exactly a shop is loosing the customer.

]]> By: 13 E-Commerce Website Mistakes - 13 Bad Habits of eCommerce Storeshttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11331 13 E-Commerce Website Mistakes - 13 Bad Habits of eCommerce Stores Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:09:39 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11331 [...] Login to Order: I would agree with Get Elastic’s Linda Bustos that this is one of many e-tailers’ favorite usability mistakes. Requiring registration is very obnoxious, especially when you have yet to establish any [...] [...] Login to Order: I would agree with Get Elastic’s Linda Bustos that this is one of many e-tailers’ favorite usability mistakes. Requiring registration is very obnoxious, especially when you have yet to establish any [...]

]]> By: Linda Bustoshttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11329 Linda Bustos Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:06:20 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11329 I agree with Nick that opinion is not hard data, and to make it more complicated throw in all the different ways you can approach registration. You can have a very simple and fast required registration with just an email and password to get you going and accessing wishlist information, or just entering an email so that the merchant can send a quick follow up message if you abandon your cart to make sure everything was ok (and hopefully save the sale). I think Grokdotcom is on point that: "Now, I understand how valuable executives think it is to have these customer accounts, but — of the hundreds we've analyzed — how many retailers do you think actually tested whether requiring people to register pre-checkout is costing them conversions (read: sales)?" Because difference in industries and even the registration form design on individual sites complicate this, each retailer needs to do their own testing and analysis. Unfortunately the psychological elements are much more difficult to measure. Visual analytics sounds very interesting, is this a lower cost form of live user testing, where the user is unaware he is being observed, which makes the test all the more authentic? That would be interesting to also capture what customers are saying out loud (or cursing in their heads). Maybe in the next 5 years we'll have that technology ;-) I agree with Nick that opinion is not hard data, and to make it more complicated throw in all the different ways you can approach registration. You can have a very simple and fast required registration with just an email and password to get you going and accessing wishlist information, or just entering an email so that the merchant can send a quick follow up message if you abandon your cart to make sure everything was ok (and hopefully save the sale).

I think Grokdotcom is on point that:

“Now, I understand how valuable executives think it is to have these customer accounts, but — of the hundreds we’ve analyzed — how many retailers do you think actually tested whether requiring people to register pre-checkout is costing them conversions (read: sales)?”

Because difference in industries and even the registration form design on individual sites complicate this, each retailer needs to do their own testing and analysis. Unfortunately the psychological elements are much more difficult to measure.

Visual analytics sounds very interesting, is this a lower cost form of live user testing, where the user is unaware he is being observed, which makes the test all the more authentic?

That would be interesting to also capture what customers are saying out loud (or cursing in their heads). Maybe in the next 5 years we’ll have that technology ;-)

]]> By: Jason Billingsleyhttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11327 Jason Billingsley Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:36:45 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11327 I would start by looking at bounce rates on that page or in the registration funnel. I would also employ the newest form of visual analytics to see exactly where people are abandoning. Tape Failure, Robot Replay, and ClickTale are three such services that let you visually play back a user session - where the mouse was on the screen, what they highlighted, where they clicked, what they typed into form fields (even though they didn't submit) and actual screen scrolling. I will always suggest asking for the registration AFTER the conversion and supplementing the request with an offer. I would start by looking at bounce rates on that page or in the registration funnel. I would also employ the newest form of visual analytics to see exactly where people are abandoning. Tape Failure, Robot Replay, and ClickTale are three such services that let you visually play back a user session – where the mouse was on the screen, what they highlighted, where they clicked, what they typed into form fields (even though they didn’t submit) and actual screen scrolling.

I will always suggest asking for the registration AFTER the conversion and supplementing the request with an offer.

]]> By: Nickhttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11325 Nick Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:41:18 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11325 The difficulty is sorting out opinion from commercial fact. If you require registration, what are the metrics in terms of how many people refuse to do so? What commercial benefits does the company *actually* derive from the registrations? How many people register but are pissed off? Any of us can have opinions on the matter, but commercial organisations need some facts, which are hard to come by. The difficulty is sorting out opinion from commercial fact. If you require registration, what are the metrics in terms of how many people refuse to do so? What commercial benefits does the company *actually* derive from the registrations? How many people register but are pissed off? Any of us can have opinions on the matter, but commercial organisations need some facts, which are hard to come by.

]]> By: Ecommerce Registration Usability Tips - Get Elastic Ecommerce Bloghttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11323 Ecommerce Registration Usability Tips - Get Elastic Ecommerce Blog Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:31:27 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11323 [...] Your site may have several forms that ask for personal information - for email subscriptions, creating an account, entering billing information, requesting help, general contact, creating a wishlist or order tracking. It’s important to note that in my test I was taking initiative to sign up for an account by clicking “Register” or “My Account”. I did not reach these forms in the middle of a checkout process (required registration). [...] [...] Your site may have several forms that ask for personal information – for email subscriptions, creating an account, entering billing information, requesting help, general contact, creating a wishlist or order tracking. It’s important to note that in my test I was taking initiative to sign up for an account by clicking “Register” or “My Account”. I did not reach these forms in the middle of a checkout process (required registration). [...]

]]> By: Danhttp://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-11321 Dan Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:23:10 +0000 http://www.getelastic.com/required-registration-ecommerce-usability/#comment-11321 Interestingly enough, another ecommerce blog I've been visited posted a differing opinion, justifying the requirement to make customers register. Seems there's a lot of opinions on this still! http://blog.cartweaver.com/index.cfm?newsid=25 Interestingly enough, another ecommerce blog I’ve been visited posted a differing opinion, justifying the requirement to make customers register. Seems there’s a lot of opinions on this still!

http://blog.cartweaver.com/index.cfm?newsid=25

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