Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

I personally definitely agree with "Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website", since I find that so annoying. I've come to expect this annoying behavior especially from Y Combinator companies, ever since I read Paul Graham opining that companies should actually emphasize the trial/test-drive button, and deemphasize the sign-in button. He said that's what Viaweb did, and they thought it made better business sense. I just now tried a bit finding the essay where he states this, but I gave up. Maybe someone here will offer it.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#5

Post by sen » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:32 AM UTC

This is becoming more and more common with major sites, and it’s really bloody annoying. Some are putting “Sign In” behind some tiny dropdown in the nav, not just grayed out or small but invisible unless you hunt for it.

They know exactly why they’re doing though, and I think OP is preaching to the converted. Those doing this don’t need a tutorial explaining how not to do it, they need to lose money (users) until they stop doing these dark patterns.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#6

Post by hellotomyrars » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:38 AM UTC

Semi-related:

The trend of the not having a log in button and only a sign up button, requiring multiple clicks just to login. I get that less friction for a new user is better being the thinking but I truly hate having to go through multiple pages just to sign in.

What happened to having sign in/sign up being on the same page? Seems the simple and easy, as well as lowest friction way of splitting the difference between new and existing users.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#7

Post by AlchemistCamp » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:40 AM UTC

Digital Ocean has this problem.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#8

Post by memco » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:50 AM UTC

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #7

Digital Ocean has this problem.

GitHub is one that gets me often.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#9

Post by hparadiz » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:55 AM UTC

This is what happens when everything is metrics based. Your paying customers pay the price. This happened with Loggly when solar winds bought them. We no longer use Loggly.

Re: Don't make customers hunt for the Sign In button on your website

#10

Post by stadium » Mon, May 03, 2021, 5:57 AM UTC

And the sign out button too!