Many users abandon sites because of Captcha, which is implemented to block spam signups, commenting, and web submissions from bots and ordinary users. They find it unbearable to keep filling forms that do not appear to help them accomplish anything.
Captchas sometimes take too much of the user’s time. This is because the user will try to figure out what the needed answer is. This is the case when the captcha images are not clearly identifiable. Needless to say, some Captchas are very difficult even for humans to solve these days. Even after filling, sometimes they annoyingly keep popping up on the same page.
These are the reasons many web owners are now using captcha alternatives below. Most of these are easy to implement by installing a website plugin or extension on the backend. They also require you to do a few settings concerning the location on the page and the actual pages on which the verification query should appear.
- Gamified Drag and Drop Images
Drag and drop images are a great way to gamify website verification and access control. It makes it more fun to use a website, unlike the boring captchas. A user is required to drag an image onto another to complete a setup or figure. The user must drag it to the right spot using a computer cursor.
Drag and drop gamification allows a web owner to customize this control to his liking. They can customize verification according to what products and services they deal in – if it is a car website, for instance, the users can be required to drag car parts into a car build to complete it. However, the tasks should be easy for the user to tackle.
- Simple Questions
The web owner, in this case, will require users to answer some questions before allowing them to access the desired page, submit a form, or post a comment. The web platform presents the user with the questions and allows them to type in the questions. The user then clicks the submit button to forward the answers for assessment. Forms or comments without any answers or with wrong answers are rejected.
The question could be a math quiz or about general knowledge issues like the color of the sky or soil. They are quicker and easier to solve than captchas. They also allow companies to add more fun to their website form submission process. However, it should be used such that users of all learning abilities are considered. If they are religious questions, then they must be sensitive to religious backgrounds. Cultural backgrounds also need to be considered when implementing these questions.
- Sliders
Slider tools are very simple to implement for the owner of the website. They take a little space on the website. They are also very easy to use in the case of the person using the website. A user simply needs to click and hold on an object on the screen and slide it from left to right into another object to validate the performance of the activity.
The user does not need to input any information into a form like happens with simple questions procedure. The users do not need to also mark multiple images as happens with captcha. They do not need to reason or figure out values or answers when doing it. Hence it takes little of their time. Since a bot can’t slide the tool, the slider eliminates any bot attempted signups and logins. The method is also very simple and can also work on phones.
- Check Boxes
A check box or radio button is placed on a form that the user is filling. It is on the top list of captcha alternatives. The user is asked to check or tick the box before submitting the form. The interaction is simple compared to captchas. It does not require the user to type in answers or select images. Thus the user does not need to reason or figure out any values and answers to the quiz during the verification process. Hence it is quick to complete. The user does not need to have any math knowledge.
Nevertheless, a web owner should use easy to understand the terminology. For instance, the term asking the user to confirm that they are not spambot should use simple terminologies like “I am a human.” Using terminologies like “I am not a bot” or “I am not a spambot” may confuse those who do not know what a bot or spambot is.
It is recommended to mention explicitly before the check box that the user should tick the box before pressing the submit button. This helps to avoid a situation where the user keeps submitting the form several times as it keeps failing, yet they have not seen anything else that is required on the form. Mentioning that it is a spam detection tool may also deter website usage if users think it is a tracking method. Instead, include a link with text explaining why they are asked to click on the box, for those looking for the reasons.
- Honeypots or time-based forms
This is one of the smartest ways of securing your submission forms and commenting sections without adding any load on the user. Many users will abandon the site because captchas don’t add any value to them. A honeypot or time-based form is hidden from the user and so they do not need to fill it. However, since most spam comments and submission forms are completed by bots and the bot will detect the honeypot, it will be effective in blocking spam. The web platform is then made to reject any form with an entry because bots do not detect that it is a honeypot and proceed to fill it.
Time-based forms are forms set to time entries where they detect the speed of filling forms, commenting, or doing other activities on the website on accessing the form. It is a captcha alternative that is very effective in blocking bots. This is because bots fill forms automatically after clicking on the form. All forms that are filling automatically or below a certain time threshold are rejected as coming from bots. However, the web owner should set a practical time frame for users.
In conclusion, companies should explore Captcha alternatives that allow them to gamify and customize verification, in addition to making the process simple, thought-free, and quicker for users.
