Foursquare yesterday launched a new signup process that should make it easier for new users to get started with the service. It eliminates any chances for new users to wander off before they complete a few key requirements for getting the most out of foursquare.

The new process starts on the screen above — a plain white page with nothing around it to keep users from getting distracted. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think they really want you to sign up using your Facebook account.

Linking to a Facebook account, of course, offers a few advantages right off the bat. The user’s name, profile picture and birth date are automatically imported. Most importantly, foursquare is able to show the user’s Facebook friends who are also on foursquare immediately after the signup screen, giving them an immediate friend base from which to begin. Users who didn’t start with a Facebook account can link their Facebook, Twitter, Gmail or Yahoo accounts to check for friends.

Before they complete the signup process, foursquare encourages users to download the appropriate app for their platform.

Once they’re registered, new users are greeted with a redesigned home screen that encourages them to link their Facebook and Twitter accounts; download the app if they haven’t already done so; and add a profile picture. If they’ve already linked a Facebook or Twitter account, they can set their default options for sharing checkins, badges and mayorships right from the home page.

This newly streamlined signup process isn’t a huge change from the past, but the changes should help to encourage more users to complete the process. Stripping the page of all unnecessary links means there’s nowhere for them to get lost once they get into the flow and offering several opportunities to add friends will get the users started on the right foot.

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