Checkout Abandonment

What is Checkout Abandonment

Checkout Abandonment is the process of adding one or more items the virtual shopping cart, followed by the action of navigating to the checkout page, then exiting the online store without purchasing the items in the cart.

Why does Checkout Abandonment Matter

Checkout Abandonment is a common behavior during the online shopping journey, similar to  Cart Abandonment. The key difference between Checkout Abandonment and Cart Abandonment is that in the case of Checkout Abandonment, the shopper reaches the checkout page, then exits the online store, while doing an Abandoned Cart the shopper simply adds the items in the cart without reaching the checkout page.

High Checkout Abandonment Rates mean there are flaws in your UX design that interfere with a user-friendly checkout flow, that is causing them enough grief to give up the purchase halfway through. So just because your customers got to the checkout page, doesn’t mean they will complete the purchase. If you're making it difficult for them, a competitor is just one browser tab away.

The general consensus is that complicated checkouts are a major selling barrier. Shoppers expect guest checkouts with no mandatory registration, and how quickly they move through the process will impact the sale. Load times, auto-completion and input fields play a significant role.

Moreover, trust seals at checkout help increase trust for first-time buyers. Your goal at checkout is to ease the process for your customer so that they complete the purchase. So don’t make them jump through hoops to pay you!

Only ask for the information you need - you can always create a customer profile through post-purchase marketing. If you choose not to have a single-page checkout, make sure you include a progress bar that will tell customers how long they have left until wrapping up the buying process.

Your checkout flow should be quick and seamless, and anything that doesn’t add value to the checkout flow should be removed. On mobile, ads, banners and website navigation don’t belong on the checkout page. Make sure you remove pop-ups and don’t display upsells. This might cause customers to click away from the checkout process and it might result in an abandoned cart.