Guide · E-commerce
Checkout optimisation: reducing abandoned carts
Many shoppers who add items to their cart never complete the order. Some were only browsing, but many leave because of something the checkout did: an unexpected delivery cost, a required account, a form that rejects their address, a payment page that fails. Each of these is fixable. This guide lists the common causes and the changes that reduce them.
[ 01 ]
In short
In short
- 01
Show total cost, including delivery, before checkout — surprise costs are the most common reason for abandonment.
- 02
Allow guest checkout; offer account creation after the order.
- 03
Ask for the minimum information, in a logical order, with helpful address entry.
- 04
Offer the payment methods your customers expect, including payment on delivery where appropriate.
- 05
Handle errors gracefully and confirm the order clearly by page, email and messenger.
[ 02 ]
Guide
Before checkout
- Delivery cost and time estimates on the product page and in the cart.
- Minimum order and free delivery thresholds visible early.
- Promo code fields that do not dominate the page (a prominent empty field sends people to search for codes).
- A cart that saves its contents between visits.
Checkout steps
A typical flow: contact details → delivery → payment → confirmation. Whether on one page or several steps, keep it short and show progress.
Contact details
Name and phone number are usually enough; email if you send confirmations by email. Accept phone numbers in any common format and normalise them.
Delivery
- Delivery method first: courier, pickup point, pickup in store.
- Address entry that fits local reality: city, district, street, building, entrance, floor, apartment, landmarks and a comment for the courier. A map pin helps couriers in areas with unclear addresses.
- Delivery date and time slot, where you offer them.
- Cost updated immediately when options change.
See delivery for online stores in Azerbaijan.
Payment
- Card payment through a local provider, with a reliable payment page. See payment gateway integration.
- Cash or card on delivery, if offered. See cash on delivery.
- Instalments through bank programmes, where available.
- Clear information on what happens if payment fails — the order is not lost, and the customer can try again.
Reducing friction
- No mandatory account creation.
- Autofill-friendly fields with correct input types.
- Errors shown next to the field, in the customer's language, without clearing the form.
- No distractions: hide the main navigation and promotional banners during checkout.
- Fast pages — checkout on a slow mobile connection must still work.
Trust
- Summary of the order with images, quantities and total.
- Returns policy and contact options visible.
- Secure payment page from a known provider.
- Consistent design: a sudden change of style before payment looks suspicious.
After the order
- Confirmation page with order number, summary, delivery details and next steps.
- Confirmation by email and, if the customer agreed, by WhatsApp or SMS.
- Status updates: confirmed, shipped, out for delivery.
- A call or message for orders needing clarification — many stores in Azerbaijan confirm orders by phone, especially cash on delivery.
Recovering abandoned carts
With consent, send a reminder to customers who left items in the cart — by email or messenger — with a direct link back. Keep it helpful rather than pushy.
Measuring
Track each checkout step as an event and find where people drop off. Test changes one at a time where traffic allows. See A/B testing and e-commerce analytics setup.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
One-page or multi-step checkout?
Both can work. What matters more is the number of fields, clarity and speed. Test with your customers.
Should we require an account?
No. Offer account creation after the order, with the details already filled in.
Why do customers abandon at the payment page?
Common reasons: payment failures, unexpected redirects, slow loading, or distrust of the page. Check payment provider logs and test the flow on mobile.