In June, I blogged about the ups and downs of fighting spam on conversion-focused websites. The general message boiled down to the following: When you add an extra layer of spam protection, you want to make sure it doesn’t also serve as a barrier for legitimate users who need your help.
This summer, we searched for a spam-blocking solution that keeps the form submission process simple for our clients. We decided to use Google’s Invisible reCAPTCHA. So far, the results look promising!
What is Invisible reCAPTCHA?
Invisible reCAPTCHA is “invisible” because it operates similar to the “If you see something, say something” mantra. The technology goes unnoticed by most legitimate web users who navigate to a site, because a CAPTCHA is only triggered by abnormal web traffic patterns associated with bot users and spam activity.
Say, for example, an automated spambot with a suspicious foreign IP address attempts to submit a form on a website with Invisible reCAPTCHA. While the majority of your users are able to hit the submit button without any further action, this particular user would be flagged and prompted to complete a CAPTCHA. The CAPTCHA must be completed correctly before a form can be submitted. The spambot’s submission is then effectively stopped in its tracks.
To break it down:
- Average, non-spam users see the same site they know and love, with only a few fields and a button between them and the help they need.
- Most spambots lack the brainpower to complete a CAPTCHA, and, as a result, are unable to submit forms.
- Clients see less spam, allowing them more time to provide the exceptional service that powers their brands.
Now that’s a win-win!
Our Invisible ReCAPTCHA Rollout Is Complete
Good news! The Interactive team has already rolled out reCAPTCHA across all of our client websites. Users shouldn’t notice any difference on the sites themselves, but we hope our clients continue to see a reduction in spam intakes in the coming weeks and months. We’re monitoring form submissions, and so far, Invisible reCAPTCHA appears to be a success!
Want to know more?
For more information about steps we’ve taken to reduce spam, leave a comment below or contact Associate Director of Interactive Kathy Himmelberg today.
