As a small business, you’ve improved your online store. A customer finds a product, adds it to their cart, and proceeds to checkout — it should be smooth from here, right?
Not always. A clunky or confusing checkout can drive customers away and quietly hurt your sales. Here’s how a complicated checkout costs you — and how to fix it.
By the time customers arrive at your checkout page, their intent is clear — they’ve said “yes” to your product. Now, they just need an easy, seamless way to complete their payment and finalise the purchase without any unnecessary hurdles.
Complicated or slow checkout processes (like too many fields or glitches) make customers abandon their purchase.
Nearly 70% of shopping carts are abandoned, with a large portion caused by checkout issues (Baymard Institute).
A poor checkout experience can undo all the effort you put into your website and marketing.
1. Requesting Excessive Information
Asking for too many details can overwhelm customers and slow down the checkout process.
2. Requiring Account Creation
Forcing users to sign up for an account before purchasing adds friction and increases abandonment rates.
3. Unexpected Costs at Checkout
Surprise fees, like extra shipping or taxes, can cause customers to abandon their cart at the final step.
4. Confusing Layout or Poor Navigation
A messy design or unclear steps can make it hard for customers to complete their purchase confidently.
5. Lack of Mobile Optimization
A checkout that isn’t mobile-friendly leads to frustration for users shopping on phones or tablets.
6. Ineffective or Missing Error Messages
Poor error handling leaves customers confused when something goes wrong, making them more likely to give up.
A great checkout experience feels effortless and reassuring. It doesn’t distract or confuse customers — it simply guides them to complete their purchase smoothly.
Here’s what a well-optimized checkout should include:
Mastering these basics puts you well ahead of the competition.
A confusing checkout doesn’t just cost you one sale — it can quietly damage your revenue, reputation, and long-term growth across your entire website.
1. Lower Conversion Rates
Checkout friction wastes all your marketing and site efforts, leading to fewer orders, reduced cash flow, and slower growth.
2. Higher Cart Abandonment
Poor checkout experiences waste your marketing spend by losing customers right at the point of purchase.
3. Lost Customer Trust
Frustrating checkout processes drive customers away — damaging loyalty, hurting your reputation, and reducing repeat business.
4. Increased Support Costs
A confusing checkout creates unnecessary support requests, draining your team’s time and resources.
1. Audit Your Checkout
Test it yourself on desktop and mobile. Identify anything confusing, slow, or frustrating. Get honest feedback from others too.
2. Find Drop-Off Points
Use tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar to spot where customers abandon checkout and uncover hidden issues.
3. Simplify the Process
Cut unnecessary fields, combine steps where possible, and remove distractions like ads or extra menus.
4. Build Trust
Ensure SSL security, display trusted payment icons, and maintain consistent, reassuring branding.
5. Test and Optimize
Run A/B tests to find improvements — even small tweaks like button placement or CTA wording can boost conversions.
6. Get Professional Support
Partner with a conversion-focused agency like Airsang design to uncover and fix hidden checkout problems.
A complicated checkout doesn’t just slow customers down — it silently drives them away. That’s why your checkout deserves as much attention as your homepage or marketing funnel.
With a few smart changes, you can boost your sales significantly.
At Airsang Design, we specialise in creating high-converting websites and optimising checkout experiences.
Not sure if your checkout is helping or hurting your business?
Contact Airsang Design today for a free consultation.
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