Best checkout practices in your ecommerce: 9 tips to be successful in 2024

by Moises Hamui May 24, 2024

The ecommerce checkout is the final and decisive process that determines whether a customer completes or abandons a purchase in an online store. It is a critical moment that can make the difference between the success and failure of your online business.

According to ecommerce statistics, the average shopping cart abandonment rate is 69.82% worldwide, meaning that only three out of ten customers who add a product to their cart actually buy it. What can you do to reduce this figure and increase your conversion rate?

In this article, we are going to give you 9 tips based on the best ecommerce checkout practices for success in 2024. These tips will help you optimize your payment process, eliminate friction and obstacles, generate trust and satisfaction in your customers and, ultimately, increase your online sales.

What is ecommerce checkout and why is it important?

The ecommerce checkout is the set of steps that a customer must follow to complete a purchase in an online store . Typically, these steps include:

Review your shopping cart and confirm the selected products.
Enter or register the client's personal and contact information.
Choose the shipping method and delivery address.
Choose your payment method and billing address.
Confirm the order and make the payment.

The ecommerce checkout is important because it is the last point of contact between the customer and the online store before the purchase. If the payment process is simple, fast and secure, the customer will have a good experience and will be more likely to complete the purchase and repeat in the future.

On the other hand, if the payment process is complicated, slow or insecure, the customer will have a bad experience and will be more likely to abandon the purchase and look for another option.

Apps you need when opening your e-commerce

How to optimize ecommerce checkout for success in 2024?

To optimize your ecommerce checkout, you need to consider customer trends and expectations in ecommerce. Some of the factors that influence customer behavior and purchasing decisions include:

The rise in the use of mobile devices for online shopping. According to eMarketer forecasts, mobile ecommerce sales will account for 72.9% of total ecommerce sales in 2021, and are expected to reach 79.3% in 2024.
Preference for digital and alternative payment methods. According to a study by Worldpay, 42% of online shoppers use digital payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and 11% use alternative payment methods such as cryptocurrencies, mobile wallets or prepaid cards.
The demand for speed, convenience and security in the payment process. According to a study by Baymard Institute, 17% of online shoppers abandon their shopping cart because the payment process is too long or complicated, and 18% do so because they do not trust the website with their payment details.

Taking these factors into account, here are the 10 tips we suggest to optimize your ecommerce checkout for success in 2024:

1. Allow guest checkout

One of the main reasons for shopping cart abandonment is the obligation to create a user account to make the payment. According to the Baymard Institute study, 34% of online shoppers abandon their shopping cart for this reason.

To avoid this, we recommend that you allow guest checkout, meaning that you offer the option to make the payment without having to register or log in. This way, you make the payment process easier and reduce friction for customers who only want to make a one-time purchase or who don't want to share their personal data.

2. Adapt the payment process to mobile

As we have seen, mobile phone use for online shopping is increasing, so it is essential that your payment process is adapted to mobile devices. This means that you must ensure that your ecommerce checkout is responsive, that is, that it adjusts to the size and resolution of the device's screen.

You should also consider the features and limitations of your phone, such as connection speed, memory capacity, battery life and ease of use.

Some recommendations to improve the mobile payment experience are:

Use large, visible buttons that can be easily pressed with your finger.
Reduce the number of fields and steps the customer must fill out or follow.
Use your phone's camera to scan the barcode or credit card number.
Offers mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
Integrate the ecommerce checkout with messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram.

E-commerce logistics: what you need to know

3. Show a progress bar of the payment process

Another way to optimize your ecommerce checkout is to display a progress bar for the checkout process. The progress bar is a visual element that tells the customer what step of the checkout process they are on, how many steps they have left, and what information they need to provide at each step.

The progress bar has several benefits for the customer and the online store:

Increase transparency and trust by showing the customer what is expected of them and what will happen next.
Reduce anxiety and uncertainty by showing the customer the time and effort they have left to complete the payment.
Increase motivation and satisfaction by showing the client the progress they have made and the goal they are close to achieving.

4. Offer multiple payment and shipping methods

Another tip to optimize your ecommerce checkout is to offer multiple payment and shipping methods . Customers want to have options and flexibility when choosing how to pay and how to receive their products.

If you only offer one payment or shipping method, you may lose customers who prefer another method or who can't use the one you offer.

For example, if you only offer credit card payment, you may lose customers who do not have a credit card or who do not want to use one for security reasons. Therefore, we recommend that you offer at least these payment methods:

Credit or debit card
PayPal or other digital payment methods
Cash on delivery or payment upon receipt of the product
Bank transfer or deposit into account

And these shipping methods:

Standard or Economy Shipping
Express or urgent shipping
Pick up in store or at a delivery point

5. Automatically fill in the shipping and billing address

Another way to optimize your ecommerce checkout is to auto-fill the shipping and billing address. This means that you should use geolocation, purchase history, or integration with Google Maps to suggest or complete the customer’s address, without them having to type it in manually.

This way, you save the customer time and effort, and avoid errors and confusion that could delay or prevent delivery of the product.

Additionally, you should offer the option to use the same address for shipping and billing, or to save the address for future purchases, if the customer desires.

Advantages of using a CRM in your ecommerce

6. Use upsells or cross-sells

Another tip to optimize the ecommerce checkout is to use upsells or cross-sells. Upsells are offers of products that are more expensive or of a higher quality than the one the customer has chosen, with the aim of increasing the value of the order. Cross-sells are offers of complementary or related products to the one the customer has chosen, with the aim of increasing the number of products per order.

7. Enable chat support during checkout

Another tip to optimize your ecommerce checkout is to enable chat support during the payment process. Chat support is a form of instant and personalized communication that allows you to resolve any questions, problems or objections that customers may have during the payment process.

Chat support has several benefits for the customer and the online store:

Increase trust and satisfaction by showing customers that there is a real person behind the online store who cares about their experience and purchase.
Reduce abandonment and rejection by offering customers a quick and effective solution to their needs or problems.
Increase conversion and loyalty by making the payment process easier for customers and creating a closer and longer-lasting relationship with the online store.

8. Offer one-click payment

Another tip to optimize your ecommerce checkout is to offer one-click payment. One-click payment is an option that allows customers to make a payment without having to enter their payment details every time they shop in the same online store.

One-click payment is based on the secure storage of customer payment data, either in the online shop itself or with an external provider such as PayPal or Amazon Pay.

One-click checkout has several benefits for both the customer and the online store:

Save time and effort by simplifying the payment process to one step and one button.
Improves security and privacy by preventing customers from having to share their payment details with multiple websites or being exposed to potential fraud or identity theft.
Increase loyalty and repeat business by encouraging customers to purchase again from the same online store that offers greater convenience and ease of payment.

9. Eliminate additional costs

Another tip for optimizing your ecommerce checkout is to eliminate additional costs. Additional costs are those charges that are added to the final price of the product, such as taxes, shipping costs or commissions.

Additional costs are one of the main causes of shopping cart abandonment, as they can result in a significant price increase or an unpleasant surprise for the customer.

According to a study by the Baymard Institute, 53% of online shoppers abandon their shopping carts for this reason.

To avoid this, we recommend that you:

Include additional costs in the product price from the beginning, or clearly display them before the customer reaches the checkout process.
Offer free or discounted shipping, or include it in the price of the product, as free shipping is one of the main incentives to buy online.
Offer low- or no-fee payment options, or cover these yourself as an online store, as fees can discourage customers from using certain payment methods.

We hope this guide has been useful for you in learning the best ecommerce checkout practices for success in 2024. Remember that ecommerce checkout is a key factor for your online marketing strategy, so you must constantly optimize it to adapt to trends and market changes.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.