Online Order Process: User Registration

[m9d]

Our company is developing our own custom shopping cart. We are only in the initial planning stages and a debate arose in a meeting as to whether we should make our customers register when placing an order.

One side believes that if you are forced to register when completing the order, the customer will just leave the site.

Another side believes that using the customer's email address and password can provide the customer with order confirmation information and order tracking when they return to the site.

What are some of the other pros and cons to having User Registration be part of the order process? What is the general consensus in webproworld.com-land?

[martink]

I think if a user is actually ordering something from your site, then yes, they should have to register. You may want to watch how arduous you make the registration process, but I would do it. You can always test it out for a trial period and see if sales drastically drop. Look at what the big companies are doing and assume that at least in part - they have it down. Amazon.com makes you register and with good reason. If you're asking for personal info, let users know that you won't be selling the data (if that's the case) so that they feel more comfortable giving your their info. If you keep the process simple, users won't mind.

~Martink

[dannywirken]

It is a two edge sword. That said you could explain it to them. If people have to register an account it would cut down drastically on your fraud. Most companies want telephone verification. Cutting out yahoo and free email addresses would also cut it down alot.