According to the recent Social Identity study by Janrain, and conducted by Blue Research, 75% of consumers take issue with being asked to register on a website and will change their behavior as a result. The study was conducted during the height of the 2010 holiday shopping season among a nationwide cross section of consumers.
The majority of respondents said they are likely to leave a website or give false information when required to register. However, 66% of consumers surveyed say social sign-in, the ability to sign-in to a website using an existing online identity from providers like Facebook, Google and Twitter, is an attractive solution to the problem.
The study to understand consumer perceptions and attitudes about using social identities across the Web shows that consumers interested in using social sign-in:
- Are more valuable to companies themselves
- Are more likely to return to sites offering social sign-in
- Spend larger dollar amounts on the site
- Have more favorable views about the brand
Paul Abel, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Blue Research, finds that “… consumers are frustrated with the traditional online registration process and will favor brands that make it easy for them to be recognized… the rapid growth of social media has dramatically impacted consumers’ expectations of websites… ”
Detailed findings include observations in significant online shopping situations.
Resistance to Traditional Registration Processes
- 75% of people are bothered by registering on a website and will change their behavior as a result
- 76% admit to having given incorrect information or left forms incomplete when creating a new account at a website
- 54% may leave the site or not return
- 17% go to a different site, if possible
- 45% admit they have left a website if they forgot their password or log-in info, instead of answering security questions or re-setting their password
Considering consumer perceptions of social sign-in, 66% believe social sign-in is a good solution that should be offered, and among that population:
- 42% feel companies that offer social sign-in are more up-to-date, innovative and leave a more positive impression
- 55% say they are more likely to return to a site that automatically recognizes them
- 48% are more likely to make a purchase on a site that automatically recognizes them
- 41% prefer using social sign-in compared to 35% who prefer using a guest account, or 24% who prefer creating a new account
| Social Sign-in (SSI) Fans and Critics Spending (% of Category Compared to Previous Year) | ||
| SSI Fans | SSI Critics | |
| Spending more during Holiday Season 2010 | 21% | 16% |
| Spending > $500 during Holiday Season 2010 | 64% | 60% |
| Source: Janrain/blue research, February 2011 | ||
For retailers in particular, consumers interested in the ability to log-in with an existing identity are a valuable target as they tend to spend more money, buy online more often, and are more influenced by social networks as compared with people who prefer traditional registration methods:
- 25% say they use social networks to make purchase decisions or influence others
- 35% say social network posts encouraged them to buy a product
- 55% who prefer social network sign-in are “more” likely to return to a site that automatically recognizes them, and 48% are more likely to buy
The report concludes that the study results demonstrate that:
- Requiring consumers to create new accounts may lead to providing misinformation and leaving the site
- A wide majority of respondents want social sign-in to be offered by websites and more will use social sign-in than use guest or new accounts
- Consumers interested in social sign-in tend to spend more money, buy online more often and both influence and are more influenced by social networks
- Consumers say offering social sign-in reflects positively on the company’s brand
For additional information and a full copy of the research, please visit Janrain here.
