effective registration: part 1

Brief but concise form introduction

When a user decides to fill out a registration form it is important that an introduction to the form should appear directly below the page title that will give an explanation and global instructions to the user in a conversational or friendly manner. The introduction should be brief and unify the purpose of the form without losing the interest of the users with lengthy statements.

If there is other instructional text related to individual form fields, it should appear beside the respective fields and not the introduction.

Keep most important fields above the fold

Users click on the 'register' button with a goal in mind, which is to 'register', so a long explanation above the form serves as an obstacle to reach that goal. The user will either skip the text and possibly miss out on important instructions, or just leave.

Visibility is key. The introduction and most of the important form fields should appear above the fold in the web browser so users immediately find where they can register. Other necessary information such as disclaimers, terms & conditions, and post-registration confirmation or instruction should be placed at the end of the form.

User benefits, incentives and nice-to-know information

A list of benefits and incentives that may be granted to users once they have created an account is a good way of encouraging users to register. This can be communicated not only by a text summary but also coupled with a graphic or image or a testimonial from a satisfied user, which is visually appealing so as to instill more interest.