Tell me more ×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

Good Days,

I have recently been tasked with developing an online portal for the real estate agents. I am planning to make the code as generic as I can so that I can use it as a product for the other industry shareholders such as mortgage lenders, small local bankers, closing attorneys, etc..

There will be a login page for some user specific pages that the agents will be able to put their business data.

Knowing that majority of the users will not be technical-savvy, is it a good idea to use different authentication methods such as OpenID and the others like Google and Facebook? Will utilizing them as an additional login facility add any value to the portal and the product eventually? Or, will offering different authentication methods just confuse them?

I am looking forward to hearing your experiences and thoughts.

Thank you!

share|improve this question

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Absolutely!

A number of troubling realities about password-based login are finally making it to the mainstream consciousness thanks to things like the Gawker leak. Almost every user, technical or not, already as an OpenID, even if they don't realize it.

As long as the interface is clean and easy to understand (I like Janrain Engage), offering your users additional login options reduces the resistance to registering.

share|improve this answer
1  
I second HedgeMage opinion. People are tired to create new username/passwords. I've also used Janrain Engage to solve the issue; it's a very simple, technology agnostic, inexpensive tool you can integrate easily in any website. – Filippo Diotalevi Dec 16 '10 at 20:01
I have seen this issue discussed several times, but little hard data to support either sides view. Regarding "offering your users additional login options reduces the resistance to registering": have you seen any impartial usability studies or A/B case studies documenting this? I'm not saying it isn't so, I just have not seen any evidence of it myself and would like to read it. – Jesper Mortensen♦ Dec 16 '10 at 20:26
Thank you for the Janrain Engage advice. I will take a look at it. I now agree that additional login options reduce the resistance to registering. – ncakmak Dec 17 '10 at 15:48

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.