Why users are reluctant to provide their Facebook or Twitter permits?

In many of the projects we've been working on recently, we found that asking prematurely for Facebook or Twitter permits motivates drops on conversion rates.

This situation is very similar to what happened 10 years ago when eCommerce web sites requested registration as a first step in order to make a purchase. There were also worst cases, like requiring registration for using basic functions such as the search engine.

Fortunately we overcome this stage: Today most sites allow a full purchase process without the need to register or do so in the last step, for example, when the shooping cart is complete.

However, the bad habit of asking the user data before they are needed or even when they are not necessary remains. Today the most common example is to ask for Facebook or Twitter permissions in order to use a website or mobile application. For many users this represents a strong barrier that they are unwilling to overcome easily.

Why users could be reluctant to give Facebook or Twitter permissions?

The main reason is the mistrust, so the key to prevent drops in conversion rates or early leavers is to design strategies for building trust.

Among the most effectives are:

• Allow the user to test the product without having to accept permissions.
• Express, in a way that the user can clearly perceive, what is the value proposition of the product.
• Communicate what will make the application or site with the user data.
• Communicate the benefits or enhanced features that the user could access if he accepts permissions.
• Virality: show the user's contacts that already are using the application.