Have you ever filled an online shopping cart, only to abandon it before checkout? You're not alone.
In 2024, Baymard Institute research found a whopping 70.19% of shopping carts are abandoned. That's not just lost sales but also wasted marketing dollars, missed customer relationships, and countless 'almost' moments that could have boosted your bottom line.
Here's a recommendation: a well-optimised checkout page! It can dramatically reduce this number and boost conversion rates.
This article dives into 10 proven checkout page optimisation tips you can implement to streamline the purchase process, reassure customers, and turn more website visitors into paying customers.
Key Takeaways
- Streamline your checkout process to reduce cart abandonment and boost customer trust and conversion rates.
- Use clear calls to action, progress bars, and product thumbnails to guide and reassure customers during checkout.
- Offer flexibility with cart editing, guest checkout, and multiple secure payment options for a seamless experience.
- Build trust with security seals, a mobile-friendly design, and saved cart features for returning customers.
- Recover lost sales by using exit-intent popups with incentives like discounts or free shipping.
- Test and refine your checkout page with A/B testing to identify what works best for your audience.
Why Optimise Your Checkout Page?
E-commerce has become an essential part of how we buy and sell in everyday life, but many businesses lose valuable sales at the final hurdle: checkout. When customers are ready to complete a purchase, any confusion or unnecessary step can send them away instantly.
A significant portion of abandoned shopping carts can usually be directly linked to complex checkout forms and unclear instructions.
In many cases, simply removing one or two redundant steps helps keep customers' momentum, preventing them from second-guessing their decision or seeking a smoother process on a competitor's site.
Optimising checkout isn't just about design tweaks. It is more about respecting your shoppers' time and ensuring every interaction feels seamless. When you show them you value their experience, they reward you with loyalty and repeat business.
Ready to transform your store's performance? Discover the 10 proven ways to optimise your checkout page and give your customers an easy, intuitive path to complete their purchases.
1. Guide Customers with Clear Calls to Action and Progress Bars
Don't assume everyone instinctively knows how to check out.
Clear calls to action (CTAs) like "Checkout Now" and "Proceed to Secure Checkout" leave no room for confusion. A progress bar at the top of your checkout page is also a good idea to keep customers informed about how many steps remain and motivate them to complete the purchase.
As an example, let's consider Wild Posy Co, one of our clients, since they are a part of the e-commerce industry. Most of our examples per tip are from their website because we specialise in optimising it.
When you look at the boxed areas in the image below, you can see that Wild Posy Co makes it really easy for shoppers to know what to do next.
At the top, there's a step progress bar showing three steps: 'Shopping Cart', 'Checkout', and 'Order Complete'. The current step, 'Shopping Cart', is highlighted in green so customers can see where they are and what comes next.
The 'Proceed to Checkout' button stands out in green, making it obvious what the next step is. There's also an 'Apply Coupon' button, which is easy to spot if someone wants to use a discount code.
So, start auditing your current CTAs now and mapping out a clear step-by-step journey. Test different CTA placements and progress bar styles to find what resonates best with your customers.
2. Reassurance Through Product Thumbnails and Security Seals
As customers progress through checkout, including product thumbnails alongside their descriptions prevents them from needing to backtrack and revisit their cart. This minimises distractions and keeps them moving forward.
Product thumbnails serve as visual confirmations on your checkout page. When customers see clear images of their items, along with key details such as size, colour, and quantity, they feel more confident about their selections.
Security is paramount. Security seals from trusted providers like Norton, McAfee, or SSL certificates aren't just badges. They're silent guardians that tell your shoppers their personal and payment details are protected, building the trust needed to complete their purchase.
When you look at Adore Beauty's checkout page, you can see how they make shoppers feel safe and sure about their order. On the right side of the image below, there's a clear order summary. Each product in the cart has a small picture next to its name and price.
At the top left, there's a 'Secure Checkout' label with a padlock icon. It tells you that your payment details and personal info are safe. Even though this isn't a badge from Norton or McAfee, the padlock and the word 'secure' are strong signs that the website protects your information.
3. Offer Flexibility with Cart Editing
Allowing users to edit their cart directly on the checkout page is crucial. This eliminates the need to navigate away, potentially derailing the checkout process.
Quick quantity adjustments, easy item removal, and instant price updates right on the checkout page create a seamless experience. This setup means customers never have to go back to another page to fix their order. They stay focused on checking out, which makes it much more likely they'll finish their purchase. It also saves time and stops them from getting distracted or frustrated.
When you look at Wild Posy Co's cart, you can see that you don't have to leave the page to make changes. Everything you need is right there.
If you want to change how many of an item you buy, you can just click the plus or minus buttons under 'Quantity'. The price updates immediately, so you'll know exactly how much you're spending. If you decide you don't want something, there's a clear 'X' button next to each item.
4. Boost Sales with Product Recommendations
Strategic product recommendations can nudge customers towards adding complementary items to their cart and increase their average order value.
Show items that genuinely complement what's in their cart, such as phone cases for someone buying a mobile, matching cushions for their selected throw, or popular add-ons other customers frequently purchase together.
When you look at Wayfair's cart page before checking out, you can see they do a great job of helping shoppers find extra items that go well with what they're already buying.
Just below your main cart, there's a section called 'You May Also Need'. This part shows products that make sense with your main purchase. For example, if you're buying a wall sconce, they might suggest dimmer switches or smart light controls. These are things that can help you get more out of your main item, and they save you time searching for extras.
To maintain trust and encourage additional purchases without overwhelming the customer, keep these recommendations relevant and reasonably priced. Consider upselling them on free or expedited shipping if they spend a certain amount more.
5. Make Contact Information Readily Available
Unexpected issues can arise during checkout. Providing easy access to your contact information throughout the process assures customers that help is readily available if needed.
Your checkout page should display support options clearly. Place contact details where they're easily spotted, typically in the header or footer of your checkout page, and ensure they're visible without scrolling or clicking away.
You may also consider these contact elements for your checkout page:
- Live chat widget with real-time response indicators
- Customer service phone number with operating hours
- Email support address with expected response time
- FAQ section covering common checkout queries
- Social media support channels for quick response
If you have checked the image of Adore Beauty's checkout page earlier at the top, you'll spot a live chat widget in the bottom corner. This is their virtual assistant, ABi, who can answer questions in real time or direct you to a human if you need more help. The live chat is easy to find and doesn't require you to leave the page or search for help elsewhere.
6. Save Carts for Later Purchases
Not everyone is ready to buy immediately, but a saved cart does more than hold items. It creates a bridge between browsing and buying.
Offering a cart-saving feature allows customers to resume their checkout process at a later time, significantly increasing the chances of them completing their purchase.
When you shop at Wild Posy Co, your cart can hold your favourite flowers and gifts even if you leave the website or close your browser. This means you don't have to start all over again the next time you visit. Your chosen items are still there, waiting for you.
This feature pairs perfectly with automated email reminders that gently encourage customers to complete their purchases, perhaps with a special offer or free shipping code to sweeten the deal.
7. Mobile-Friendly Checkout Is a Must
With mobile shopping becoming the preferred choice for online purchases, ensuring your checkout page is mobile-friendly and optimised for a seamless user experience across all devices is essential.
Your mobile checkout needs to be more than just a shrunk-down version of your desktop site. Think larger buttons for easier tapping, simplified form fields that work with mobile keyboards, and streamlined payment options that integrate with mobile wallets.
Wild Posy Co does a brilliant job on this part. When you switch from a computer to your phone, the checkout page doesn't just shrink down. Instead, it changes to fit your screen, making everything simple and easy to use.
Their checkout page on desktop looks like this:
But on mobile, the checkout steps are broken into clear, single screens, like this:
The form fields are spaced out and sized for mobile keyboards. When you tap to enter your email or address, the right keyboard pops up, making it quicker to fill in your details.
A mobile-friendly checkout is important because more people shop on their phones than ever before. If a checkout page is hard to use on mobile, shoppers might give up and leave.
8. Offer Guest Checkout and Multiple Secure Payment Options
Don't force customers to create an account before purchasing.
Provide a guest checkout option to remove signup barriers. A simple guest checkout process respects your customers' time and preferences, while still collecting information needed to complete their order.
Additionally, payment flexibility is crucial for converting sales. Different customers prefer different payment methods, and limiting their options could lead to lost sales.
Essential payment options to consider:
- Credit and debit cards
- Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal)
- Buy now, pay later services (Klarna, Afterpay)
- Bank transfers
- Local payment methods based on your target market
- Cryptocurrency options for tech-savvy customers
On Wild Posy Co's checkout page, you don't have to create an account just to buy flowers or gifts. There's a clear 'Create an account?' checkbox on the checkout page, but it's not required. This means you can check out as a guest, saving you time and hassle. You just fill in your details, pay, and you're done.
Wild Posy Co also gives you plenty of ways to pay. You can use your debit or credit card, with secure processing to keep your information safe. There's also a bank transfer option for those who prefer it.
9. Consider Exit-Intent Popups
Exit-intent popups can be a strategic tool to recover from abandoned customers. Your exit pop-up should strike the right balance between being persuasive and non-intrusive.
To encourage them to complete their purchase, offer them a special discount or free shipping incentive.
Combine these with friendly, conversational messages that acknowledge common checkout concerns and provide solutions, like "Wait! Would free shipping help you complete your purchase today?"
Lookfantastic knows that sometimes shoppers are about to leave their site without finishing their order. To help with this, they use an exit-intent pop-up.
When this pop-up appears, it often offers you a special deal, like 5% off your entire order if you're a first-time customer. All you have to do is enter your name and email. This little surprise can make you stop and think, 'Maybe I should finish my purchase now and save some money.' It's a friendly nudge that feels helpful, not pushy.
So, don't let potential sales slip away. Use exit-intent popups to turn their hesitation into action and secure the conversion.
10. Test Different Variations
A/B testing allows you to compare different versions of your checkout page and see which one performs better. This data-driven approach helps you identify the most effective layout, CTAs, and other elements to maximise conversions.
Focus on testing one element at a time, such as button colours, form field placements, or wording for CTAs, to pinpoint what drives results.
Regularly analysing and refining your checkout page ensures it evolves with customer preferences, keeping the process efficient and user-friendly.
Perfecting Your Checkout Process
A well-optimised checkout page is more than just a transaction point. It's the final step in turning visitors into loyal customers.
By implementing these proven checkout page optimisation strategies, you can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates, increase conversions, and watch your online sales soar. Every tweak you make to your checkout process brings you closer to higher conversions and happier shoppers.
Ready to optimise your checkout page to boost conversion rates? Contact us today for expert advice on transforming your e-commerce sales journey!
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