Below are just a few of the benefits that come from allowing your users to register and log-in to your site with an OpenID that they already have. View a gallery of innovative sign-in and registration experiences that leverage user managed identity.

Increase registration and conversion rates

Lengthy registration forms pose a major barrier to sign up and conversion for web users. OpenID simplifies the registration process by allowing users to sign in with an existing OpenID account in a single click, accelerating the sign up process and making long registration forms a thing of the past. Because users equipped with an OpenID can sign in to websites using an existing account, they also do not need to spend time creating a website-specific username or password at your site. In addition, OpenID eliminates the need to direct a new user away from your site to verify an email address, thus removing a fundamental obstacle to conversion.

Access rich user profile data

Accepting OpenIDs gives access to a rich set of user data that would otherwise require the completion of lengthy registration forms to obtain. Many OpenID providers collect and share a wide range of demographic information, including name, date of birth, location, gender and an email address. This data allows you to optimize your marketing efforts and tailor your website to better target the needs of your core audience.

Reduce customer care and password recovery costs

With OpenID, visitors to your site use an existing portable identity to sign in to your site. Because these users authenticate against an existing identity provider, there is no need to store passwords and invest valuable time and resources into expensive account and password recovery. This frees you to focus on the core functions of your web application and achieve greater customer satisfaction by eliminating frustrations associated with forgotten passwords.

Link your site to the social web

OpenID is the building block for several other open standards that allow you to enrich the experience for your users and connect your site to the social web. Open source protocols such as Portable Contacts can be used with OpenID to offer your site access to a user’s address book and friends lists. Activity Streams can be implemented on top of OpenID to allow users who authenticate with an OpenID to publish information from your site to their social networks, thereby extending your reach and projecting your brand to the social web.