For online shoppers, setting up an account with a web store as you checkout certainly has its benefits. It can speed up your next purchase by remembering your billing and shipping information from your last order. You can also check the status of an order or review past orders.

These are all good things, however, there's a problem: many online shoppers can't bear the thought of creating yet another online account.

Requiring a password is a bad idea.

First off, asking reticent shoppers to setup a password before they checkout can feel a little pushy. Imagine yourself ordering a gift online for a friend at their favorite e-store. You might think twice about sharing your trusty password with a storefront you may never visit again.

Secondly, it's really distracting! Nothing should stand in the way of a customer and the "order now!" button. "To checkout or not to checkout" is not a question you want your shoppers pondering.

The good news is that with Drupal's eCommerce module, Ubercart, the solution is simple: semi-anonymous checkout.

What do you mean, semi-anonymous?

"Semi-anonymous" means that the customer can checkout without setting up a password but can still login to the site to check their order status or speed up their next order. After the customer fills out an easy one-page checkout form, Ubercart creates a user account (in the background), assigns them a random password and sends them login instructions via email. Meanwhile, the customer confirms their order without ever being asked for a password. Now they have an account with the store which they can use, or ignore.

The benefits of anonymous checkout:

• Users who have no interest in registration can quickly purchase products
• Users can make future purchases without having to enter their shipping information twice
• Avoiding the dreaded "Choose your password" question results in happier customers and thus, more orders

Category: DrupalDrupal Planet