Ideas
Allow users to register while creating a new subscription
Hi there -- our newsroom has been frustrated for awhile with the logic in the subscription module that requires users to register for the newspaper's website before buying a subscription. It's creating a bit of friction when e.g. we want to give out a complimentary subscription to an advertiser or other user, and is also a difficult workflow for some of our users if they don't get a confirmation email for registration.
I understand the logic of registration being different from subscription status; and I also understand the internal logic of someone needing a registration before they buy a subscription. However, I'm wondering if the subscription page could be streamlined, either to allow people to register while buying a subscription or to create a user registration record as part of a new subscription (that is, prompt for a username when purchasing a subscription).
Thoughts on that?
Customer support service by UserEcho
I agree. I can't tell you how many times someone has said "I subscribed but I don't have access." I check and they only set up a username and password.
Great idea. Most websites allow you to create your user account during the checkout process so it is a process most people would be familiar with.
Yes! I agree on this! This would help us a lot. We also get people saying they subscribed but don't have access.
Please. Pretty please.
I've seen something like this on a site I believe to be built on TN. Is this a custom feature we can request?
We've had several users complain recently that we were pulling a bait-and-switch with the two part account and subscription process.
Streamlining it into a single page would alleviate this.
So, so, so critical. We are in the Facebook Membership Accelerator and we are literally building an off-site workaround to eliminate this friction. If somebody wants to give you their money, you should be able to take it as simply and cleanly as possible.
Reducing friction as part of purchase workflow is something that we are focused on going forward. We do indeed have plans for workflow options to include registering as part of purchase. Keep an eye out for announcements early next year. There are changes coming!
Any updates on this?
Hi Ian,
This is still in our roadmap. It has taken us longer than expected to get to this but it is a high priority to do this as part of a revamped purchase workflow.
Thanks for the speedy reply, Rick!
We recently made a big shift in our organization to rely on Membership (i.e. Subscription) rather than Advertising for revenue. Any little improvements in the purchase workflow for us is good news! : )
This is a feature that we are very interested in as well. Hopefully you can tackle this soon. Any sense on the time frame for deployment?
Hi mcgregora,
I don't have a concrete timeline for this yet, but it is one of our top priorities for the coming months.
Expect a rant about subscriptions services separately (looking through existing threads to see if my issues are covered) but the way account vs subscription is handled has to be one of my biggest issues... And while there are big issues that require rethinking workflows - There are a ton of little things
For Example;
A visitor who isn't logged in clicks on a Service Link to buy a subscription.The next thing they are looking at is a rather generic LOGIN screen asking in BIG letters for their USERNAME and PASSWORD... and the reaction is "I don't have a GD username and password, that's why I am trying to spend my money to get one." - My CSRs see it almost every day. Hell when we change something my Directors have the same blasted reaction.
So what LITTLE thing could CHANGE to make this better... Well you know what page sent you to the LOGIN PAGE... If it's someone signing up for service ... Change the order and the formatting of what you display. Present the "IF you haven't created a user account here before, click here!" In BIG LETTERS and FIRST... Then below that do a "If you are adding a subscription to an EXISTING account please provide your username and password (With a little less emphasis.)
Hi Mike,
I understand your frustration. Please keep it coming as we are in the process of adding many improvements in this area and appreciate all input.
Keep it coming he says...
Ok,
Free services...
Well because it's free it doesn't ask for billing information like Name, address, phone number, etc
But if I am giving something away for free I might want that information in exchange for it. NP, right there on front tab of the service is "require delivery address"
OK check that ... boom subscription requires I fill it out... EXCELLENT! (insert Mr smithers)
Notification shows up... no name no address no phone. Doh!
Hmmm... there's a check box on the subscription form that says (save info to profile) maybe that will work... No apparently this box will update the profile but only with entries in the billing info (you know the fields that are hidden because this is a free service) - So after looking at docs and searching I found where the delivery address does show up ... In View Subscription ... You know what doesn't show up anywhere I can find, the First and Last name from the delivery address... Doesn't go to the profile, doesn't go to view subscription, isn't put on the notification .... apparently if you want to know someone's name you have to charge them.
Rates...
You can check with Filby on this one. I am experiencing occasional and inconsistent issues with rates. If for example the rate is $9.95, on a few occasions, on a few different domains, the rate will be saved as $9.949999994359 (per filby) or some odd amount off by a sliver of cent. If you try to edit the rate to expire it, it compares the rate it's displaying $9.95 to whats in the database $9.949999994359 determining they are different and errors, not allowing you to save the changes. I have found that if you don't open it, but simply select and remove it it usually will "expire" it without an error. Of course this isn't very helpful if you wanted to time this to occur at another time.
However if you plan to have that rate roll over to another rate... there's another set of issues. 1. You need to have new rate setup first (well duh). 2. You can't simply enter the new rate and save and close it. You actually have to exit out of community / subscriptions and go back in. Then the system will see it. 3. It complains when you enter a new rate with the same name as a currently active rate.
So just expire it and then after the fact go in and say rate rolls over to the new rate... No Dice... Error because it sees the rates as different...
So yeah there's a work around. Create the new rates with a new name, save them, close them, exit subscriptions, go back in, "Remove" the old rates having renewals roll over to the new rates with the new names and then if the person you are reporting to is OCD about such things, go in and rename the new rate and hope that it's not saved in the database to some fraction of a cent ....
Note i've seen this on somewhere between 10% and 20% of my rates that weren't whole numbers. Filby's suggestion "Round your prices up." Did I mention my OCD boss.