Authentication has become a common part of many modern businesses. It is a natural way of ensuring that the users of your website are genuine and safeguarding the business against security threats. However, there are also a lot of mistakes that also crop up that you need to avoid. Let's have a look at a few of the errors that are commonly made but also easily sidestepped.
Having knowledge-based authentication
It was typical to have an authentication system based on information like a nickname, first street name, pet's name, etc. However, these are much more likely to end up getting forgotten, which causes the frustration of the customer having to reset their account. This is why there has been a general shift towards easier ways of authenticating an account, such as two-factor, and relying on emails and phone numbers, which are often at hand. Of course, this can work in tandem with the system of zero trust security, which you should take the time to learn more about.
Asking for highly complex passwords
While passwords are still a typical way of logging into an account, you should also be wary of asking customers to put in a series of numbers and letters that are not always that easy to remember. Instead, you are going to be better off asking for a secure password but not one that is forgettable. Otherwise, people are more likely to lose it and have to reset their account, decreasing the likelihood that they will want to come back to you again.
Making registration too long
One of the most important aspects of running a business is all about registering new users. Therefore, you must ensure that registration is robust while gaining access to all the information needed for an online account. It is always going to be worth trialing out systems that make registration even more straightforward.
Making account recovery too complicated
There are bound to be times when account recovery is going to be required. You will obviously want to do this in a simple way that does not impact a customer's ability to gain access to their account all over again. Again, it can be a matter of getting a text message sent to their phone, allowing them to get instant access to the account all over again.
Asking customers to call in
In an online world where people are generally averse to calling in the first place, you should avoid making this an additional burden that people have to go through. If you can go with digital-first solutions, this is always going to be more straightforward.
By avoiding all of these common authentication mistakes, you make it much more likely that you will have a solid system that customers can rely on but will not put them off from wanting to register in the first place. It is inevitable that people will forget their passwords, and you need to simplify this as much as possible to ensure that they will be back and buying again without too much delay.
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