Identity verification is part of virtually every online transaction. As consumers, we encounter verification processes when we open our smartphones, log into banking apps, get accredited for online courses and more.
Customers today are demanding more from our digital platforms, so why are businesses allowing their Identity verification processes to be riddled with friction and inconsistencies? Friction during Identity Verification can create a poor user experience that can break trust with your customers and result in abandoned transactions. The bottom line: Identity verification must fit each unique situation and user.
There are two significant problems with the way companies treat Identity Verification today:
1. Seeing it purely as a protection checkoff, a mechanism to satisfy compliance requirements.
If your business focuses solely on Identity Verification as “another compliance task” soon, you might not have any customers to verify.
2. Thinking of Identity Verification as a single, static touchpoint at onboarding.
Identity Verification comes into play throughout the customer’s relationship with your brand. Your business needs to ensure that the individual taking various actions post-onboarding is the same individual pre-onboarding, especially when an interaction is at higher risk.
Strong security + Good Customer Experiences = Happy and Trusting Customers
UX teams live by the mantra of personalising and customising the customer journey, so we took a page from their playbook. The key is implementing Identity Verification carefully and ensuring it’s seamlessly meshed into the customer experience.
Users should only ever have to think about the flow and should only have to provide what is needed. Continually reassess their expertise. Be sure that any instance of Identity Verification — during onboarding or right before a major purchase — is a seamless, painless interaction with your brand, not an ordeal for them to remember.
Continuously Adapt to Customer Expectations, Regulations and Use Cases
Identity processes should vary depending on the risks associated with the customer and action. Some interactions with your customers are simple one-and-done onboarding procedures; others require multiple steps. They vary in security rigour and, therefore, in potential user friction. For example, when individuals are just browsing stock charts, little Identity Verification is needed. Withdrawing funds or purchasing a property, on the other hand, should require the customer to pass a higher bar.
To complicate matters further, situations change. A customer might create an account to order alcohol but also fill prescriptions. You also can’t assume someone who passed Identity Verification during onboarding is at the same risk level (or even the same person) the next time they interact with your brand.
Your Biggest Brand Differentiator
Identity Verification isn’t a one-off static transaction, and it’s essential to continually assess identities throughout the customer lifecycle so you can catch suspicious activity. Data informs personalisation. The more you know about your customer, the better you can personalise it. At the same time, if you want users to complete Identity Verification, it’s vital not to overload them with friction by asking for too much Data.
When done right, the process should be seamless and barely noticeable. When done poorly, it can make or break the customer experience. Identity Verification is crucial to building trust with your customers. Personalise the customer journey and treat Identity Verification as more than a need to check boxes.
Use it thoughtfully and wield it carefully. In the end, you’ll build greater trust with your customers as they’ll see it as a great experience and not just another tedious task to get through.
Find out more about our unique Identity Verification Solution
Scantek’s digital verification technology is fast, simple and accurate, and our platform is widely regarded as Australia’s safest and most reliable method for Identity and document verification.
We understand each business and your customers are unique to you. We design our technology with you and your customers in mind.
If you’d like to see how our innovative technology can revolutionise your business, we invite you to book a demo with our team today.