With 70% of all customers abandoning their shopping carts before completing the checkout process online, many ecommerce companies are looking for any possible way to make it easier for customers to buy from them.

One subject that has come up for debate multiple times is whether you should use a single page or multi-page checkout process. We wrote up a list of pros and cons for each to help you decide which is best for you.

Now, let’s look at single vs. multi-page checkouts.

Single page checkouts: the advantages

Speed

Many customers abandon their carts when the checkout process feels too long. In today’s age, convenience is key, and consumers don’t want to spend half an hour (or even fifteen minutes) filling out fields of information to complete an order.

A one-page checkout can show the customer that it won’t take long to finish up and get their items.

Page performance

Customers don’t want to sit and wait for pages to load — again, a long checkout process is an inefficient one and will lead to customers dropping out.

Making them load only one page will help them finish the process. It’s also the case that single page checkouts can be more user-friendly because everything is listed right there.

Navigation

With just one page, you don’t have to worry about whether your navigation is confusing customers. There’s nothing to navigate:just fill out the information and submit. Done!

Potential disadvantages of single page checkouts

Easily cluttered

A single page checkout process only works if it’s well-designed.

Too many sellers try to catch all the information they could ever possibly want in one page — leading to a cluttered, intimidating layout and a poor user experience. You may find that this negatively impacts shopping cart abandonment and your sales figures.

Product confirmation

A single page makes it harder to go back and confirm product details, and some consumers may like the ability to look back before submitting an order. 

Multi-Page checkouts: The advantages

Analytics

With a multi-page checkout, you can tell exactly where customers are dropping out of the process and make changes accordingly. Maybe there’s a specific piece of information that they aren’t willing or comfortable entering, or perhaps part of the process is too confusing.

Organization

Multiple pages make it easier to organize the process and categorize each step, which can mean a more streamlined experience for the consumer.

Third-party payments

Companies that take payments through a third party, such as Paypal, might need additional pages in the checkout process.

Potential disadvantages of multi-page checkouts

 

Length of purchase completion

There’s just one con here:multiple pages can take longer, and customers might feel like there’s no end in sight. That can lead to a lot of drop-offs.

Poor customer experience

Customers like being able to select their products and order quickly. The more information you ask of them, the less likely they are to complete the process.

So, which is right for you?

Ultimately, it’s up to you to look at your business and decide which one to use and which best fits your needs and customer base. Either way, make sure that your checkout process is user-friendly and optimized with your customers in mind. Check out this other article on shopping cart best practices.