Cart & Checkout Optimization

No. Mandatory account creation causes 24% of abandonments. Offer guest checkout as default, with optional account creation after purchase. You can still capture email for order updates and marketing, without blocking the sale.

Cart recovery emails remind customers about abandoned items. They recover 5-15% of abandoned carts when sent within 1-3 hours. Include product images, clear pricing, and a direct link back to the cart. A series of 2-3 emails works better than one.

Show errors immediately inline, not after form submission. Use clear, friendly language explaining what went wrong and how to fix it. Preserve entered data so users don't have to re-type. Highlight the specific field causing issues.

Aim for 7-8 fields maximum. Each additional field reduces conversion by approximately 4%. Only ask for information essential to fulfillment. Use smart defaults, autofill, and single-field address lookup to minimize typing.

Checkout friction is anything that slows or complicates purchasing: excessive form fields, confusing navigation, slow loading, unclear error messages. Identify it through session recordings, checkout funnel analytics, and user testing.

Dedicated pages typically perform better for complex purchases. Overlays work well for simple, impulse-buy products with few options. The key factor is checkout complexity—match the format to the decision complexity.

Yes. Progress indicators reduce anxiety and abandonment by showing customers where they are in the process. Use 3-4 steps maximum: Cart/Shipping/Payment/Confirmation. Clear step labels improve completion rates by 10-15%.

Security badges (SSL, payment processor logos), money-back guarantees, customer reviews, contact information, and clear return policies. Place trust signals near the payment form where anxiety is highest. Avoid cluttering—2-4 well-placed signals work best.

Visible discount code fields cause customers to leave and search for codes, abandoning 8% of carts. Use auto-applied discounts, hide the field behind a link, or only show it when a valid code exists in the URL.

Free shipping increases conversion by 25-30% on average. If margins prevent free shipping, use a threshold (e.g., free over €50) that increases average order value. Always display shipping costs clearly before checkout to prevent abandonment.

Average cart abandonment rate is 70%. Top-performing stores achieve 55-60%. Below 50% is exceptional. Focus on reducing your rate incrementally—even a 5% improvement significantly impacts revenue when applied to high cart volumes.

Remove distractions and unnecessary fields. Show security badges near payment forms. Offer multiple payment methods including digital wallets. Enable address autocomplete. Display clear error messages. Show order summary throughout the process.

Use large touch targets (44px minimum). Enable numeric keyboards for phone/card fields. Support mobile wallets for one-tap payment. Minimize typing with autofill. Stack forms vertically. Test on actual devices, not just browser simulators.

Multi-step checkout typically performs better, reducing cognitive load and showing progress. However, one-page works well for simple products with few options. Test both—the best choice depends on your product complexity and customer expectations.

Credit/debit cards are essential. Add PayPal (increases conversion 28% on average), Apple Pay and Google Pay for mobile, and buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna for higher-priced items. Regional preferences matter—research your target market.

Show total costs early including shipping. Offer guest checkout. Simplify to essential form fields only. Display trust signals prominently. Enable saved carts for returning visitors. Send abandonment recovery emails within 1-3 hours.

Set accurate delivery expectations. Show detailed size guides at the right moments. Use product photos that accurately represent items. Confirm order details clearly before purchase. Accurate information prevents "not as expected" returns.

The top reasons are unexpected costs (shipping, taxes) at 48%, required account creation at 24%, complicated checkout at 18%, and security concerns at 17%. Addressing these four issues typically recovers 20-30% of abandoned carts.