The registration form and the preference centre

In this post we are going to talk about the role that should play in a site the registration form and the preference centre. First, in order to avoid confusion, let us explain the differences between the two.

A registration form is, as its name suggests, a mechanism through which an internet user can register on a site for a specific purpose. In the context in which we find ourselves, this objective is to give explicit consent to the advertiser to receive commercial information via email or sms and to leave a means of contact for this purpose (usually email or mobile phone number).

A preference centre is similar to a form in form, but not in the purpose for which it is created. A preference centre exists so that the user, once registered, can declare their preferences regarding what, how and when the brand should interact with them. Thus, for example, a registered user of a fashion e-commerce may prefer to receive advertising about children's and women's fashion, handbags and shoes, and with a frequency of no more than 1 communication per week. Another user, however, may declare different preferences (always within the possibilities offered by the brand).

The (intentional) state of mind of the internet user when they are on a site of interest to them is usually one of searching for relevant content or interacting directly with that content. Thus, the registration form The aim is to facilitate registration quickly and with as little friction as possible. A registration form excessively dense and unusable, it will generate frustration by interrupting the natural flow of navigation on the site and will be disdained.

On the other hand, when a user is filling in the form in a preference centre, their interest lies precisely in detailing aspects related to their personal tastes and preferences.

From this point of view, we consider that the best approach is to differentiate, on the website, the registration form The user's mental state of mind is different from that of the preferred centre, since each of them responds to different objectives and is approached with a different (intentional) state of mind on the part of the user.