# Eight-step checkout cut to one step: +68% order completions

- Outcome: Won
- Page type: Checkout (Ecommerce)
- Elements: Checkout steps, fields & flow
- Test run by: [MECLABS](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/meclabs/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://marketingexperiments.com/e-commerce-marketing/shopping-cart-abandonment-how-not-being-annoying-can-get-you-67-more-cart-completions
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/gap-meclabs-eight-step-checkout-to-one/

Cutting an eight-step checkout down to a single basic step raised order completions by more than 68% for an online store. MECLABS ran the test with one of its research partners and published it on MarketingExperiments in February 2010. The old flow forced account creation over three pages and asked shoppers to confirm their order twice.

## Result

**+68% order completions**

- Order completions rose by over 68%. The article headline rounds this to 67%.
- No sample size, test length or confidence level was shared.
- Several things changed at once: fewer steps, no forced account and no double confirmation. The lift belongs to the whole new flow.

## Control

Eight steps from product page to receipt: cart, an account choice, three account-creation pages for details, shipping and payment, an order confirmation page, then the receipt. New shoppers had to register before they could buy.

## Variant

The process was reorganised into one basic checkout step. Forced registration and the extra confirmation page were removed.

## Why it likely won (our reading)

- Each extra page is a chance to leave. Going from eight steps to one removes most of those exits.
- Making new shoppers create an account before paying puts a hurdle in front of the purchase they came for.
- Asking people to confirm an order they already confirmed adds doubt at the last moment.

## Caveats

The test is from around 2010 and the store's industry is not stated. No sample size, duration or confidence level was shared, and several changes shipped together.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we remove forced account creation and extra confirmation steps from checkout, then more shoppers will complete orders, because there are fewer pages and fewer reasons to drop out.
- Primary metric: Order completion rate from cart
- Guardrail: Accounts created after purchase
- Guardrail: Order error and cancellation rate
- Guardrail: Average order value
- Who should test it: Stores with a long or registration-gated checkout. If you are on a modern hosted checkout that already offers guest checkout, the gain will be much smaller.

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Credit: MECLABS ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/gap-meclabs-eight-step-checkout-to-one/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.