Please Login/Register - Dangerous Words You Should Use Sparingly On Sites
A decade an a half ago, during the big rush to get to the Web, one newsportal I know had these two words prominently displayed on its landing page:
Please Login
(below these, in finer print, are)
If You Have Not Registered, Do It Here
(below these, in finer print, are)
If You Have Not Registered, Do It Here
As a result of this, users were turned off.
Indeed in the days of Internet infancy, particularly among Malaysian websites, the urge to gather visitor/user information was immense.
Most website owners thought that if you were to ask users to register or log in, it would allow you at least to get the users' profiles in exchange of the service you provide.
It was a feeble attempt at datamining in those days. The only portals that have successfully used it were the free email providers and chat rooms, where the need to have access far outweighed any afterthoughts on the part of the users. Others who have applied the Login requirement have successfullly driven off their potential return visitors, I believe.
Today, the Login/Register requirement is still being used thoughtlessly, without considering the implications. If you are a public relations practitioner in charge of your company's website, or a webmaster tasked to craft your firm's portal, think again if you should put up the Login/Register barrier gate at your front door.
Unless you only want registered users to use your site, I suggest provide alternatives for all visitors.
Allow limited access for sampling of your site's content. For more access, a Login/Register requirement can be imposed. This will allow the user to decide if he wants to register or not.
When you set up a Login/Register requirement, you will need additional resources such as a backend database to serve login information. Can you afford this? Maintenance costs will also be higher.
You will also be bound by privacy laws that require you, the service provider, to protect any personal information. Any leaks or spams resulting from it can and will attract legal actions.
If you have not realised it, datamining using Login/Register feature may not be accurate. Have you ever registered with a fake access information just to see what lies beyond the locked front door of a website? If you have, then don't you think some people will just do the same and the data you have just mined could well be adding to your server garbage?
In conclusion, use Login/Register feature sparingly and intelligently. Unless you really need it, don't even think about it!
And if you really need users to register to log in, make the registration simple - emails and usernames will do more than a string of text fields from your cat's name to your granny's social security number.
Indeed in the days of Internet infancy, particularly among Malaysian websites, the urge to gather visitor/user information was immense.
Most website owners thought that if you were to ask users to register or log in, it would allow you at least to get the users' profiles in exchange of the service you provide.
It was a feeble attempt at datamining in those days. The only portals that have successfully used it were the free email providers and chat rooms, where the need to have access far outweighed any afterthoughts on the part of the users. Others who have applied the Login requirement have successfullly driven off their potential return visitors, I believe.
Today, the Login/Register requirement is still being used thoughtlessly, without considering the implications. If you are a public relations practitioner in charge of your company's website, or a webmaster tasked to craft your firm's portal, think again if you should put up the Login/Register barrier gate at your front door.
Unless you only want registered users to use your site, I suggest provide alternatives for all visitors.
Allow limited access for sampling of your site's content. For more access, a Login/Register requirement can be imposed. This will allow the user to decide if he wants to register or not.
When you set up a Login/Register requirement, you will need additional resources such as a backend database to serve login information. Can you afford this? Maintenance costs will also be higher.
You will also be bound by privacy laws that require you, the service provider, to protect any personal information. Any leaks or spams resulting from it can and will attract legal actions.
If you have not realised it, datamining using Login/Register feature may not be accurate. Have you ever registered with a fake access information just to see what lies beyond the locked front door of a website? If you have, then don't you think some people will just do the same and the data you have just mined could well be adding to your server garbage?
In conclusion, use Login/Register feature sparingly and intelligently. Unless you really need it, don't even think about it!
And if you really need users to register to log in, make the registration simple - emails and usernames will do more than a string of text fields from your cat's name to your granny's social security number.
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