Knowledge · Your webshop

Your checkout is too complicated, how do you make it easier?

A visitor has chosen a product, starts checkout and drops off halfway. That is painful, because this visitor was close to buying. Checkout is the final and most sensitive step in your online store. Every unnecessary question, every extra step and every unclear cost can cost orders here. The useful part is that checkout is often easier to simplify than people think, without rebuilding the whole store.

What's really going on

At checkout every second and every doubt counts. The visitor wants to complete the purchase, not wrestle through a form. If checkout runs awkwardly, it's usually down to one or more of these things:

We see these causes most often:

  • There are too many steps. The more screens and actions between cart and confirmation, the greater the chance someone drops off along the way. Every extra step is a new moment to stop.
  • The form asks too much. Fields that aren't needed for the order cost time and cause irritation. The more someone has to fill in, the bigger the threshold.
  • An account is required. Someone who wants to order quickly doesn't want to create an account with a password and confirmation. That requirement drives a share of buyers away.
  • The progress is unclear. If the visitor can't see how many steps are left, checkout feels endless. Uncertainty about the length causes drop-offs.
  • On mobile it doesn't run smoothly. Small buttons, an awkward keyboard or fields that don't cooperate make checkout on the phone frustrating. That's exactly where a large share of purchases happen.

What this does to your business

Checkout is the most expensive place to lose visitors. Everyone who drops off here had already chosen the product and was willing to pay. Friction in this last step costs you not interested visitors, but near-customers.

That's why simplifying here often brings quick results. Because the intent to buy is already high, every step removed or needless field can directly mean more completed orders, with the same traffic and the same products.

In short: what needs to happen

A checkout loses orders when it's too long, asks too much or feels unclear. You want to make it as short and clear as possible: only what's needed, visible progress, checkout without a required account and everything smooth on mobile. The tricky part is seeing which part holds the most people back.

Step by step

  1. 01

    Remove needless steps

    Cut the number of screens between cart and confirmation to the bare minimum. The shorter the route, the more people reach the end.

  2. 02

    Ask only what's needed

    Drop fields that aren't needed for the order or delivery. Every field fewer is one threshold fewer.

  3. 03

    Allow guest checkout

    Let people order without an account. Offer the account after the purchase, not as a condition beforehand.

  4. 04

    Show the progress

    Show which step someone is in and how many are left. Clarity about the length keeps people on board.

  5. 05

    Make it smooth on mobile

    Provide large buttons, the right keyboard per field and fields that cooperate. Test the checkout on a phone, because that's where the most gain often sits.

You can test where it becomes awkward yourself: place a mobile test order and count how many steps, fields and decisions you meet. But that still does not tell you which part causes the most drop-off.

The Foundd ShopScan checks the number of steps, required fields, guest checkout, progress clarity and mobile experience, then orders the findings by impact. That way you see where simplification is most likely to help.

Want to know why visitors drop off during checkout? Enter your web address:

What to do with your report

Your Foundd ShopScan arrives as a clear report. It starts with a summary and score, followed by findings sorted by impact and priority. Each point includes explanation, context and concrete next steps, so you see what matters first and what can wait.

  • Start with the highest impact points. Those sit at the top because they are most likely to affect checkout completion. Start there before spending time on smaller issues.
  • Read the context. For every finding we explain why it matters. That helps you make better choices, also when you discuss the issue with a developer, web builder or marketing partner.
  • Use the scan as a starting point. Make changes in a logical order, give them time to have an effect and then check again. The report gives you a baseline, not just a one-off list.

Every action point comes with step-by-step instructions to solve it yourself. You see what you can adjust without technical knowledge and where a developer may be useful.

For every action point we show the average time needed to do it yourself and the fixed price if Foundd carries it out. That is commercial information, but it is also a practical reference point. It helps you compare time, cost and priority, whether you do the work yourself, discuss it with your current technical partner or ask us to handle it.

A complicated checkout can nearly always be simplified. Often it's a few needless steps or fields you can remove. Make that last stretch shorter and clearer, and you complete more orders you now lose just before the finish.

People also ask

  • How many steps may a checkout have?

    As few as possible. Many good webshops do it in a few clear steps. More important than the exact number is that every step is needed and clear.

  • Is checkout without an account really better?

    For many shops, yes. A required account is a known reason for dropping off. Offer it by all means, but make it optional so quick buyers can simply order.

  • Should I ask for all details up front?

    Ask only what's needed to deliver and invoice. Extra questions, like how someone found you, can come later or in a separate step, not during checkout.

  • Why do people drop off on mobile especially?

    On mobile, long forms and small buttons work against you extra. Because a large share of purchases happen on the phone, an awkward mobile checkout weighs heavily.