Around 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. Think about that: for every ten people who add a product and intend to buy, seven leave without paying. That's not lost interest — those people wanted to buy. It's lost revenue you can recover, and these nine fixes are how you win it back.
1. Show All Costs Upfront
The single biggest cause of abandonment is surprise costs — shipping, taxes, fees — appearing at the final step. Display total costs as early as possible. Better still, offer free shipping (build it into your price if you must); few things convert as reliably.
2. Offer Guest Checkout
Forcing shoppers to create an account before buying is a conversion killer. Let people check out as a guest and offer the account option after the purchase. Never put a sign-up wall between a ready buyer and their wallet.
3. Make Checkout Short
Every extra field and step bleeds conversions. Ask only for what you genuinely need, use a single-page or clearly-stepped checkout, and enable autofill. On platforms like WooCommerce, the default checkout is often bloated — our checkout optimisation service exists precisely to streamline this.
4. Offer Multiple Payment Options
Different customers trust different methods. Beyond cards, offer digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal) and "buy now, pay later" where it suits your market. A missing preferred payment method is an instant exit.
5. Display Trust Signals at Checkout
Online shoppers are wary of handing over card details. Security badges, clear return policies, customer reviews, and visible contact information all reassure buyers at the exact moment doubt creeps in.
6. Be Transparent About Delivery
Unclear or slow delivery loses sales. Show realistic delivery dates and costs before checkout, and offer faster options for those who'll pay for them. Uncertainty makes people abandon to "think about it" — and they rarely return.
7. Make It Fast on Mobile
A huge share of shopping happens on phones, and a slow or clunky mobile checkout is fatal. Speed and mobile usability are non-negotiable, as we explain in mobile-first design.
8. Recover Carts With Email
Set up an automated abandoned-cart email sequence: a gentle reminder within an hour, a follow-up the next day, and perhaps a small incentive on the third. This alone recovers around 10% of otherwise-lost carts — pure profit on autopilot.
9. Choose the Right Platform
Some platforms make all of this easier than others. Shopify has conversion-optimised checkout built in; WooCommerce offers more control but needs tuning. We compare them in Shopify vs WooCommerce, and build conversion-focused stores on Shopify and WooCommerce alike.
Losing sales at checkout and not sure where? Book a free call for a quick checkout audit of your store.
- Surprise costs are the #1 cause — show all pricing upfront
- Offer guest checkout; never wall off ready buyers with a sign-up
- Shorten the checkout and remove every unnecessary field and step
- Multiple payment options and visible trust signals reduce hesitation
- Automated abandoned-cart emails recover roughly 10% of lost sales