User validation dropoff percentage

Question

We have a simple registration form for our website users where we only require an e-mail address and a password (both repeated twice to make sure they are correct). We require that the user confirm their e-mail accounts by clicking a link in an e-mail.

We see that a lot of users don't bother following the link in the e-mail (over 18% never activate their account), and we are wondering how this compares to other websites.

We do not know that our domain is blacklisted anywhere, and it has SPF set up correctly to get through spam filters.

Are there statistics on this that I have missed?

Answer 1

I don't have any stats to help you, but have you gathered stats on how many people try to log in to inactive accounts?

Answer 2

I run a website that does the same type of registration scenario, and I have about a 12-15% inactive, never confirmed set of users.

I find that typically there are one of 3 reasons.

1. They typed their e-mail incorrectly, even with duplication, it happens, as many will copy and paste from box one to two.
2. Their e-mail server, for one reason or another did not get the message, mailbox-full, or some other issue, I usually get bouncebacks on this.
3. They decided that since I'm verifying the account, that they don't want to deal with it, I have had this happen and they have just sent me e-mails saying, delete the account.