Wrong Checkout Designs that Make Customers Abandon the Cart

When your customer reaches the checkout page, you probably think the job is done, and you've successfully made a sale. But statistics show that this is far from the truth. According to data, 65% of the customers who make it to the checkout page do not make the purchase.

What are these eCommerce pages doing incorrectly, and how can you improve them on your site? Listed below are the common mistakes eCommerce stores make with their checkout designs that make customers abandon their carts.

1. Dragging Out the Process

Online shoppers will relate to that pang of irritation that comes with filling out long forms just because you want to make a purchase. One mistake you should never make with your checkout page is dragging out the process longer than necessary. Many of your shoppers are in a hurry and want to get that purchase done as soon as possible. Thus, you don't need to ask them about their buying preferences on the checkout page. Make sure your checkout forms are straight to the point and only ask for the necessary information.

Besides, you should ensure customers can use guest accounts on your page. Statistics show that up to 23% of shoppers abandon their carts at the checkout page because they have to create an account. Remember that making them create an account doesn't ensure they'll return. Instead, you could send them an e-mail after the purchase asking them to take a short survey.

2. Cluttered Checkout Page Design

A catchy website design helps attract more customers, but this doesn't extend to the checkout page. Having too much happening on your checkout page could scare some of your customers away. Ensure the page is as minimalistic as possible and is functional.

Moreover, make sure the page clearly shows the required boxes to be filled in. Let there be an indicator for where the customer needs to put in their shipping address or credit card details. Apart from making the checkout process more accessible, this also makes the page suitable for visually impaired people.

3. Too Many Checkout Pages

After picking the product of their choice, going through many checkout pages could frustrate some customers. Also, if the checkout page has a slow loading time, this could give your customers ample time to rethink their purchase and abandon their cart.

Instead of making your checkout page a separate page, you could make it a drop-down page. This makes the process more seamless for your client and could even get you more word-of-mouth marketing. This option is available on multiple eCommerce platforms, such as Wix, Shopify, Shoplazza, etc.

4. High Shipping Fees

According to research by the Baymard Institute, outrageous shipping fees are the primary reason for shoppers abandoning their carts. While shipping fees aren't your fault, the best way to work around this would be to use a real-time shipping cost calculator on your page. This would show the customer how your courier company charges.

5. Checkout Page Security

With the high level of credit card scams, you won't blame people for being extra protective of their card details. Customers' not being able to trust their credit card information with the eCommerce page was one of the highest-ranking reasons for cart abandonment.

Therefore, make sure your checkout page clearly shows your security level and assures customers that their information is heavily secured.

Make Sure to Close that Sale

As mentioned above, an optimized checkout page could cause an increase in conversions. Thus, getting your checkout page functional and optimized is just as important as attracting customers to your page. Optimize your checkout page today and make that customer visit count.

(Contributed by Oluwafemi Adedeji & Hermes Fang)