Consumers Want Easy Access Not Login Red Tape

We've been examining the significant changes in online consumer behaviorto ascertain what companies should be doing to help people access the connected world knowing that remote life won't be going away any time soon. Our first report, ForgeRock New Normal: Living Life Online, provided a look into how the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way consumers plan to use apps and services. We followed that up with insights about voter preferencesand made an appeal for governments to strongly consider digital voting. And now for the sequel, which takes a closer look at what makes people tick when it comes to digital experiences.

In volume 2of our New Normal report: Living Life Online, we discuss how the rapid adoption of digital platforms affects consumer preferences when it comes to online experiences, including how they register and login and what features are most important for retaining their loyalty. Consumers will not tolerate a tedious registration process or ongoing authentication slowing them down. In fact, they believe being locked out of an account is more infuriating than running out of toilet paper or forgetting their mask at home. We also saw that respondents are beginning to value the apps and services that protect their personal data, but they still want to be recognized and offered a personalized experience. In our new online-centered world, organizations must address these priorities that have typically been at odds with each other.

Here are some key findings from Vol. 2:

• Almost half of consumers (46%) said they wouldn't register for a new account if it was too difficult to sign up.
• Consumers have a short fuse when it comes to poor digital experiences, with 35% cancelling or deleting an app if they have trouble logging in, while 32% said they would switch to a competitive service or app.
• Getting locked out of accounts is more frustrating for nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers than forgetting their mask at home (44%) or not finding toilet paper at the store (51%).
• Globally, consumers are turning away from traditional passwords and usernames, preferring passwordless authenticationoptions like biometrics or multifactor authentication (MFA) to log in where available (57%).
• Consumers said preventing their data from being resold to third parties is a top priority when considering app features (70%).

So what does this mean for organizations trying to engage with consumers in this new world? Consumers are demanding smooth, uncomplicated experiences. Organizations across industries have their work cut out for them if they want to keep up with rising consumer expectations for a simple, frictionless digital experience. Identity is the key to making sure that every customer can register, access and transact easily.

A well planned consumer identity strategy can make tailoring the user's onboarding experience to match the right risk and friction levels easy to accomplish. This gives less risky users a smooth, drama free registration process, while riskier users or bad actors will encounter extra steps to acquire access.

A proper identity infrastructure also allows you to streamline the user authentication process, providing a context driven, passwordless authenticationexperience. If the system understands context it can determine the best possible way to safely authenticate a user at that moment. This ensures that the user never encounters more friction than is necessary to secure the service they are accessing. With the right identity solution, you can support exceptional login experiences like single sign on (SSO)to your applications and services for your consumers.

Organizations that put consumer identityfirst will win. Check out our report here to learn how to put identity at the center of your digital strategy to ensure you're making the best first impression for your consumers.