What is the best Register / Sign Up text for submit buttons on forms?

Question

On a Register / Sign Up form, what is the best copy for the submit buttons (Statistically proven if available).

Contextually speaking, the register / sign up process in question is part of a pop-up / modal workflow that is convenient to the user. For instance, if a user is not logged in / registered and would like to comment, they will be served a pop-up which allows them to register and then immediately hitting the submit button in question will be brought to the comment form to continue their desired action.

The goal from my perspective is to create a Sign Up / Register process that is quick, easy and enticing and most importantly gets the user back to what they were doing as quickly as possible. So for instance, "Submit" would be less appealing as it is very generic (for a lack of a better word at the moment)

Some examples:

• Register
• Create Account
• Sign Up
• Submit
• Get Started

Answer 1

First prepare your self for the fact that your instincts and everybody's answers (but mine :) are probably wrong.

Second, don't guess. Instead, conduct A/B tests on different phrases and see for yourself what works. Naturally, track them. It's very simple.

Here is some compelling insight on this from the Obama campaign: http://www.wired.com/business/2012/04/ff_abtesting/ http://kylerush.net/blog/optimization-at-the-obama-campaign-ab-testing/

I was inspired by this and added a simple A/B test on our marketing site with the text of the Start Trial Button:

• A. "Free 30 Day Trial"
• B. "Get Started"

I tracked clicks on each. Guess which one was clicked

5 TO 1

......

B WAS

It was consistently this ratio!. I can only guess the psychology behind it but what does it matter. Let the clicks tell you what to put there.

Oh and please, post your results here if you do this.

Answer 2

The question that you need to keep in mind when you are choosing text like this is: Is this text clear enough that no one will question what this button does?

Now, I know that this seems like a cop-out response but, it is very true. To you the text "submit" (lets say) is very clear and explains exactly what the form is doing but there are people out there who dont know what that means or the context of the text is makes it confusing.

Steve Krug and his book "Dont Make Me Think" goes into great detail about how to choose text so that it is very clear to any user. Don't be afraid to make the text too simple.

Now, I would say that if it is a popup that is opened for registration/log in you could say

"Log in and continue to [name of application or site]" or "Register and continue to [blah]"

It is clear and tells the user EXACTLY what that button is going to do and what will happen after.

Answer 3

A simple answer to a simple question would be to use one of your examples - "Get Started!".

It gives the user a feeling that they are going to be a part of something new and hopefully exciting - and that they have to do this to be able to do something or start something, like posting. Those boring "Register", "Create account", etc, are so common and only gives the impression that one simply creates an account.

I find that I more and more create buttons with texts like "Go!" instead of just "Ok" or "Continue". However the exclamation gives the impression that one is finished and doesn't have to fill in more forms.

Answer 4

'Sign Up - You can review your details in the next step'

Talking about the following action would make the user feel confident about taking that action. It can be replaced by other helpful text like 'It takes 30 seconds to register', or talking about no spam.

Users usually need just an extra bit of assurance before they take a step.