You’ve done everything right – beautiful product pages, solid traffic, carts filling up … and then? Crickets.

If you’re running WooCommerce and seeing high cart abandonment rates, your checkout process could be the silent killer.

According to Baymard Institute, the average documented ecommerce cart abandonment rate is nearly 70%. And WooCommerce, while flexible, doesn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for conversions by default.

Let’s fix that.

In this article, we’ll walk you through five proven ways to optimise your WooCommerce checkout and reduce drop-off – based on what we implement for clients in our WooCommerce consultancy.

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Step 1: Simplify the Checkout Layout

The default WooCommerce checkout can feel cluttered – especially on mobile.

Here’s what works better:

• One-column layout (not two side-by-side)
• Fewer required fields (only what’s necessary)
• Autofill enabled for address and payment fields
• A progress indicator if using multi-step checkout

Fix it with:

• Checkout Field Editor plugin
• CartFlows or CheckoutWC for prebuilt, optimised flows

Pro tip: Remove distractions – no header navigation, no unnecessary links. Keep users focused.

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Step 2: Add Trust Signals – Fast

Your visitors are about to hand over their money. Reassurance is key.

Add these trust signals near the payment CTA:

• Secure checkout badges (SSL, PCI-compliant)
• Payment method icons (Visa, PayPal, Klarna, etc.)
• Satisfaction or money-back guarantee
• Star ratings / reviews (especially if relevant to the checkout process)

According to Baymard’s checkout study, lack of trust is a top reason users abandon carts – even after investing time.

We often bundle this into our Conversion Rate Optimisation services for WooCommerce clients.

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Step 3: Enable Guest Checkout

Forcing account creation before checkout is conversion poison.

Yes, customer accounts help with retention, but let them convert first — then upsell account benefits post-purchase.

To enable guest checkout in WooCommerce:

• Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Accounts & Privacy
• Tick: “Allow customers to place orders without an account”

Then follow up post-purchase with a “Create an Account” email as part of your Email Marketing strategy.

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Step 4: Optimise for Mobile UX

Mobile accounts for 60–80% of ecommerce traffic – but WooCommerce checkouts can break down here.

Focus on:

• Large input fields and buttons
• Sticky “Pay Now” CTA on long pages
• Apple Pay / Google Pay integrations
• Auto-formatting for credit card and postcode fields

Test your full checkout flow on different devices and operating systems. What works on your desktop doesn’t always work on an iPhone 13 Mini.

Use tools like BrowserStack or Hotjar for testing and insights.

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Step 5: Reduce Unexpected Costs

According to Baymard, 48% of people abandon carts due to unexpected costs – usually shipping or taxes.

Here’s how to address it:

• Be upfront about shipping costs (or offer free shipping thresholds)
• Use real-time shipping calculators pre-checkout
• Display total cost clearly, including tax

If you’re running discount codes or bundles, make sure pricing updates instantly in the cart.

Want to take this further? Our Retention & Loyalty services can help turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.

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Bonus: A/B Test Everything

What works for one WooCommerce store might not work for another. That’s why we recommend testing:

• Checkout layout (one-step vs multi-step)
• Button copy (“Place Order” vs “Complete Purchase”)
• Discount placements
• Trust badge designs

Use tools like:

• VWO for testing
• Google Optimize (sunsetted, but replaced by GA4 experiments)

Combine this with GA4 ecommerce tracking to measure the full funnel impact.

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Final Thoughts on WooCommerce Checkout Optimisation

Checkout drop-off is one of the easiest (and most profitable) things you can fix in WooCommerce.

Don’t settle for the default. The brands that grow faster are the ones who obsess over the boring bits – and checkout is one of them.

Want a second pair of eyes on your WooCommerce checkout? Explore our WooCommerce Consultancy
Or book a free discovery call and we’ll pinpoint what’s costing you sales