A Complete Guide to Customer Registration Form in Magento 2

Customer Registration Form in Magento 2 is used as a way to collect shoppers’ information. Online merchants can use this data to communicate with their customers, as well as conduct marketing campaigns. But, what information can you get from such a form? Are there other benefits that stores can have, and do customers benefit from those forms as well? How can you add attributes to the form? All will be answered in this blog post, so let’s begin!

Table of Contents

• What is a Customer Registration Form?
• What to include in the Customer Registration Form?
• Benefits of Customer Registration Form usage
  • Benefits for retailers
  • Benefits for customers
• Challenges and Tips
  • Why is account registration a burden?
  • Tips to encourage registration without creating burden
• How to Add Custom Fields in Magento 2 Customer Registration Form
  • Step 1: Complete the Attribute Properties
  • Step 2: Complete the storefront properties
  • Step 3: Complete the labels
• Customer Attributes extension by Mageplaza
  • Limitations of the default Magento 2 Customer Registration Form
  • Highlight features of Mageplaza Customer Attributes
• The bottom line

What is a Customer Registration Form?

A Customer Registration Form is what shoppers need to fill in to apply as a member of that business. The form structure and content may vary depending on which type of data the store needs to acquire from their customers.

What to include in the Customer Registration Form?

Although each store will have its own form standard, but in general, it usually and can include the following information:

Contact Information

Essential information such as name, email address, or phone number, etc. is the first and foremost one that gets asked in every form. You are going to need this information to contact your customers later, so please consider which channel will you reach them through, and select what you want to collect.

Sign-in information

For e-commerce, this is where customers select usernames and passwords for their account. You can let them sign in by their email address or phone number, or ask them to choose a distinct username.

Billing and shipping information

This part may not be compulsory, because it actually takes more time and trust to fill in right away. Hence, some online merchants let their customers enter this data when they check out their first order. And the information will be well saved for future ones.

Payment information

One of the reasons that encourages customers to register an account is that the payment information can be used for later purchases. But remember to allow them to save the information or not, because online transactions saved cards still sound insecure for some of them.

Future Communications

Not everyone is ready to take a commitment with you. That is why you need to offer them a choice of opting in or opting out the contact list in the future. It can be a Yes/No option to a statement, or a choice in the multiple choice list.

Other survey questions

Yes, you can ask shoppers extra questions to understand them better. The question types may vary, from a dropdown question, a multiple choice, or open text area and file attachment. However, to avoid unwillingness, you can mark these questions as optional. This data can be used for different purposes: marketing predictions, creating your Online communityonline community, retargeting, etc.

Explore Customer Registration Form in actual Magento 2 stores

Benefits of Customer Registration Form usage

Benefits for retailers

• Get sufficient information: Asking them to fill in a form makes it easier to collect necessary information in a orderly and clear process
• Retain customers: Once you have persuaded customers to complete the registration form, it is easier to build a relationship with them.
• Encourage repeat purchases: Customers tend to come back to a store if they are already a member of. They find the login process easier when information has been recorded and saved for future use.
• Communicate with customers better: After acquiring the customer information, you can use that for your marketing campaigns, for example to market new items, remind them of cart abandonment, or send exclusive promotional offers.
• Support market research: The form allows you to classify and export data easily. What a good way to understand your customers and predict their needs so that you can build suitable business strategies based on the details you have.

Benefits for customers

• Get everything asked in one time: They do not have to answer the same questions in different steps of their shopping journey.
• Saved information for future purchases: It saves time and effort because their details are stored already.
• Order management: It is easy to track the order and make necessary changes as well as access the order history.
• Get updated with exclusive news and offers: Customers can get early access or exclusive deals offered by the business.

Challenges and Tips

Why is account registration a burden?

If you have found yourself leaving a registration form without completing it, then you are not alone, because account registration is still a burden to some people. Understanding why is a way to consider possible causes and upgrade your form accordingly:

• Completing a customer registration form takes time: Obviously, compared to ‘Checkout as Guests’, this form filling process takes more time, so they can find it troublesome.
• Irrelevant information: Some stores ask for irrelevant information but still mark the questions as required, so customers do not want to complete the form.
• Hard-to-answer/Long questions: The way you put your questions is also important. If it is too hard or too long to answer, shoppers will no longer be interested in answering.
• Receive many spam emails/SMS: Some people do not want to receive promotional emails.
• Data privacy and security: The fear of their information being leaked to other third parties without their consent is also a common issue.
• See no point in registering: They think registering the account does not bring any difference compared to the ‘Checkout as Guests’ option; or just want a one-time shopping only.

Tips to encourage registration without creating burden

• Ask what you need, not what you want: Remove unnecessary questions, only keep what matters the most.
• Use another wording: Be creative in how you ask for registration. Use other words like ‘About You’ or the name of your club to generate interest.
• Show reasons why a registration matters: Clearly point out what benefits they will gain when having an account.
• Give customers motivation to create the account: Offer reward points or special gifts can be an approach.
• Include options and secure solutions: Always allow them to choose whether their information is used and when to be used.
• Use security extensions: Protect your site better by using Security, Google reCAPTCHA
• Shorten the registration process: Include everything in a page with One Step Checkout

How to Add Custom Fields in Magento 2 Customer Registration Form

Step 1: Complete the Attribute Properties

• Go to the Admin backend, navigate as Stores > Attributes > Customer.
• Click Add New Attribute.

• Go to the Attribute Properties section:
  • Create a Default Label of the attribute
  • Fill in an Attribute Code to internally identify the attribute
• Complete the Data Entry Properties:
  • Set the Input Type to control which type of data will be filled in: Text Field, Text Area, Date, Yes/No, Dropdown, File attachment, Multiple Select, Image File.
  • Set compulsory requirements by turning Values Required to Yes.
  • Enter the Default Value to set a default value of the field.
  • Set the Input Validation to make sure the entered data meets certain conditions. It depends on the selected Input Type. For example, Alpha only, Numeric only, Email, URL, or Length.
  • Set limits for the Text Field and Text Area by entering the Maximum Text Length and Minimum Text Length.
  • Set Input/Output Filter to filter values before processing: None, Strip HTML Tags, or Escape HTML Entities
• Complete the Customers Grid and Segment Properties:
  • Enable the Add to Column Options to add columns by selecting Yes.
  • Enable the Use in Filter Options by selecting Yes to apply this attributes in filtering the Customers
  • Enable the Use in Search Options by selecting Yes to use this attribute in searching in the Customers grid
  • Enable the Use in Customer Segment to Yes to show this attribute to certain customer groups

Step 2: Complete the storefront properties

• Enable the Show on Storefront by selecting Yes to display the attribute on storefront
• Set the Sort Order to decide where to place that attribute in the form.
• Select which forms to use the attribute: Go to Forms to Use and select Customer Registration

To add Customer Address attributes, please follow the same steps. The only difference lies in the Show on Forms field. You can choose the Customer Address Registration form.

Step 3: Complete the labels

• In the Attribute Information section, go to Manage Labels/Options.
• Set the attributes for each store view by entering the label in Manage Titles
• Click Save Attribute.

Discover how to add Customer Attributes programmatically

Customer Attributes extension by Mageplaza

Limitations of the default Magento 2 Customer Registration Form

• Lack of input data type
• Hard to edit customers’ account information in the backend
• The data cannot be exported
• Cannot add special requirements for B2B customers

Highlight features of Mageplaza Customer Attributes

Mageplaza comes up with an extension that allows stores to create engaging and informative Customer Registration Forms:

• Allow unlimited customer attributes
• Provide 11 types of customer attribute input
• Enable both-side editing for admins to manage customer accounts easily
• Ensure input validation for attributes
• Manage customer attributes via grid in the backend
• Export attribute data in details
• Compatible with Mageplaza One Page Checkout extension

Read Mageplaza Customer Attributes User Guides

The bottom line

Customer Registration Form is a beneficial way to start collecting customer information and understand about them, but be aware of the fine line between what you want to know and burdens you may create for the shoppers. That is why you should consider different criteria before launching the form. Mageplaza is always ready to help you, especially with our Customer Attributes extension that we think you’ll love. Contact us if you have any questions, and feel free to share this post with your friends!