By Ellie-Rose Davies, Content & Marketing Executive at IMRG
In this blog we explore how retailers can encourage account sign-ups for increased loyalty, moving customers from guest to member.
Find out how to communicate the value of creating an account/ loyalty membership, and ways to motivate customers to register through offering value exchanges, and rethinking your design, website positioning, and messaging.
Improving the path to sign-up
One of the most effective ways to increase customer lifetime value and loyalty is to make the path to creating an account as smooth and appealing as possible.
As explored by Hemang Nathwani, Sales Director at Price Trakker, ‘Guest checkouts win speed, but loyalty drives margin.’
A great way to encourage account sign-ups is to consider the placement and positioning of where customers join.
Hemang says, ‘Testing different placements of the sign-up prompt, before checkout versus post-purchase, often reveals surprising uplift. Retailers who use daily data on customer behaviour and competitor incentives can refine these touchpoints far faster.’
‘Account creation should feel like a reward, not an obstacle, and the messaging can emphasise convenience rather than commitment.’
Dan Bond, VP of Marketing at RevLifter also explores the how positioning can help turn guest visitors into account holders.
He says, ‘You already incentivise email capture because you know its value. Account sign-up deserves the same treatment—it’s worth more. Creating an account is the easier path, and guest checkout is the harder one.’
‘This isn’t about blocking guests; it’s about using friction strategically. Give account creators a better offer than guests get. 10% off for signing up beats the 5% code floating around online.’
Dan says that retailers can ‘Show the account sign-up option first with clear benefits. Put guest checkout lower down or behind an extra click. Make account creation fast—email, password, done. Save the address details for after they’ve committed.’
‘The psychology is simple: people choose the path of least resistance. Make that path the one that’s better for your business.’
Seeing the process as a value exchange
It is also smart to see your membership offerings as a value exchange. To get loyalty from customers, they are likely to want something in return. Communicating your end of the deal can help encourage sign-ups.
Lucy Wilsdon, Strategic Account Director at Feedonomics encourages retailers to ‘Give shoppers reasons to engage, such as faster checkout, exclusive content, or community access.’
‘Retailers can weave these incentives into the customer journey, especially during first interactions.’
‘Strategic placement, persuasive microcopy, and a frictionless signup experience are vital.’
Lucy says, ‘The most effective retailers view registration as a value exchange, not a hurdle.’
‘By analysing customer behaviour, you can tailor experiences that feel personal and rewarding. Turning account creation into an advantage rather than a formality builds trust, strengthens loyalty, and drives repeat purchases — ultimately paying dividends well into the future.’
Similarly, Alexander Otto, Head of Corporate Relations at Tradebyte notes how ‘Turning a one-time shopper into a loyal customer starts with connection.’
‘Encouraging customers to move from guest to member is about making value feel immediate, not abstract. Shoppers sign up when they see a clear benefit: faster checkout, personalised offers, easy returns, or meaningful loyalty rewards.’
‘Across marketplaces, membership and account features create a bridge between transactions and relationships, giving brands valuable insight into who their customers are and how they buy.’
Alexander exclaims, ‘At Tradebyte, we see that loyalty grows fastest when brands use connected commerce data to personalise experiences across every channel. Whether it’s exclusive offers, tailored recommendations, or seamless post-purchase care, the key is consistency.’
Detailing the benefits to registering
The offers you provide in the value exchange can make all the difference to account creation conversion. Providing benefits that customers are likely to want and use can help improve retention.
Experts at Prisync say ‘Some of the easiest ways to keep customers coming back are to offer credits after each purchase or to ask for product reviews that can later be turned into discount vouchers or free products.’
‘This way, customers are encouraged to sign up for a profile to access their rewards, and the brands can collect data-rich customer profiles that enable them to provide better personalisation to each customer segment.’
‘For example, Sephora has Beauty Insider/Beauty Pass programs worldwide that offer customers more perks with every point they earn after each purchase. At this point, the key is to create an experience that will outweigh the guest checkout option.’
Gavin Murphy, CMO at Scurri notes how your membership offers can be communicated at the post-purchase stage, communicating value at various touchpoints.
He says, ‘To convert one-time shoppers into long term members, retailers should keep selling and marketing beyond the checkout.’
‘A branded post-purchase journey is a powerful space to highlight the benefits of account creation when customer engagement is highest.’
Gavin recommends that retailers ‘Use delivery tracking updates to showcase perks such as faster checkout, saved preferences, order history and access to exclusive delivery options or loyalty rewards.’
He also encourages retailers to ‘Segment messaging based on behaviour. For example, frequent purchasers may respond to subscription style delivery benefits, while occasional shoppers may be motivated by early access or discounts.’
‘When the delivery experience feels seamless and personalised, customers are more open to becoming members.’
Offering personalised experiences
Personalisation is important to customers, with the most common reason being ‘it makes them feel understood,’ that is according to IMRG’s recent study with Bloomreach.
Interestingly, the same study revealed that most customers are ‘Sometimes’ comfortable sharing their personal information to receive a more personalised experience.
They only tend to share this information with retailers they trust, highlighting the importance of increasing confidence within consumers, being transparent at every stage and fulfilling every promise.
Justin Thomas, Vice President, Sales at Akeneo argues that ‘Encouraging customers to move from guest to registered accounts starts with demonstrating clear, immediate value, and that value is built on trusted, consistent product information.’
‘Akeneo research shows that 54% of consumers say they’d be more loyal to brands offering a personalised shopping experience, proof that relevance drives retention.’
Justin says, ‘By using enriched product data to power tailored recommendations, loyalty rewards and accurate order tracking, retailers can make registration feel like a natural next step.’
Charlie Row, UK & BNL Solutions Client Partner at Awin also expresses the importance of personalisation.
He reflects on how ‘Highlighting the real benefits like tailored offers, faster checkout, and exclusive rewards can make signing up feel like a no-brainer.’
‘Brand-to-brand partnerships can also play a big role here, adding extra value through unique, personalised rewards and offers that sit naturally within the logged-in experience or at checkout, turning a simple purchase into a reason to return.’
It’s clear there are plenty of ways to encourage customers to create an account, and most of the effective approaches come back to one thing: value. Retailers can:
- Make the value easy to see: Think carefully about where you highlight the reasons to sign up so they’re visible at the right moments.
- Be specific about the benefits: Spell out exactly what an account offers and why it’s worth having.
- Use value as part of personalisation: Ensure the sign-up benefits feel relevant to the individual, not just a generic list.
There are clear advantages to having more customers with accounts, so make sure the value of joining is consistently and clearly communicated.
Want to read more? Here are some recently published IMRG blogs:
How personalisation and loyalty are shaping the future of eCommerce – IMRG
Why poor product matching skews your price strategy – IMRG
How your data is letting you down – and how to fix it – IMRG
Identifying margin opportunities before promotions begin – IMRG
The tests retailers can complete ahead of peak trading seasons – IMRG
Published 20/11/25
