Actionable Tips to Design the Best Login Page

The success of mobile applications and websites depends on myriad factors, and UX (user experience) is on top of that list. To ensure that your users’ experience is seamless right from the beginning, you have to design the register and login page as intuitively as possible.

The login/sign-up form may seem like a minor constituent, but it plays a crucial role in turning a first-time visitor/user into a long-term friend. On the other hand, a poor login page design can increase the bounce rate. 

Since blogs, eCommerce stores, social media networks, and even banking websites/apps are all examples of applications and websites where these login forms are a necessary evil, it is high time that you focus on the login page design. 

Today, consumers don’t expect highly complex login forms that are too confusing and time-consuming. They don’t want to take the trouble of filling out long forms that take too long. 

So, what do they want? Below, find helpful tips for designing a login page that meets the expectations of the end-users.

1. Don’t put ‘Sign up’ and ‘Sign in’ in the same section

‘Sign up and ‘Sign in’ are similar phrases and easy to get mixed up. Take a look at the example below:

From a user’s perspective, the two terms can be confused easily, and selecting the wrong option could mean signing up all over again. With entry problems and limited time, users may get frustrated and leave the website/app.

The best login page design is concise, clear, and simple, making users pause and think. You can take references from Facebook or other social media sites’ entry pages while designing a login page. 

2. Make it crystal clear where to log in 

It is difficult to go wrong with a simple login form. 

Don’t clutter the page and make it a struggle to notice or reach the login form. This will make users leave the app/website. 

Make the login page starkly visible so that it can be easily found. So, forget about creating a Sign up/Login form button and redirecting users to a new page. Simply incorporate the login form on the homepage. Make it eye-catching, prominent, and convenient to use.

3. Clearly define the difference between the Sign-up page and the Login page

A clear distinction between the sign-up/registration form and the login form is required. 

Signing up means gathering information from the user who wants to create an account. Logging in only requires using the previous credentials to access the app/website. 

Make sure to add different input fields in the sign-up and login sections. For instance, the sign-up section may include name, phone number, address, email address, password, location, and so on. But, the login section should only include an email address/phone number and password input field.

4. Add visual interest to give life to an otherwise bland login page 

Just because you have to keep the login page design simple and straightforward, it doesn’t mean that you cannot show off your creativity. The otherwise bland login page can be injected with a fresh lease of life in the form of exciting illustrations that can add visual interest. On-brand illustrations with brand colors and logo is great to make a login page design look cool without confusing users. 

5. Use Mobile Number or Email instead of Username

There’s no need to complicate your login screen design with unique usernames that people barely remember. 

Even though your app/website does ask users to create a one-of-a-kind username when they sign up, it wouldn’t be the brightest of ideas to use them as the only login option. The worst-case scenario? Users create a unique username, and after a while, they forget it. Then they end up repeatedly entering the username, but in vain. Out of frustration, they leave your app/website. 

The best login page design is one that presents users with multiple login options so that users don’t get frustrated and have the chance to choose. Popular login alternatives include a phone number or email address, making the login process as simple as ABC. Look at Twitter’s login page design above.

6. Allow social login

Today, there are about 2.6 billion social media users. You can make account creation and login faster and more fun by giving users the option of signing up on your app/website with their external accounts, such as social media accounts.

This way, users won’t have to go through the tedious and lengthy process of registration. Also, once they sign up with their social media accounts, you’ll receive all the user information you need. 

So, let people log in using their Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts, and you can win their loyalty.

7. Make the password visible 

Mistyping passwords is far too common. And it is all too easy to type the wrong password because the password field is masked (for security reasons, of course!).

But, a helpful feature here would be to let users see the password that they are typing (if they want). For this, you can include a ‘show password’ checkbox next to the password field in your login page design. This checkbox will be unchecked by default, but the users will have the option to check the box and see what they’re typing before hitting Enter. 

8. Inform if Caps Lock is turned on 

Just as allowing a toggle to ‘show or hide password’ saves users time and effort, it can save users a world of frustration if they’re provided with an immediate validation when their Caps Lock is on.

9. Include ‘Forgot Your Password?’

People forgetting their passwords is far too common, and it would be stressful to contact support every time they forget the password. 

You can simply include a ‘Forgot Your Password?’ function on the login form design. When users click this function, they can receive a password reset link on their email address or phone number. They can quickly change the credentials by going to that link and continue using your app/website without any hassle.

10. Show clearly defined error messages 

If there is any kind of issue with logging in or signing up, the error messages should be clearly defined. They shouldn’t make users guess what went wrong. Avoid using genetic messages because that will not make users understand what they should do to rectify them. 

Take Evernote, for example. See how they’ve properly explained the error related to password creation.

11. Don’t lock accounts without warning them

To avoid brute attacks and forced entries, apps/websites may lock out accounts after there has been a series of mistyped attempts. Of course, security is paramount.

However, it would be best if you warned your users before locking them out of their accounts. Inform them of the attempts that they have left and what will happen when the attempts run out. You can even provide them with extra details like they can try logging in again after 10 minutes. 

Conclusion 

These are the nitty-gritty of a great login page design. To put it simply, keep the design simple while giving ample login options and alternatives to the users so that users can enjoy a seamless, hassle-free experience. 

Best of luck with designing your login pages!