I talk a lot about how startups need to delight users to have any chance of success in a fast-moving world with no lack of competition.
The delight needs to happen throughout the user experience, not just when someone starts to use a service. One of the most important (and probably an area that doesn’t get the attention it deserves) is the registration/signup process.
Too often, registration for a service is treated as a necessary evil. You get someone’s name, e-mail address and some other details so they can get to the “Sign up” button.
But the reality is the process needs to be about the user, not about how quickly a startup can get someone in the door. It means creating an experience that is user-friendly, straightforward, informative and, yes, delightful. If these goals can be achieved, a startup has a better chance of getting someone to complete the registration process and, as important, set the right tone as the user moves into the service itself.
If a startup blows the registration opportunity by making things too difficult, complex or demanding, do not be surprised to see a high abandonment rate.
So, who’s got the registration process nailed? Here are a few examples of companies that should be emulated.
What I like about MailChimp is it’s simple and clear messaging. After people come from the home page, which makes it clear what MailChimp does, the registration process gets them signed up in no time, and cements the experience with some positive messaging.
OneReceipt is another good example of a delightful registration process. In this case, what I particularly like is the “benefits sell” on the right hand side. You have to remember that new users need positive encouragement at each step along the way, so OneReceipt’s willingness to make this happen on the registration page is smart, smart, smart.
Glitch also hits the mark with simple and fun registration form that gets new users into its multi-player game in no time at all. I like the “Go go go….” text rather than using “Create” or “Create My Account”
To some people, the registration process is simply an administration step but I see it as being an important part of the user experience that should not be dismissed or treated as an afterthought.
What do you think? Do most companies pay enough attention to the registration process?
Ah, the common gap between “hey, look at us” (product launch marketing) and “welcome new member” (post registration).
This usually does not present any problem with companies that target early adopters who already buy into the concept and/or are willing to try anything. But for mass market audience, or when the product/service is of a more sensitive nature (e.g. banking), registration is a key part of the user experience. There are real consequences – losing potential customers, generating costly traffic to the call centre, etc.
I recently provided a LinkedIn 101 training so went through the process myself again (been years since I signed up). The registration process is designed to get the user up and running as much as possible once he is in, providing simple, optional steps to complete a good-enough profile. It does not feel like a chore though. It is definitely more sophisticated than typical membership sites that go with the lowest-barrier-to-entry theory (sometimes appropriate of course), where users are left with a long, blank profile page to fill in.
Perhaps it is time to re-introduce the out-of-the-box user experience which is not limited to hardware or packaging only.
My 2 cents.