Whilst purchasing online provides consumers with a convenient way to shop – the process of transacting in some ways is still very inconvenient – and I am not referring to poor cart design.
Research has shown a whopping three out of four shoppers will leave a website rather than endure the hassle of registering a new account – which substantially limits revenue potential. However online stores aren’t the ones putting off the punters. Many classifieds sites and financial services sites aim to develop closer relationship with consumers through the creation of online accounts – only to alienate them in the process.
As the average person (in the US) typically has about 25 online accounts – there is little wonder that consumers are reluctant to create another one – particularly if interaction with your site is occasional.
The uptake of social logins
According to research conducted by Blue & Janrain, 66% of consumers find the option of social login helpful (this includes ability to login via email sign-ins). Research also found that 41% would prefer to login to a site via a social sign in vs 24% who prefer to create an account. Furthermore the study identified that social logins were more popular than the option of guest checkout.
Login preferences
So which social options are the most popular to utilise for login purposes? Based on data from Janrain in December 2011, Facebook (42%) was the #1 option for social logins among online users who opted to use a social network identity to speed up registration on sites across the web. But Facebook isn’t the only option – 29% turned to their Google account to login and a further 11% opted to utilise a Yahoo login and surprisingly only 8% used Twitter. Among mobile users, Facebook and Google were tied for the most popular, each with 37% of logins, ahead of Yahoo (12%) and Twitter (10%).
Considerations before taking the plunge
If the above data has whet your appetite to trial social sign in then there are a few things to bear in mind before taking the plunge:
1) Social is not the only way: Whilst ditching your account creation process in favour of social sign in may be appealing – don’t turn your back on the sizable portion of consumers who prefer to create an account. As some consumers are wary of the information an organisation may glean from their social profile, through social sign in, it’s important to provide an array of options for consumers to choose from to connect with your organisation.
2) Don’t take permission for granted: Whilst consumers are willing to login via social mechanisms to save time, this doesn’t mean they want to provide you with access to all of their personal information. During integration consider what data your organisation does and doesn’t need – and like with a traditional web form only ask for what is essential.
3) Do your research: Before making any final decisions about social logins – understand consumption of social media sites amongst your audience. Whilst research suggests Google and even Yahoo are relevant, this data is US focussed and consumption may differ locally. In addition if your site is B2B focussed, LinkedIn or Twitter might be more relevant alternatives to consider.
