One of the most common requests we get is how to decrease the number of shopping carts that are abandoned during the checkout process. Many store owners are looking to decrease the number of steps in the checkout process in the hopes that more customers will complete their orders if they have fewer pages allowing them to change their minds.

However, fewer pages doesn't really mean fewer opportunities for the customers to rethink their purchase - it's just that all those opportunities are now on a single page. The the clutter that a single-page checkout often has, visually, is enough to scare off the savviest shopper!

Linda Bustos of GetElastic has a great post from last December about Reducing Friction in the Sales Process. It includes a section on common causes of friction during the checkout, including too much required information, poor registration form design, and sticker shock from shipping or sales tax costs.

Chuck Lasker, one of the pioneers in the one-page checkout mechanisms for Miva Merchant, recently wrote a post about his experiences shortening the checkout process. He says that he's learned that a shorter checkout isn't the answer; instead, it's simplicity. He gives three great tips for improving the checkout process on your store.

In my opinion, one of the biggest issues is forcing customers to register, or even having a login screen design that makes customers THINK they have to register. Chuck recommends saving that until the end, after the invoice has been displayed. As a test, we've set this system up on WonderBrains to see if bypassing the login screen will increase conversions. Instead, customers clicking the checkout links are sent straight to the Customer Information step of checkout, which has a small login form in the upper right corner. It will be interesting to see what happens!