Google AdWords
The SEOmoz blog has an article on the possible side-effects of using a CAPTCHA on your website:
“…with CAPTCHA on, there was an 88% reduction in SPAM but there were 159 failed conversions. Those failed conversions could be SPAM, but they could also be people who couldn’t figure out the CAPTCHA and finally just gave up. With CAPTCHA’s on, SPAM and failed conversions accounted for 7.3% of all the conversions for the 3 month period. With CAPTCHA’s off, SPAM conversions accounted for 4.1% of all the conversions for the 3 month period. That possibly means when CAPTCHA’s are on, the company could lose out on 3.2% of all their conversions!”
Killing-off 3.2% of conversions is certainly best avoided, but in my opinion the figure is misleading.
We use a CAPTCHA on all of our website forms (here for example), and I can testify that they work, at least in terms of reducing the volume of spam we receive.
Do users like them? Probably not. I know I dislike having to use them, but consider them to be a necessary part of doing business online.
In the UK we need a PIN number every time we use a debit or credit card in a store. It’s a nuisance to have to remember them all, but if I want to use my cards, I don’t have a choice.
When I fly internationally, I need to check in two hours before the flight departs. Queueing for the security checks is a nuisance and unpleasant, but if I want to fly safely, and can’t afford my own jet, that’s what has to be done.
Some people may choose to no longer use their cards in stores or fly internationally, but not a significant number. And until the stores and airlines find a better way to protect their customers and passengers, this isn’t going to change.
If a potential customer is put-off using our services by having to enter six easy to read characters, I don’t believe they were ever serious about working with our company.
CAPTCHAs’ Effect on Conversion Rates
To be fair, some CAPTCHAs are not easy to read. I’ve encountered more than a few in which a letter could potentially be an I, an L, or a 7, and I didn’t know which. I have also seen some that have letters clipped along the edge of the image. Luckily some allow you to load a new one, and eventually one is easier to read.
But if it is too frustrating, and I decide it is not worth my time, are you saying that I would be in the minority of people? I would imagine that online behavior is a bit different from in-store behavior. In the store, people are ready to buy, and it’s more of a hassle to get out of the store by not paying than to pull out the card. Online, it’s easy to click the X button on the window or tab in which the store exists for them.
Are you saying that 3.2% is insignificant enough to ignore due to the benefits that CAPTCHA provides?
No, I’m saying that I don’t believe these “lost conversions” were likely from the start.
And I wonder how many sales are lost due to valid queries being lost among thousands of spam messages as a result of NOT having CAPTCHA … I know that we were certainly overwhelmed by spam before we added CAPTCHA to our enquiry forms.