A new consumer study from San Francisco-based digital identity company ForgeRock released this week found that nearly half of all consumers polled say they are likely to increase their use of online services after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
The study, titled “The New Normal – Living Life Online”, polled 5,000 consumers from the U.S., U.K., Germany, Australia, and Singapore, with the aim of understanding how their behaviors and preferences have evolved and changed since the start of the COVID-19 restrictions that have been put into place, and how they plan on changing them when those restrictions are lifted.
Among the findings of the study is that more than a third of respondents said that the factor most likely to cause them to cancel a digital account and look for another service is a difficult login process.
This comes at a time when the growth of the use of biometrics for remote authentication is continuing at a rapid pace, fuelled in part by the COVID-19 outbreak that has forced millions of people to work remotely and rely more on digital services for work and personal needs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic forced consumers to change how they engaged in everyday activities traditionally handled in-person, such as grocery shopping, doctor check-ups and going to the movies,” said Ben Goodman, SVP of global business and corporate development at ForgeRock. “While the survey found consumers plan to keep up many of their new digital habits even after stay-at-home restrictions lift, it’s clear their tolerance for poor digital experiences is thin and many won’t hesitate to switch apps for something that’s easier to use and delivers a better overall user experience.”
Since the beginning of the outbreak and the physical lockdown measures that have been put into place as a result, security experts from around the world have pointed to biometrics as the safer alternative to outdated modalities such as PINs and passwords.
“Poor online experiences can impact the bottom line. Consumers abandon their shopping carts when the checkout process is too long or complicated,” said Goodman. “New apps are at greater risk for these pitfalls and businesses must react quickly with sophisticated digital identity approaches to keep the customer experience friction-free,” he added.
The study also found that a third of consumers between the ages of 18-24 say they don’t plan on returning to stadiums or theaters following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, though they will continue to watch sports, concerts and movies online.
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