which is the most simple registration form?

Question

Hi all,

I think it's a simple question but a little bit complex question too. ;-)

What are the required fields for a simple user registration form.

I think we don't want to enter all the user details at the first step of the registration, we can set that after the successful registration.

sample form

 First name        :_ _ _ _ _ _ 

 Middle Name       :_ _ _ _ _ _ 

 Last Name         :_ _ _ _ _ _ 

 Organization name :_ _ _ _ _ _

 Email id          :_ _ _ _ _ _ 

 and finaly captcha:

So any other suggestion?

please give me your thought about this.

Answer 1

The simplest registration form is one like StackOverflow uses: it doesn't request anything beyond a username (and OpenID login).

Answer 2

Whatever is the bare minimum you need to know to provide the user with what they need.

Answer 3

It depends on what you want to know about the user. Is it a business site, forum, game? But name and email is always good know. Maybe you want to use an OpenID, like googles.

Answer 4

Depends on what you're signing up for. Easiest would be username and email, and in the special case where the username is the email you'd have an even easier form. Most other information is of minor importance anyway, and is better placed in a profile options page.

Answer 5

This is highly dependent on the situation, there is no right answer.

Answer 6

Username (maybe Username == email address?) and password would cover most bases (a way to contact and confirm the user).

Let them fill in the rest later, once they are inside your web app.

Answer 7

The simplest would OpenID as used by stackoverflow.com and a growing number of other places.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001121.html

It means you don't have to manage passwords etc. at all.

As you say you could then have a profile page inside that lets you set additional properties.

Answer 8

Depends on the task. The simplest registration can be a user's email address (doubles as username). They can set the other fields later on, or you can intelligently fill them from other forms (e.g., an order form / payment form) that they fill in as part of their process. Indeed, that process can create the account, meaning there is no need for an explicit signup function, although I still recommend having one as a standalone. I mean, no need to register before doing other website functions, if the other functions have the signup data capture fields anyway.

Answer 9

You got to have something like CAPTCHA to thwart scripting attack.

Answer 10

I'm a big fan of one of the methods Steve Krug suggests in his book Don't Make Me Think, which is to ask for the minimum now, and for details later. So ask for an email address and a password (which seems to be missing from your example) only.

You'll lower the threshold for the user to become a register member at your site, and it's easier to have your visitor fill out more information once he's "inside" and sees the value of providing you with the extra information.