BigCommerce Checkout Optimisation: Reduce Cart Abandonment by 30%

BigCommerce Checkout Optimisation: Turn Browsers into Buyers

Cart abandonment costs e-commerce businesses an estimated $18 billion annually. The checkout experience is where revenue is won or lost, and BigCommerce provides powerful tools to optimise this critical conversion point.

Understanding Cart Abandonment

Before optimising, understand why shoppers abandon:

• Unexpected costs (48%): Shipping, taxes and fees revealed at checkout
• Account creation required (24%): Forced registration before purchase
• Complex checkout (18%): Too many steps or form fields
• Security concerns (17%): Lack of trust signals at payment
• Slow performance (12%): Checkout pages loading slowly

Quick Wins

Enable Guest Checkout

Allow customers to purchase without creating an account:

• Offer guest checkout as the default option
• Provide optional account creation after purchase
• Pre-fill details from browser autofill data
• Save addresses using cookies for returning visitors

Show Total Cost Early

Eliminate price shock at checkout:

• Display shipping estimates on product pages
• Show tax calculations before checkout begins
• Offer a shipping cost calculator in the cart
• Highlight free shipping thresholds prominently

Simplify Form Fields

Remove every unnecessary input:

• Use a single name field instead of first and last
• Auto-detect city and state from postcode
• Make phone number optional
• Remove company name unless B2B

Advanced Optimisation

One-Page Checkout

BigCommerce Checkout SDK enables single-page checkout:

• All steps visible on one screen
• Progress indicator showing completion status
• Inline validation preventing errors before submission
• Accordion-style sections that expand as you progress

Payment Options

Offer multiple payment methods to reduce friction:

• Credit and debit cards with saved card functionality
• Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal)
• Buy now, pay later options (Klarna, Afterpay)
• Local payment methods for international markets

Trust Signals

Build confidence at the moment of payment:

• Display security badges near payment fields
• Show money-back guarantee messaging
• Include customer review snippets
• Display accepted payment method logos

Mobile Checkout

Mobile accounts for 60%+ of e-commerce traffic:

• Optimise for thumb navigation: Place CTAs within easy thumb reach
• Use mobile-native inputs: Number pad for phone and card fields
• Enable digital wallets: Apple Pay and Google Pay for one-tap checkout
• Minimise typing: Use address autocomplete and saved payment methods

Post-Checkout Recovery

Abandoned Cart Emails

Set up a three-email recovery sequence:

Exit-Intent Strategies

Capture leaving visitors before they abandon:

• Show a discount pop-up on checkout exit
• Offer to save cart for later via email
• Display customer support chat option
• Highlight free shipping threshold if close

Measuring Checkout Performance

Track these metrics weekly:

• Cart-to-checkout conversion rate
• Checkout completion rate
• Average time to complete checkout
• Payment failure rate by method
• Mobile vs desktop checkout conversion

A/B Testing Framework

Test these elements systematically:

• One-page vs multi-step checkout
• Guest checkout prominence
• Payment method order and display
• Trust badge placement and design
• CTA button copy and colour

Run each test for at least two weeks or 1,000 transactions before drawing conclusions.

Globify specialises in BigCommerce checkout optimisation using data-driven A/B testing. Contact us for a checkout audit.