We’ve all been there—you’re ready to make a purchase online, cart full, credit card in hand, but the checkout process feels like a total headache. Maybe the form is too long, the page doesn’t load fast enough, or you don’t trust the site with your payment details. Frustration sets in, and before you know it, you’ve abandoned the purchase.
We’ve seen this time and time again with our clients. They work so hard to get customers through the door and into the checkout, but if the process isn’t smooth, it becomes a barrier to completing the sale. That’s why we wanted to call out some of the most common issues we’ve noticed.
Over time, we’ve helped clients smooth out these rough patches and seen firsthand how small changes can make a big difference in boosting conversion rates.
So, let's talk about the most effective ways to keep customers clicking "buy" and not running for the hills.
Make It Easy
Have you ever felt like you’re filling out a mortgage application when trying to buy something online? Yeah, no one likes that. The fewer steps, the better. People want fast, easy, and intuitive. Aim for a one-page checkout if you can. Or, at the very least, limit the process to a few simple steps.
Example:
We recently optimised a client’s checkout process by condensing five steps into two, cutting out unnecessary fields like asking for the customer’s title (I mean, who really cares if they’re a Mr. or Ms. when buying socks?).
With that, we saw a 25% increase in their conversion rate in just one month. Less is more, and in this case, fewer steps meant fewer barriers to buying.
Offer Guest Checkout
Not everyone wants to create an account before making a purchase. Sometimes people just want to make a quick transaction and be on their way. When you provide a guest checkout option, you remove the friction that can cause customers to bounce.
Example:
For one of our clients, we noticed that a significant number of users were abandoning their carts on the registration page. We enabled guest checkout and saw an 18% increase in completed purchases within the first week. People like options, and some just don’t want the commitment of making an account.
Provide Multiple Payment Options
Variety is the spice of life, and that applies to payment options too. Offering more than just credit card payments can make all the difference. Some customers prefer PayPal, Apple Pay, or even instalment plans. Make it easy for them by providing multiple ways to pay—it could be the difference between getting that sale or losing it.
Instalment plans, especially Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), are a game-changer when it comes to boosting both conversion rates and AOV. For higher-ticket items, having this payment method makes a significant difference in how easy it is for customers to commit to a purchase.
Take retailers like Brilliantearth.com and Davidyurman.com, who sell engagement rings ranging from $500 to $15,000. They saw conversions skyrocket—up to 90%—just by incorporating BNPL options. It’s clear that breaking down larger payments helps remove the mental hurdle of a big upfront cost, especially for luxury items.
Even in sectors like consumer electronics, where prices can be hefty, BNPL has made a difference. Retailers who adopted it experienced only a 0.6% drop in visits during tough times, while stores without it saw a much steeper 17% decline. In this economy, customers feel more comfortable making larger purchases when given flexible payment options.
Major brands like Apple, Nike, and Sephora have already integrated BNPL into their payment systems, knowing that customers today expect flexibility. At the end of the day, the goal is to make it easier for customers to complete their purchases, especially when the price tag is higher. If your goal is to increase AOV, this is a proven way to get there.
Clear, Transparent Pricing
Nothing causes hesitation more than unexpected costs popping up at checkout. You’ve probably seen it yourself—everything seems fine, but once you hit the final stage, a shipping fee or hidden tax charge appears. Instant disappointment, right?
Always make sure you display taxes, shipping fees, and any other costs upfront.
Example:
For an e-commerce brand selling home goods, we noticed a high bounce rate at the final checkout step. Turns out, customers weren’t expecting the shipping cost to be added at the last minute. We upgraded the design to show total costs right from the cart page. A month later, we noticed a 15% drop in cart abandonment and a 20% increase in completed checkouts.
Optimise for Mobile
It’s 2024, everyone shops on their phones!!!
People are shopping from their phones now more than ever, often lounging on their couches or even in bed. In fact, mobile shopping makes up 44% of all e-commerce sales. So, if your checkout process isn’t designed to be mobile-friendly, you’re essentially leaving money on the table.
But when we mention optimising for mobile, we don’t just mean shrinking everything to fit a smaller screen (while you should also be doing that). You also have to think about creating an experience that feels natural for someone using their thumb to scroll and tap. I mean—have you ever tried to click a tiny button on your phone and missed it three times?
Frustrating, right?
You don’t want to let that happen to your customers.
Here’s what you can do instead:
Larger buttons: Make sure that your “Buy Now” and “Complete Purchase” buttons are big, bold, and easy to tap with one hand.
Bigger text fields: Filling out forms on a small screen can be annoying. Your text fields need to be large and easy to tap so people aren’t accidentally hitting the wrong button.
Smooth process: The fewer steps, the better. People on mobile expect speed. If they have to go through five screens to enter their shipping info, they would probably abandon the process altogether. Studies have shown that a streamlined, mobile-first design can reduce cart abandonment and boost conversions.
The bottom line? A smooth mobile checkout could be the difference between a completed sale and an abandoned cart. Don’t leave those conversions hanging just because your site doesn’t work on smartphones!
Use Trust Signals
When it comes to online shopping, people need to trust the legitimacy of your site to complete a purchase, especially if you’re a small business. Shoppers need to feel secure sharing their personal and payment details, and trust signals can make that happen.
Elements like security badges, customer reviews, or messaging—such as "Your information is safe with us"—help customers feel confident throughout the checkout process.
Adding SSL badges, which show that transactions are encrypted, or displaying customer reviews from real buyers helps build that confidence. Recognisable payment icons like Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal also give customers a sense of familiarity and security.
Speed It Up
If there’s one thing that can kill a sale in seconds, it’s a slow checkout process. We live in a world where patience is short, and expectations are high. In fact, research shows that even a one-second delay in page load time can cause conversions to drop by 7%.
Every second really does count!
So, how do you make your checkout page really fast? Start by reducing unnecessary scripts, compressing images, and enabling features like lazy loading (which only loads elements as they’re needed).
PRO TIP: Faster page speeds not only improve the user experience but also boost your SEO and ranking on search engines.
You could try following the lead of major brands like ASOS and Amazon who have perfected the mobile checkout process. Both brands have nailed simplicity and speed, knowing full well that most of their customers are shopping on the go.
ASOS even introduced a one-click checkout feature, which helped reduce the number of carts left behind and dramatically increased conversions. These mobile-friendly checkout options cater to the reality that mobile shoppers are often multitasking, making convenience the key to closing the sale.
The key takeaway here? Speed isn’t just a nice bonus—it’s essential. If your checkout page takes forever to load, you’re driving customers straight into the arms of your competitors.
Faster checkout = more sales. Simple as that.
Final Words
As mentioned above, the faster your checkout process, the more likely your customers are to go through with the purchase. Implementing just a few of these tweaks can lead to measurable improvements in your conversion rates—and we’ve seen it happen time and time again with our clients.
So, take a look at your checkout flow. Are there any unnecessary steps? Are you offering guest checkout and multiple payment options? Does your mobile experience need a facelift?
Small changes can lead to big results. Make the process easy, and your customers will reward you with more clicks—and more sales.
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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