I offer paid memberships to a website. The user names each member will use go along with the phpBB forums on the site. In order to complete payment, I will need to know their user ID for the forums in order to update a database dealing with memberships.

So this means they need a user name before paying, or need to create one while paying.

What's the best way to do this? I want to make it as simple as possible as it seems I am losing sales. I have many people look at the page you arrive at after you click 'Buy Now' but few purchasing.

Currently, you click 'Buy Now' and are taking to a page with a Paypal subscription button. If you're not logged in, you are redirected via a header to a 'not logged in or registered?' type page, where it asks them to either log in or to register. I think this is where it gets a little sloppy.

If they click the login link, they are taken to phpBB login page and then redirected back to the page with the Paypal button (now they are logged in and get passed the header).

However, if they need to create a name, they must click a link to register with phpBB forums registration page, confirm via email, and then click a link to go back to that Paypal button page. This is the part that I think is too complicated.

I'd like to have a simple thing like Amazon - type in your username, password if you have one, select new user or existing, and click continue. End up at the right page depending on your choice, and go from there.

I want something that is straightforward in what you are supposed to do, rather than leave the user a little confused on how to get through the whole signup process.

Any advice?

You may be able to do the optimization you're talking about, but I think that few people would buy a subscription without trying it out first -- already having an account on the forum. I think you should concentrate on getting free membership signups (give some kind of value for free to encourage registration), then market inside your forum to convert those to paid subscriptions.

You could do the type of optimization you're talking about as well, but I for one never start a subscription if I haven't had a free trial (unless I know the product or vendor well beforehand).

you should get a programmer to help you with this if your after login's and all that. You didnt explain yourself too well above.

sound like you need to map out a page with a programmer. Next time you buy something with your good old credit card have a look at what they do and what pages they send you too before payment is made, and after payment is made.

Check out aMember Pro. It's an awesome membership script that also has a phpBB plugin so they will work together. I use amember for all of my products and services and it works great...fully automated. I just promote and collect. It does the rest.