8 checkout page design tips and strategies to boost sales

You have an excellent looking eCommerce website and you have an impressive product lineup. What else are you going to need in order to achieve your sales goals?

A checkout page that users will love!

There’s no doubt that the checkout page design plays a significant role in retaining customers and encouraging them to make a purchase.

In this article, we will share with you some actionable tips on how you can design the best checkout page.

We have also included some bonus tips that will help you to give your customers what they want from an online store so they are even more tempted to buy!

8 Checkout page design tips and strategies

A decade-long study by Baymard Institute found that customers leave eCommerce stores mainly because of the design of the checkout page.

The key is not to select colorful layouts and fancy designs in order to impress your audience.

How a well-designed checkout page should appear is determined by a number of factors, and each factor has its own importance.

Here are some of the essentials of building an optimized checkout page.

1. Use a clear and consistent layout

Whenever a customer adds an item to the shopping cart, they are in shopping mode.

It only takes a slight distraction to interrupt them, which can lead to a lost sale.

You should keep your checkout pages as simple and as clutter-free as possible. Remove any distracting elements and keep the path to purchase as short and as straightforward as you can.

If the usual header and footer don’t add any value to your checkout process, you may want to remove them.

Alternatively, you can replace the header area with something more relevant to the checkout, such as a progress bar, a security badge, or a rating system.

At Perry’s sells crystal and gemstone jewelry. Their checkout form looks clean and to the point.

2. Ask for minimum information

It is common practice for retailers to obtain as much information about their customers as possible to use later for marketing purposes.

It can be quite overwhelming for users to enter a lot of information.

This can result in the cart being abandoned more often as people can be unwilling to share such information.

We recommend simplifying the layout of the form and removing all data fields that aren’t necessary to complete purchase.

Instead of adding too many extra fields for personal information, an email field will be more useful for follow-ups.

Then, if conversion happens, you can also ask them to sign up later.

Also consider using a checkbox to display the shipping address fields only when customers want to enter a different address for delivery.

This will save time and streamline the process.

Etsy’s checkout shows only the essential input fields necessary to process an order.

3. Make the call-to-action prominent

The goal is to let users effortlessly find what they are looking for.

As soon as they have finished entering the information on the checkout page, the next step is to quickly tap on the desired button to take the next step.

You can use multiple buttons and give customers more options to check out the way they want.

For instance, besides embedding a continue checkout button, you can also add buttons for express payments such as PayPal checkout, Google Pay or Apple Pay.

Make them large enough to locate and press easily. This is especially true for mobile screens where small buttons can be counterproductive.

You can also make them prominent by using contrasting colors.

This concept checkout page design by Milos Andjelkovic on dribbble is an excellent example of a prominent call to action.

4. Provide a progress indicator

Make your checkout page more interactive by using visually appealing progress indicators.

It’s a proven method for communicating to users about how many steps they need to take in order to complete a task.

The user will remain engaged and informed regardless of whether it is a single or multi-page process.

Ideally, the progress bar should be placed above the fold so users can interact with it in a natural way.

Take a look at Etsy’s checkout form again. See how they show the progress status in three steps at the top of the page?

5. Make the form fields clear to understand

Form fields are used to gather information about a customer during the buying process.

The slightest friction here, such as too many irrelevant input fields or inconsistent sizing, can lead to cart abandonment.

It is your goal to keep this area as clean and precise as possible and make it easy for users to navigate through the fields in a natural way.

While optimizing these form fields, consider the following:

• Keep the number of fields as low as possible based on your store’s requirements
• Order your checkout form logically and group related input fields
• Use input masks for phone number fields
• Use auto-selection and pre-filled features where possible for convenience
• Luhn validation for credit card field ensures user inputs a correct number
• Use field labels and descriptions carefully for the user’s convenience

To make the buying process easier for Lowe’s customers, they use labels and descriptions correctly in the fields.

6. Use trust badges

Customer trust is by far the most important factor for eCommerce.

For stores to gain trust, a number of strategies need to be put in place.

The use of trust badges is one such strategy.

A trust badge is a legitimate seal that eCommerce stores display on their website to demonstrate that they are complying with industry standards.

When placed correctly, it gives customers confidence that their information and money will be safe.

In case you are wondering which of those are essential for a store:

• Safe checkout
• Payment processor badge
• Third party badges for business credibility such as BBB rating
• Money back guarantee badge
• Security seal from companies like Norton or Thawte
• Free shipping and return badge
• Best price badge

Aside from putting these badges on the product and checkout pages, users are more likely to expect relevant seals on the homepages, popups and footers.

Auto Anything uses a security badge to ensure customers can safely shop on their website.

7. Provide a summary of the order

Other than keeping things simple and cleanly designed, one key factor is keeping them informed.

An order summary is the easiest way to show products, prices, applicable discounts and other elements.

Larq uses a sidebar to provide a detailed view of purchases throughout the buying journey to show everything you need to know.

8. Optimize for mobile

According to Insider Intelligence, the mobile commerce market is expected to reach $534.18 billion by 2024.

This is partly due to the fact that more customers are using their mobile devices for online shopping.

Having an optimized version of your eCommerce website has become a necessity.

With built-in support for all types of devices, WordPress is a convenient way to create a responsive website.

The only thing you need to do is to install a theme such as Astra that can display your content fluidly on all screen sizes.

Its professionally made Starter Templates and tons of customization options make it one of the best WordPress themes for any store.

A premade template is an easy way to get things started.

If you want to customize layouts your way:

• Use a reliable web host for fast performance
• Size input fields and call to action buttons appropriately for smaller screens
• Simplify the checkout process by only asking for essential information
• Keep things short and sweet
• Implement the optimization strategies we mentioned earlier

Etys makes sure users get an optimum experience on mobile devices.

Bonus tips for an optimized checkout process

Here are some bonus tips you can use to get more conversions on your eCommerce store.

Use popups carefully

You can use popups for a number of things. It’s a great way to ask users why they are leaving your website without making a purchase.

Just be aware that some antivirus or browser anti-popup features often block them.

As useful as these popups can be to gather information on a number of things, you may never see the ROI.

Make customer services accessible

Customers can only physically hold a product once it has been delivered when they shop online.

This presents a higher chance of refunds or returns.

That’s why shoppers will often look for a return policy before they buy something.

Keep your return policy easily accessible on the checkout page. We also recommend providing FAQs, a privacy policy, and a link to live chat with a customer service person if possible.

Show product details clearly

Product pages are your primary opportunity to motivate users to make a purchase. You have more room to show off your creativity and convince the visitor the product is the answer to their problem or the best value they are looking for.

Use a creative title and catchy product images. Include as much information as possible and highlight the key features and benefits of your products.

If your product has variations, give customers the option to select the size, color or any other customization easily.

Let users update the cart

It’s common for customers to change their mind at the last moment.

Customers should have complete control over what’s in their cart at all times.

Give them the option to increase or decrease the quantity of items, let them change the size, color or any variation that’s appropriate.

If an item is no longer of interest to them, they should also be able to remove it easily, even if we don’t want them to.

Related products can increase revenues

If you are buying a torch from an online store, the chances are you will also like to add batteries.

Do you want to have to search the store for batteries? No of course you don’t as it could be a hassle and a cause of friction.

Offer related items throughout the purchase and checkout process.

You are not only providing your customers with a convenient way to buy more, you are also increasing the average order value.

Product availability

When it comes to the payment stage, what would it be like for customers to find out that the product they have ordered is currently out of stock?

Trust is lost. The customer would likely leave the cart for good.

We believe that it is a better strategy to show the availability of products at the very beginning.

Design your product pages to prominently display stock availability of each product.

Show how much the customer saved

Saving money is something we love to do. In a case where a store offers us a chance to save a few bucks by adding a few more items to our cart, it’s likely customers will happily upgrade.

It is a good idea to show customers how much they can save on the items they intend to purchase.

For example, buy one get one free or get 50% off if you purchase two items will increase customer satisfaction to a great degree.

Discount codes drive sales

Providing discounts drives sales, creates new and loyal customers and helps the business grow.

Use this technique strategically so as not to lose profits by overusing it and potentially impacting profits.

If you are wondering how to use discount codes, here are some ideas:

• Offer incentives for people to share your product on social media in return for discounts
• Flash sales are a great way to offer discounts for a short period of time
• Offer seasonal discounts such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Christmas specials during the course of the year
• Make use of volume discounts in order to motivate your customers to spend more money
• Send a follow-up email after a cart has been abandoned with a promo code
• Offer a discount when new customers sign up

Customers love free shipping

A customer’s decision about whether or not to buy an item has a lot to do with shipping costs.

It is always a good idea to mention shipping costs and taxes upfront right from the beginning.

Giving users a surprise right at the last minute rarely ends well!

If you can cover the cost of shipping, you may be able to offer free shipping. You can take the hit on profits or increase the unit price to cover the cost.

Alternatively, you can offer free shipping on a certain amount of purchases or with a minimum order value

Show delivery dates

Nobody likes waiting, especially if it’s waiting for a product you have been waiting to buy. Telling customers exactly when to expect their package gives greater clarity and helps manage expectations.

Although it is a small feature, it adds great value that improves loyalty and the brand’s image in the eyes of the customer.

Final thoughts

The eCommerce industry is growing rapidly and offers a huge amount of growth potential.

With all the perks it brings, it also gives you more challenges to deal with.

A great looking online store on its own isn’t enough to get your business going.

In order to have a successful online business, you will first need to draw customers to your website, and then encourage them to purchase.

There is nothing more important to an eCommerce store than designing a checkout page that customers will love, and will happily interact with.

With the right strategy, you will be able to gain your customers’ trust and convince them to make a purchase.

If done rightly you can make them a regular visitor.

In this guide, we shared a large number of actionable tips to help you drive more sales.

We hope they are as successful for you as they have been for us.

What kind of eCommerce site do you run? Which of these tips do you plan to use? We would love to know about your thoughts in the comments.