1. Lengthy Registration & Application Steps Drive Customers Away
The first interaction sets the tone for the entire relationship. Long forms, unnecessary data requests, or slow verification processes often push customers to abandon before they begin. Without a smooth entry point, even the best services go unused.
Identity Solution: Progressive Profiling + Identity Verification
Long, data-heavy forms at signup are a major conversion killer. Progressive profiling changes the dynamic by capturing only essential information upfront and adding more as the relationship evolves. When paired with fast, AI-driven identity verification, using facial recognition, document scans, and behavioral checks, businesses can ensure the right balance of security and CX. This combination reduces fake account creation, increases verified customer acquisition, and delivers personalization without overwhelming customers early on.
2. Lost Customers to Login Fatigue
Customers expect fast, frictionless access. But when they encounter repeated logins, forgotten passwords, and strict MFA steps, frustration builds. Each barrier increases the likelihood of abandonment or support calls. Poor login experiences not only stall transactions but also damage trust and reduce repeat engagement.
Identity Solution: SSO + Passwordless Authentication
Today’s customers are conditioned by the best digital experiences, which has increased expectations for every brand with a digital presence. Single sign-on (SSO) empowers customers to access all digital services with a single secure credential, eliminating password fatigue and login failures. When paired with passwordless authentication methods, such as biometrics, magic links, or social logins, businesses reduce friction, cut down on security vulnerabilities, and boost conversion. This combination not only enhances customer satisfaction, but also decreases support tickets, improves session continuity, and increases login success rates.
3. Cross-Channel Confusion Costs Conversions
Customers move fluidly across mobile apps, websites, and partner channels. But when identity systems cannot follow them, journeys break. Inconsistent authentication or missing context creates frustration that halts transactions. Customers expect recognition and continuity, not roadblocks and repetition.
Identity Solution: Identity Federation & Orchestration
Customers interact with brands across devices, apps, and even partner ecosystems, and they expect those interactions to feel consistent. Identity federation allows customers to carry a single identity across systems and domains, avoiding repeated logins and lost context. Meanwhile, orchestration brings dynamic intelligence to the identity flow, automating how customers are authenticated, verified, and personalized across their journey. Combined, these capabilities enable consistent, secure, and intuitive cross-channel experiences that drive loyalty and repeat engagement.
4. Fraud Controls Frustrating Everyone
Security measures should protect customers, not punish them. When fraud controls are too rigid or misaligned, they ensnare legitimate customers and generate false positives. This can lead to declined transactions, login failures, and loss of trust. In trying to stop bad actors, businesses often alienate the good ones.
Identity Solution: Risk-Based Authentication + Fraud Detection
Rigid fraud controls often backfire, frustrating legitimate customers and eroding trust. Risk-based authentication continuously assesses risk signals—like device behavior, location, and session anomalies—to adjust the level of verification dynamically. High-trust sessions remain seamless, while suspicious activity triggers more scrutiny. Integrated fraud detection adds a deeper layer of protection using bot detection, behavioral analytics, and threat intelligence. Together, they keep real customers safe and bad actors out, without slowing down the customer journey.
5. Customer Data Privacy Concerns
Unclear data practices raise red flags for customers. When users are not confident in how their information is collected or used, they hesitate or disengage. A lack of visible privacy controls leads to lower opt-in rates and fewer lasting relationships.
Identity Solution: Consent & Preference Management
Today’s digital customers demand privacy and control. CIAM solutions with built-in consent and preference management allow customers to view, modify, and revoke permissions through self-service dashboards. These tools offer transparency around data collection and usage, fostering trust and regulatory compliance. Brands that empower customers in this way see higher opt-in rates, fewer data-related complaints, and improved marketing ROI due to more accurate and consent-backed data. It’s not just good governance; it’s smart business.
6. Siloed Identity Data Limits Personalization
Customers expect relevance in every interaction. But when identity data lives in disconnected systems, it is difficult to deliver personalized experiences. Fragmented profiles limit marketing precision, increase fraud risk, and reduce operational efficiency. But the real impact comes in the form of diminished customer loyalty, failing to turn first-time buyers into repeat brand advocates, and negatively affecting customer lifetime value.
of consumers abandon brands due
to poor personalization.⁵
Identity Solution: A Unified View of Customer Identity
Fragmented identity systems create a poor customer experience and expose security gaps. Modern orchestration capabilities can work on top of any IdP and connect systems, apps, channels, and regions to provide a unified view of identity. It enables centralized access policies, improves account visibility, and enhances segmentation and personalization. With identity orchestration, marketing teams can target more effectively, IT can reduce redundancy, and fraud teams can spot anomalies with more accuracy. The result is operational efficiency and better business performance.
7. Requesting Too Much Information
A strong example of this friction can be found in ecommerce. Guest checkout may close a sale but sacrifices future engagement. Without capturing identity, brands lose visibility into customer behavior and cannot build loyalty. What starts as convenience ends in missed opportunity for deeper relationships and recurring revenue.
Identity Solution: Frictionless Registration + Social Login
Forced account creation is one of the biggest drivers of cart abandonment. Social login options, like Google or Apple sign-in, remove friction by leveraging credentials customers already trust. These methods streamline onboarding, increase registration rates, and auto-populate customer profiles with verified data. When layered with progressive profiling, businesses can continue enriching customer profiles without interrupting the flow. This approach maximizes both short-term conversion and long-term retention by converting guests into loyal, known customers.
¹ WP Forms - 2024 Stats
² IDC - 10 Things Customer Experience Leaders Need to Consider in 2024
³ Email Vendor Selections - Cart Abandonment
⁴ Ping Identity - The Great Technology Wave: Overcoming the Fear of Unknowns for Improved Digital Experiences
⁵ Liminal - The Business Case for Customer Identity and Access Management in E-Commerce
⁶ PayPal - Why guest checkout is essential for e-commerce success and conversion
At Ping Identity, we believe in making digital experiences both secure and seamless for all users, without compromise. That’s digital freedom. We let enterprises remove passwords, prevent fraud, support Zero Trust, and more. That’s why more than half of the Fortune 100 choose Ping Identity. Learn more at pingidentity.com.