SAP Customer Data Cloud Top Tips for Registration Form Designs

[former_member800902]

Customer Identity from SAP Customer Data Cloud (known as Registration-as-a-Service, or RaaS) is a powerful tool for building a trust-based relationship with your customers and engaging your users with your brand. You can raise your registration rates by implementing some of our best practice recommendations.

There are many ways to increase registration rates. And the design of the registration screen and login options that are offered have a significant impact on whether users submit their registration or abandon the effort at some point. In this blog we are specifically discussing and sharing some of these recommendations in relation to SAP Customer Data Cloud’s best registration form designs and optimisation best practice.  

First, let’s have a quick understanding about SAP Customer Data Cloud.

What is SAP Customer Data Cloud – Registration as a Service (RaaS):

• Use RaaS to gather critical information about your users, store that information securely and leverage it for an enhanced customer experience


• It allows the user to easily establish a full profile with your site through registering via Social Login or Email and Password


• Users can manage their profile and extend profile information securely once authenticated on the site

There are many things to keep in mind when designing registration. Here are the top considerations in terms of the registration screen and form designs.

If you are using SAP Customer Data Cloud's screen-sets, the UI Builder offers extensive options for designing your screen, including changing fields, colours, and texts. Customer Data Cloud clients can choose to follow the UI builder standards or customise designs based on the specific needs.

Whether you use the UI Builder or not, the form design should consider the following:

• Number of fields required for registration: this should be kept to a minimum


• The hierarchy of the various elements on the screen should make up a logical flow without clutter.


• Visual design of the various screen elements, including colours, images, icons, backgrounds, shape and size of the form, and more.


• Texts: In the UI Builder you can customise any customer-facing text, including placeholders. Texts should match your brand voice, include a clear presentation of value (e.g., "register to access exclusive content") and a clear call to action. All parts of the flow should be clearly explained. For example, instead of being vague: "Use your social profile", clarify: "Register using an existing social identity".


• If your implementation requires gathering a lot of information about the user, consider keeping the number of required fields in the registration screen to a minimum, and to include those fields in a separate flow as part of ‘progressive profiling’. (In another blog, we will share more information about how to perform progressive profiling within Customer Data Cloud.)


• If your registration process does require that the user fill in many fields, instead of having one long form that can deter users from even beginning, break down the process into multiple forms, preferably with a clear context (e.g. "Step 1: Personal Details; Step 2: What Do You Plan To Achieve Using Our Program?" etc.). If the process is short, reflect to the users how many total steps there are, and keep texts friendly, conversational and encouraging, in keeping with your brand voice (e.g. "We're almost done!").


• If your multiple-step process requires a non-standard piece of information, try and ask for that information in the first registration screen, so as not to cause frustration when confronting this on the last step of the process. For example, it's an unpleasant user experience if a user that tries to sign up to your library website provides first and last name on the first screen, information about their reading habits on the second, only to discover on the third a mandatory field with their non-existent library membership number, which they did not realise was required in this process.

In Summary:

• Place social above or to the left of email registration and provide the value of social registration – quick, easy, no passwords etc


• Ask the minimal required datasets – you can learn more about the user over time


• Provide and outline clear value exchange statements in the registration forms to demonstrate why users shall register


• Ensure you are GDPR compliant* (EU customers) – no pre-selected checkboxes, separate terms, and conditions from privacy, make newsletters unique selections, and 3^rd parties need to be identified – no longer generic

Illustrations:

Rules of Thumb #1: Simplify your experience

Pop-ups are important when the user needs to easily access the content behind the screen.  i.e. Prompts to register.  However, this can be done in context (see next screen).  Inline content allows you the option to provide more value to creating an account.

 

Rules of Thumb #2: Contextualise your experience

• Rather than a generic login message, contextualise your messaging – i.e. login to favourite this item/article, or add an item to your wish list.

• Expand your idea of “My Account” to include personalisation from site preferences, content preferences, and family accounts. Personalise the site further utilising an avatar and giving options for both login and registration.

 

Rules of Thumb #3: Provide Flexibility in How Your Users Sign In

Rules of Thumb #4: Leverage social authentication

Social authentication is unique in that it offers three primary benefits:

1. Ease-of-access across devices (often no “typing” is required)


2. Fewer forgotten or lost passwords (reduced support costs)


3. Access to unique data set (”social data”)

 

Knowing your users when choosing social authentication options  

• Social networks should be chosen by region, and demographics. Typically for western societies, you’ll choose a combination of the big five networks: Facebook; Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, & Instagram.  APAC utilises more mobile centric options like We Chat, Line, and a One Time Mobile Password. Note:  this is just a sample – there are more regions and more complexities.

 

 Last but not least, always keep in mind the following

• Stick to accepted design patterns – what is everyone else doing?


• Make it clear to the user why you are asking for personal information


• Provide value to the user for sharing their information

Hope you enjoy this blog!

CX Intelligent Adoption & Consumption Team