Biometric authentication is great at protecting users, but it also delivers a clean, simple user experience that makes it easy to authenticate to web and mobile apps. Reducing authentication friction goes a long way in increasing conversions, so it’s worth understanding the UX benefits of biometrics, and the tradeoffs associated with alternate forms of authentication.
Let’s unpack the friction a bit. On a personal level, most of us can relate to mistyping or misremembering a password. Those frustrated seconds are costing users time and costing businesses money. In fact, Mastercard and Oxford did a study on e-commerce and found that about one in three (1/3!!) of online transactions are abandoned because people can’t remember their passwords*. That’s terrible, and it’s not limited to e-commerce either. Users all across the internet are bouncing away from business-critical conversion points (SaaS sign ups, subscriptions, enrollments, etc.) due to login related friction.
There are many authentication trends aimed at improving security, but most are actually making the login UX worse. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) undoubtably provides protection, but it generally requires time and/or a second device within reach. Magic link authentication replaces passwords with text or email links, but that process requires the user to context switch away from your app, and distractions can be costly. CAPTCHAs may effectively thwart bots, but an endless stream of “Select all images that contain a crosswalk” can thwart humans just as well. You get the gist.
Biometric authentication is unique in that it provides better security and a simpler user experience. With biometrics, users can security authenticate with only a glance or touch. They don’t have to open their inbox, depend on a password manager, or fight their way through a CAPTCHA. They simply use Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello, the Android fingerprint reader, or any other biometric that’s built in to their device... and that’s it. Many of us have enjoyed the simplicity of biometrics logging in to our bank’s mobile app, but that same convenience is now available to users all across the web.
Passage makes it remarkably easy to increase user conversions with easier authentication. When authentication is required for critical conversion steps, Passage gets your users there the fastest - just a couple seconds and minimal friction to use Face ID, Windows Hello, or any other device biometric. If you’d like to take a closer look at Passage, you can sign up here. If you’re interested in having a conversation about whether or not biometrics are a good fit for your website, please send us an email (hello@passage.id) or reach out to me directly (cole@passage.id) and we’d love to talk.