Elastic Path Software, developer of flexible ecommerce software, announced Elastic Path One Page, a new single page checkout technology that allows returning customers to complete online orders with a single click. Elastic Path is announcing its AJAX-powered One Page checkout alongside the availability of Elastic Path 5, the most recent of its ecommerce platforms.

With more and more consumers embracing online technology, the ecommerce industry is thriving. However, current research from MarketingSherpa indicates nearly three out of every five online shoppers abandon their shopping cart before finishing the order, leaving online retailers facing one of the biggest profit challenges today. Checkout issues, such as unknown delivery times, failure to disclose shipping costs prior to asking for personal information, and error handling processes, drive frustrated shoppers to abandon orders, costing retailers millions in lost revenue.

Elastic Path said it is the first major ecommerce software vendor to offer a 100 percent browser-based Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)-powered one page checkout. AJAX technology enables web pages to be more responsive by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind-the-scenes so that the entire web page does not have to be reloaded each time the user makes a change. The end result is an increase in the web page's interactivity, speed, and usability, all of which contribute to online consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

“When retailers provide simple and streamlined web sites, with hassle-free checkout, online shoppers are much more likely to buy,” said Alex Fletcher, lead industry analyst at The Entiva Group. “While consumers are not necessarily aware of the driving technology behind an ecommerce site, they appreciate capabilities such as dynamically updated totals and an easier shopping experience that are made possible by an AJAX-powered checkout. Elastic Path’s One Page technology will reduce shopping cart abandonment for its customers as online shoppers are more apt to buy if the process is quick, easy, and forthcoming.”

Elastic Path One Page provides customers with a constant snapshot of order details. The conts of the shopping cart can be adjusted at any time without losing existing data, enabling customers to see the effect of an applied promotion code without ever leaving the checkout process. Additionally, by maintaining a small size footprint, Elastic Path One Page loads in under half the time of competing flash-based offerings, enabling retailers to provide an optimal shopping experience without demanding the presence of finicky browser plug-ins.

“When seeking a new ecommerce platform, our number one criteria was flexibility and scalability,” said Nancy Morison, vice president of product management at Coastal Contacts Inc. “After evaluating vendors such as ATG and Blue Martini, we determined that Elastic Path’s platform best met our technical needs and with its single screen checkout and guided selling, it delivered the most intuitive shopping experience for our customers.”

“To be both cost-effective and flexible, Elastic Path develops its platform using open source components and proven rich Internet technology such as AJAX,” said Harry Chemko, CEO of Elastic Path Software. “One Page is representative of ecommerce sites that are customer-centric, ultimately driving profits through customer acquisition and retention. This release extends our leadership in ecommerce innovation and we are excited to be the first major ecommerce platform to offer an AJAX checkout alongside an expansive set of features and components.”

Elastic Path One Page will be available late November, 2006.