Understanding the Importance of Account Sign-Ups
Itâs a strange new world, this online shopping one. E-commerce has really changed the way people think about and consume products and services. Itâs made life convenient, yes, but itâs also made us creatures of habit. Which is why it appears to be so vital for businesses to have us sign up for their accounts.
Account sign-ups are a fairly easy way for businesses to get personal information about a customer - name, address, phone number, age, birthday, etc. This helps brands send targeted ads and messages to customers about their products or services in an attempt to get them to come back for more. And thatâs what makes account sign-ups so important - it helps the business keep customers coming back. A registered user will always feel more valued than one who doesnât sign up with a business or brand.
This is particularly relevant when there are discounts or special deals involved. A brand will always want to reward loyal customers because if you feel valued and rewarded for your loyalty towards a brand, chances are youâre going to return to spend some more money with them. But while all of this seems like itâs all great for brands, Iâve found that even as a customer myself, signing up with a brand I patronise feels good too.
It makes me feel like Iâm letting the brand know that I appreciate them by sharing my personal details with them. That does tend to change quickly if those details arenât safe though but it hasnât happened as often as I worried about it happening (so far at least).
Incentive #1: Exclusive Discounts and Promotions
An odd quirk of human psychology - weâre more likely to buy a product if we think weâre getting some sort of âdealâ on it. The same goes for account sign-ups. Ask someone to do something for free and theyâll shy away but ask them to do something and offer them an incentive, and suddenly theyâre far more interested.
It doesnât matter that you may offer quality services or products, consumers always feel like they can get it cheaper elsewhere. So offering exclusive discounts, access to products or services before anyone else, the chance to try out certain features without paying for them, or even just a monetary discount can be the push some people need to take that final step in signing up for an account with your brand. On the plus side, if youâve done your market research well enough, you may find that these new sign-ups are arguably coming from your target audience. On the flip side though, thereâs a chance that many people are signing up just to claim the rewards of discounts and promotions but never convert into long-term buyers.
You donât want this kind of customer sticking around so itâs important to have certain checks in place. For example, using IP addresses, phone numbers or email addresses to vet customers or placing limits on how much money new customers have access to via discounts is a good way of filtering these customers out. And Iâm not going to lie - finding out a discount code has expired or doesnât apply is never fun but it does make me want to come back when it does finally apply so hey.
Incentive #2: Referral Bonuses for Existing Users
Referrals and bonuses seem to go together. And not in a superfluous way, either. Theyâre both quite powerful in their own right - for example, referrals can lead to more sign-ups, while bonuses can keep users active on a platform for longer. But together, their impact can be multiplied.
This means that offering bonuses for existing users that refer people in their networks is comparatively much like combining two forms of social proof. It not only shows potential new users that people are actively engaged and benefitting from the platform but also tells existing ones that theyâre valuable members of the community. Referral bonuses can look like money in user accounts for every successful sign-up, or loyalty points they can trade in for coupons and discounts on their next purchase - the options are endless. But if youâve got a lot of competition, itâs important to set a referral bonus program apart from the rest.
If a brandâs competing for attention with similar companies with referral programs offering cash, it might want to consider alternatives such as charity donations (which appeals to Gen Z), non-cash gifts, or entries into lucky draws. Sure, cash will always work - itâs cash. But how often do we remember the company that gave us a small amount of cash compared to one that gave us something tangible.
No matter what form it takes though, referral bonuses remain an effective incentive when trying to get more people signing up and staying on board. I suppose it isnât much of a surprise.
Incentive #3: Free Trials or Samples
Itâs odd how weâre all still motivated by free things. Maybe itâs the dopamine hit of feeling like you won a small battle against big business, or maybe itâs because you get to try something for yourself before committing to it. I Reckon free samples are rather always a good idea. The way I see it, there is a reason people crowd around beauty stores during their sampling events, or line up for free drinks at bars when new brands launch and, even when youâre not in the physical vicinity of these places and things, this still works.
And the best part about offering your customers free samples is slightly that while it may seem like youâre giving away product, itâs actually one of the lowest cost incentives on this list. It feels valuable without being expensive. Sometimes, if youâve ever gotten a sample at Sephora, not even quite as generous as youâd want but most certainly effective - because Iâve bought so many beauty products after trying them. If thereâs a real-world example that exemplifies the power of this incentive, it would have to be Netflix and Spotify - with their free 30-day trials for everyone who signs up with an account.
It seems like all digital subscription companies know that once customers experience their service and discover its value firsthand, there is little reason for them to leave. Free samples offer up the chance for users to familiarise themselves with your brand, products or services - building comfort and understanding before they pay money for something they donât know much about yet. And then there are people who only sign up for free trials and unsubscribe but thatâs another story.
Incentive #4: Loyalty Programs and Rewards
If you want to keep your best customers close, loyalty programs are a bit of a no-brainer. There are some who say that you can go too far with rewards - it doesnât feel like thatâs possible if weâre honest. Most people are driven to sign up for something in the first place because they donât want to miss out on potential discounts and promotions, so it just makes sense. When you offer people a sense of exclusivity when they sign up for your website, they feel like theyâre part of something bigger than just a transaction.
This is why so many big brands have members-only offers - people like feeling special. Thereâs an element of gamification in loyalty programs as well where customers earn points every time they shop or refer a friend. This appeals to even the most casual shoppers and keeps them coming back for more.
Itâs easy for customers to get overwhelmed by dozens of websites all vying for their attention with similar products. In this sort of environment, offering points or early access to sales is likely to make customers opt for one brand over others, simply because it means more value for the same price. Loyalty programs also provide businesses with valuable insights into customer behaviour which helps brands improve their offerings while keeping their best customers happy. Itâs a win-win situation most of the time but it does come with its drawbacks as well.
Sometimes, customers will only buy when thereâs an offer or incentive available but as long as a brand is still raking in sales consistently, does it really matter.
Incentive #5: Engaging Content and Resources for Members
You know, when people say content is king they often forget just how much the crown weighs. Because if youâre running an e-commerce site or a membership platform, your content had better have a bit more charisma than the average sausage sizzle. I Believe this is where so many businesses come unstuck â they forget that their content needs to resonate with members - who are effectively their community. And maybe Iâm partial to opinion, but I think itâs probably more effective to break the rules of "what you are supposed to do" and instead just "do what you want".
You know, go authentic or go home. It seems like such an easy thing.
Something that might get glossed over in a worksheet for online business. But truly engaging content that resonates and grows your member base isnât so easy. The people who do it well have enormous traction. They have loyalty.
More or less. They have longevity. And they have identified as leaders in their field.
Let's face it, we are nearly always all drowning in content so it takes something fairly unique to cut through that noise. Instead of offering quantity â how about quality. Itâs the reason influencer content has become so powerful â it works because it's interesting. Itâs meaningful for the audience.
Meaningful content is like a magnet for an audience and consistent meaningful content builds brand and rapport in ways that other less important approaches canât touch on. Sort of. You know, when people say content is king they often forget just how much the crown weighs. Because if youâre running an e-commerce site or a membership platform, your content had better have a bit more charisma than the average sausage sizzle.
This is where so many businesses come unstuck â they forget that their content needs to resonate with members - who are effectively their community. And maybe Iâm partial to opinion, but I think itâs probably more effective to break the rules of "what you are supposed to do" and instead just "do what you want". You know, go authentic or go home.
It seems like such an easy thing. Something that might get glossed over in a worksheet for online business. But truly engaging content that resonates and grows your member base isnât so easy.
The people who do it well have enormous traction. They have loyalty. They have longevity.
And they have identified as leaders in their field. Let's face it, we are all drowning in content so it takes something fairly unique to cut through that noise. Instead of offering quantity â how about quality.
Itâs the reason influencer content has become so powerful â it works because it's interesting. Itâs meaningful for the audience. Meaningful content is like a magnet for an audience and consistent meaningful content builds brand and rapport in ways that other less important approaches canât touch on.