What Do Social Logins Mean for Businesses? A Massive Conversion Boost, Among Other Things

Social logins are becoming increasingly popular, but what does that mean for businesses?

A social login—when a user registers for a site by signing into one of their social media accounts instead of creating a new account by filling out a form—benefits both the user and the business, but it pays to understand them on a deeper level.

First, which social networks are used for social logins? Facebook alone accounts for more than half of all social logins in North America. Google+ accounts for 28%. Twitter accounts for only 4%, according to Gigya, a social login platform company.

Second, what kind of difference do social logins make? According to separate data from Gigya, social logins boost registration by up to 90%. It also can assist companies in providing customized experiences to their users the moment they first register because their social networks likely include more user information than the form would provide.

Third, are social logins secure? They can be. According to Stephen Ufford, CEO of Trulioo, a provider of social identity verification, it’s important to determine whether a user and their content is authentic, which requires verifying the source of the data.

“Social login is a valuable and essential tool for any online busines,” he affirms, but cites a study from Gartner when adding, “the lack of identity proofing and weak authentication for social network identities can expose merchants to more fraud.”

According to the Gartner study, companies allowing social logins should “augment the process with additional controls when a retail site provides access to sensitive data and monetary transactions.”

So there you have it: social logins aren’t without risks, but with proper implementation can be a great conversion tool for your website.

Infographic: Trulioo