One-page accordion checkout vs three steps: -29% subscriptions
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsReplacing a three-step subscription checkout with a one-page accordion checkout cut conversion by 29%.
MECLABS ran the test for a large media publication and published it on MarketingExperiments in 2014. The accordion kept the same steps but put them on one page, with sections that expand as you go.
- Subscription conversion: -29% for the accordion checkout. This is a loss.
- A second write-up of the same experiment describes it as a drop in order rate of nearly 30%.
- Sample size, duration and confidence level: not shared, though the source says the test validated.
The change
The variant puts all three steps on one page as expanding accordion sections.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A three-step checkout for buying a subscription, one step per page. It was the already-improved version from an earlier test.
Variant
A single-page accordion checkout covering the same steps. Each section expanded in turn as the buyer filled in the one before.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The team's reading is that the accordion made checkout look harder, even though it was shorter. Fewer pages is not the same as less effort.
- Expanding and collapsing sections may ask more of non-technical buyers, who have to work out how the page behaves.
- The control had already been cleaned up in an earlier test, so it was a strong page to beat.
- Accordion carts were seen as best practice at the time, but this audience didn't respond to them.
Caveats: Sample size, duration and confidence are not shared. The test dates from 2014 and was on one publication's subscription checkout.
Who ran it
MECLABS ran this test for a large media publication (subscription checkout) and published the results (MarketingExperiments). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on MECLABS →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we put all checkout steps on one page, then more buyers will complete their subscription because the process looks shorter.
- Primary metric
- Completed subscriptions per checkout start
- Guardrails
- Drop-off at each checkout section
- Form error rate
- Mobile completion rate
- Who should test it
- Subscription businesses and SaaS products with a multi-step checkout. Be careful if your buyers are not very technical, since this test suggests interactive one-page layouts can feel harder to them.
Questions
Is a one-page checkout better than a multi-step checkout?
It depends on the audience. In this test the one-page accordion version cut subscription conversion by 29% against a three-step flow.
What is an accordion checkout?
A single page where each checkout section expands when it's your turn and collapses once done.
It became popular after large brands adopted it.
Why can a shorter checkout convert worse?
Shorter can still feel harder. If the layout looks dense or the behaviour is unfamiliar, buyers may sense more effort and leave.