Given the value of 1st party data, it’s becoming increasingly popular for publishers to ask users to register on their website. A registration wall does just this, blocking access to content and requiring registration before continuing.

Once a reader has created an account, their behavior can be analyzed across devices, providing important and actionable insights to the content producer. What’s more, registration brings a user one step closer to subscribing, so it can also play a huge role in a paywall subscription strategy. For readers, having an account on a site means more personalization, ultimately improving their user experience as a whole, and so encouraging them to subscribe.

This is why we’re back with a new article series! Our first one covered the user journey to subscription (including The Washington Post, Netflix and Audible) whilst this one will analyze the journey of an anonymous reader into a registered user. We aim to see what motivates readers to become members and how the different publishers employ a regwall.

By now we hope you’re aware that the most important aspect to turn readers into members, and even subscribers, is your value proposition and content. This is what our series is all about, understanding the number of clicks, scrolls, amount of information and time taken for a reader to create an account, but also to understand the value proposition and why the publisher wants users to do this action.

Remember, any online content-producer can employ a registration wall, including editorial publishers, broadcasters, e-learning platforms and more. To highlight this fact, our ‘From content to registration to content’ series includes a wide range of different publishers.

We’ll cover:

To find out more about registration walls, see our blog post on 'What is a Registration Wall?'. You might also like our other article series on the subscription conversion funnel, with a white paper to summarize our findings, available here.

Interested in implementing a registration strategy with the same success as these digital content producers? Poool have a simple, flexible platform to allow you to do exactly this, and without the need for tech support at every turn!

Book a demo

So, let's start.

Today: Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the jungle is a French employment website, helping job-seekers to find the right job for them. They share job offers as well as insights into companies and content around the theme of work.

We’ll analyze:

  • The user journey to register
  • WTTJ's value proposition
  • Why WTTJ uses a registration wall

The user journey to register:

  • 6 clicks are needed to register and view content on desktop and the same on mobile
  • 1 scroll is needed to see the registration form in its entirety on desktop and no scrolls on mobile
  • 5 fields need to be filled out to create an account + 1 additional piece of information after the form

So, step by step.

STEP 1 - The user arrives on the website

The user arrives on Welcome to the Jungle's website and wants to find a job offer that corresponds to their sector of work. On the landing page, we're given 3 central options:

  • Explore job opportunities
  • Find the tribe you belong to
  • Learn everything about life at work

This is their value proposition. However, what interests the readers the most are the job offers posted on the site and it's fairly unclear what 'find the tribe you belong to' refers to.

STEP 2 - The user can search job offers that correspond to their interests and skills

The user can filter content based, choosing:

  • The area of business that they want to work in
  • The location of the job offer
  • What type of contract they want (full-time, part-time, etc)

The site then presents the user with job offers that fit these specifications.

We can also refine the search further by adding other information, such as:

  • The exact job title
  • Level of experience required
  • Size of the company
  • Whether they want to work remotely or not

STEP 3 - The user wishes to apply for a job

The user wishes to apply for a job. However, when selecting 'Apply', the user is blocked by a registration wall that requires that they register or login to continue.

We have the option of signing up with LinkedIn or with an email address. Offering users the choice of registering with an existing social account it a great way to speed up the process and make it even easier for users to create an account. For WTTJ, LinkedIn is definitely the most relevant social platform to use.

If we choose to register with our email address, there are 4 fields to fill out:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Password

Registration is very quick and simple. The form is very short, no scrolling is necessary to see it in full.

STEP 4 - The user has an account and can apply

The user is now able to apply to any job they want. They're required to fill in some personal information for the company (current position, phone number, city, address and zip code) as well as attaching their CV. Even on the English version of the site, this form is in French, likely because it's centrally aimed at French job seekers and the majority of offers are for French-speakers.

The site is now personalized in our account space, with added features such as the ability to save jobs for later, view applications or follow relevant topics.

Value proposition

It’s very important to analyze the publisher’s value proposition too, as it shows what a registered user is or isn’t entitled to.

The value proposition of Welcome to the Jungle is very clear. When the user creates an account, they're made aware that it's free to register and that this will give them access to all content.

Welcome to the Jungle's value proposition:

  • Users can apply to all job offers for free
  • Users can use the platform without ever being forced to pay or leave
  • They can also use the site to find advice about life at work

Why do Welcome To The Jungle use a register wall?

There isn’t just one answer here and we can only assume, but we imagine that integrating a regwall meets several goals simultaneously.

  • Collect first-party data (see our 'First-Party Data and Registration Walls' white paper)
  • Track interactions with the site and learn about a user's wants, needs and interests
  • Optimize the site and content produced based on data collected - being aware of what their audience is watching means TF1 can produce content that matches the demand
  • Improve the user experience - creating an account means they have a personalized account space and home page with content that matches their interests
  • Targeted advertising - by requiring account creation

What about on mobile?

It’s exactly the same journey on mobile. The form has been optimized for use on mobile and we can see it in its entirety without needing to scroll.