Registration walls, the latest trend amongst digital content producers (news publishers, e-learning sites and brands alike).
The concept: block content and ask or require users to create a free account in order to gain access.
The benefits: unlike many assumptions, a registration wall is beneficial to digital publishers employing any type of revenue model…
- Increase ad revenue through targeting – by collecting custom reader IDs
- Maximize engagement to increase propensity to subscribe (= more revenue)
- Personalize based on data collection for a better user experience and build close relationships with readers
- Provide additional value in exchange for registration to increase loyalty
Registration wall best practices:
- Only ask for the information you need (name and email address is the essentials, but keep other form fields to a minimum)
- Define a clear value proposition just as you would for a subscription offer
- Forefront the value that users will get in exchange for registration (e.g. a lighter ad experience, exclusive content, your newsletter, UX features, etc)
- Reduce the number of clicks, typing and scrolling needed to register (i.e. reduce friction)
- Onboard your newly registered users just as you would for subscribers
- Maximize the value of registration to increase engagement – such as via a regular newsletter to form habits and keep users coming back for more content
