Skip login page – new osC contribution

To make it somewhat easier for your customers to complete an order, we skip one step straight to the registration form. With this very easy modification you will have your customers faster to the goal where you want them the most: a complete order from a new happy customer.

With this modification you leave out the “Welcome, please sign in” page. If you have 99,9% new customers (like most of my webshops) ordering in from your shop, you can imagine that the “please sign in” step is pretty redundant. With this page left out customers can complete their order faster, without the nagging “please sign in” page. This makes your web shop slightly more user friendly and the funnel to your goal shorter.

Don’t worry: returning customers can still login to their account using the “login” reference at the top of the registration form or “My Account” button top right.Only one file needs to be modified which takes you less then a minute. The effect however, is amazing.

How to install this contribution (it is explained in the contribution package as well):

1. Open the file /catalog/checkout_shipping.php and search for (line 19):
   tep_redirect(tep_href_link(FILENAME_LOGIN, ”, ‘SSL’));
2. Replace the line with the following:
   tep_redirect(tep_href_link(FILENAME_CREATE_ACCOUNT, ”, ‘SSL’));
3. Save your file. You are done!

The file “checkout_shipping.php” checks if the customer is already signed in, if not: the customer will be redirected to the “please sign in” page. In my case(s) 99,9% of my customers are new customers. Therefor I wanted them to immediately redirect them to the registration form. This makes the barrier to complete the order smaller because there is a choice and step less in the order process.

I truly could notice the gain in orders. Less hesitation from the customers side to complete an order in my shop. Hopefully this contribution will do the same for you!