How to improve checkout and payment processes to increase conversion?

On average, 70% of visitors abandon a webshop during the checkout process without completing their purchase. This means that for every 10 people who add products to their cart, only 3 actually pay. A painful reality that virtually every webshop faces.

The cause? Often it's not about your products, prices, or marketing. The problem lies in the final and most crucial moment of the customer journey: the checkout itself. A slow, unclear, or complicated checkout drives away potential customers, and therefore your revenue...

The good news is that you have direct control over this. By optimizing your checkout and payment processes, you can significantly increase your conversion rate without spending extra budget on marketing or acquisition. In this blog, we share the five biggest pitfalls in checkout processes and provide concrete solutions you can implement right away.

The problem

Every extra step in your checkout is an opportunity for doubt. Does someone have to go through four or five different screens before the payment is complete? Then the chance increases that they'll drop off along the way. The longer the process, the greater the frustration and the temptation to check out the competition after all!

The solution

Radically simplify your checkout flow. Aim for a maximum of three steps: address details, shipping method, and payment. Or go for a one-page checkout where all information is displayed on one clear screen.

Start with a critical look at your current process. Which fields are truly necessary and which can you leave out? For example, don't ask for a phone number if you're not using it for order updates anyway. Use automatic address completion based on postal code and house number to save typing and prevent errors.

Hyvä Checkout offers exactly this flexibility for Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce webshops. You can choose a one-page checkout or a streamlined multi-step flow, fully tailored to how your customers prefer to check out. Thanks to the leaner codebase and modern technology, the checkout also loads significantly faster than traditional Magento checkout solutions.

The problem

"Create an account first to continue." This sentence costs you an average of 25% of your conversions. Customers want to check out quickly, especially when buying something impulsively or when they have little time. A mandatory registration feels like an unnecessary barrier standing between them and their purchase.

The solution

Eliminate mandatory account creation. Offer guest checkout prominently, preferably as the default option. Customers who do want an account can always choose that, but don't force it on anyone.

The smartest approach is to give customers the choice after their order. Display a simple option on the confirmation page where they can check whether they want to create an account. They then only need to enter a password and they're done. Link this to concrete benefits such as "Easily track your order online" or "Returns become much easier". This feels much less forceful and increases the chance that people will say yes anyway, precisely because they're already satisfied with their purchase at that moment.

You can also consider offering login via social media for those who want it, so that the process is at least effortless.

The problem

Imagine you're almost done checking out and then suddenly the shipping costs turn out to be much higher than expected. Or extra administrative fees appear out of nowhere. These kinds of surprises are one of the biggest reasons why people abandon their cart. It feels like a lack of honesty, and you won't regain that trust easily.

The solution

Transparency is essential here. Display the total price including shipping costs directly in the cart or even on the product page. No unexpected surcharges during checkout, no fine print afterwards. Customers appreciate honesty and are much more likely to proceed when they know exactly what to expect.

Also use visual elements such as an order summary that remains visible throughout the checkout process. This way customers can see at any time what they're paying and for what. This small adjustment can make a big difference in how safe people feel during checkout.

The problem

We live in a world where speed is the norm. If your checkout page loads slowly or doesn't work smoothly, you lose customers faster than you think. Every second of delay costs you conversions. Technical problems such as error messages, non-functioning buttons, or a checkout that crashes on mobile only make it worse.

The solution

Ensure your checkout loads lightning-fast, even on mobile devices. Test regularly whether everything works as it should, on different browsers and screen sizes. A stable, error-free checkout is the foundation of trust!

Not sure where to gain performance improvements? At PHPro, we conduct technical audits that map out exactly where your Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce webshop is slowing down and where optimizations are possible. From frontend to backend, we analyze your complete platform and provide concrete recommendations for improvement.

For those who truly want to invest in speed and future-proofing, a complete frontend optimization with Hyvä Themes is often the best choice. Hyvä replaces the heavy traditional Magento frontend with a modern, lean codebase built on Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js. The result? Loading times that are up to 50% shorter, better SEO scores, and a checkout experience that customers truly appreciate. Hyvä Themes is also available for free, making it an accessible option for every Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce project.

Besides these five main problems, there are several other important aspects that can elevate your checkout to the next level.

Build trust during checkout

People want to feel safe when paying online. Therefore, display trust signals during checkout, such as security certificates, quality marks, and clear return policies. Show that you're a reliable party.

Social proof can also help. Customer reviews or mentions of well-known brands you work with provide extra reassurance. And don't forget to make your contact details clearly visible, so customers know they can quickly reach you with questions or problems.

Integrate with your ERP for seamless order processing

An efficient checkout doesn't end with payment. Ensure your checkout integrates seamlessly with your ERP system so orders flow directly to your back office. This prevents manual work, reduces the chance of errors, and ensures customers receive their orders faster.

At PHPro, we regularly help connect Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce webshops to ERP systems, so your checkout is not only fast and user-friendly, but also perfectly aligned with your internal processes.

Win back lost customers with smart automation

Even with the best optimized checkout, some customers will abandon their cart. That doesn't have to be a definitive loss. With smart email marketing and marketing automation, you can still recover a large portion of these lost conversions.

An automated abandoned cart flow sends a reminder at the right time to customers who have abandoned their cart. These emails achieve an average open rate of 39% and a click-through rate of 23%, much higher than standard marketing emails. The key lies in timing and personalization: a first friendly reminder after 2 to 4 hours, a second with possibly a small discount after 24 hours, and a final reminder after 48 hours.

At PHPro, we regularly help set up marketing automation integrations between Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce and platforms like HubSpot, Active Campaign, or Klaviyo. This way you can not only automate abandoned cart flows, but also send welcome sequences and personalized product recommendations based on customer behavior.

The beauty of this approach is that it works while you sleep. Once properly set up, the automation runs independently and recovers missed revenue every day.

Not all optimizations require the same amount of time or investment. Some adjustments can be implemented relatively quickly with immediate results, while others have a longer lead time but deliver lasting value.

Quick wins you can implement fast

• Enable guest checkout if it's not already available
• Display shipping costs early in the process, preferably in the cart
• Remove unnecessary form fields from your checkout
• Test your checkout on mobile and resolve any issues immediately
• Add trust signals such as security certificates and quality marks

These adjustments take little time but can already noticeably improve your conversion.

Structural improvements for sustainable growth

More comprehensive optimizations require a larger investment, but the impact is also greater and more lasting.

• Implement Hyvä Checkout for Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce to combine speed and flexibility
• Optimize your complete frontend with Hyvä Themes to structurally reduce loading times
• Integrate advanced payment options and connect with your ERP system where needed for seamless order processing
• Build in A/B testing to continuously optimize
• Connect your webshop with a marketing automation platform like HubSpot or Klaviyo to automatically follow up on abandoned carts and bring customers back to checkout

These improvements require more preparation and development time, but result in a checkout that not only performs better now, but is also future-proof.

You only know if your optimizations work when you measure the results. It's essential to continuously monitor your checkout performance and adjust where necessary.

Important metrics to track

• Conversion rate: the percentage of visitors who actually complete their purchase
• Abandoned cart rate: how many people abandon their cart without paying
• Average loading time of your checkout pages: where they spend the most time and therefore potentially encounter obstacles
• Exit rate per step: at what point in the checkout do people drop off
• Use of payment methods: which options are chosen most frequently

By monitoring these metrics, you can quickly see where improvements are needed and which adjustments have an effect.

A/B testing for continuous optimization

Test different versions of your checkout to see what works best. For example, try a one-page checkout versus a multi-step checkout, or test different form fields and call-to-action buttons.

A/B testing helps you make data-driven decisions instead of guessing. Small adjustments can sometimes have a major impact, and all you need to do is measure and compare.

An optimized checkout isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Every visitor who abandons their cart without paying is lost revenue. And often it's precisely small adjustments that make the difference between a customer who drops off and a customer who buys.

Start with the quick wins. Enable guest checkout, be transparent about costs, simplify your forms, and test whether everything works smoothly. These steps take little time but deliver immediate results.

Want to truly make a difference? Then invest in structural improvements such as Hyvä Checkout for your Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce webshop, faster loading times through a complete frontend migration to Hyvä Themes, and continuous optimization based on data.

At PHPro, we've been helping webshops optimize their platforms for maximum conversion for 15 years. Whether you want to improve your current checkout, are considering a complete Hyvä implementation, or want to know where your biggest gains can be achieved, we're happy to think along with you.

Ready to take the next step?

• Request a demo of Hyvä Checkout and discover how it can improve your conversion;
• Schedule a technical audit to see where your webshop can achieve performance gains;
• Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about checkout optimization.