The Shopify Cart Abandonment Fixes We'd Make First
Baymard Institute's average of dozens of studies puts online cart abandonment at about 70%. You'll never get that to zero, because many shoppers are only browsing. But Baymard found that a good share of abandonment comes from problems a store can fix.
Published Mar 5, 2025. Author: Ecomm Guys. 4 min read.
Key Points
- Baymard's average documented cart abandonment rate is about 70%.
- In Baymard's survey, 42% of US shoppers said they abandoned because they were just browsing.
- Nearly 1 in 5 abandoned because checkout was too long or complicated, and 18% because they didn't want to create an account.
- Baymard estimates large sites can gain about 35% in conversion rate through better checkout design.
- On Shopify, start with guest checkout, express wallets, clear delivery dates, and costs shown early.
Where the 70% Comes From
Baymard Institute keeps a running list of published cart abandonment studies and averages them. The result is about 70%. In other words, roughly seven of every ten shoppers who add something to their cart leave without buying.
Baymard is clear that a large part of this is normal. In its survey of US online shoppers, 42% said they had abandoned a cart because they were just browsing or not ready to buy. People use carts to save items, compare prices, and plan gifts. Set that group aside when you look at checkout.
The Part You Can Fix
Once browsing is set aside, the reasons Baymard found are about the store itself. Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers said they abandoned because checkout was too long or complicated. In a separate survey of 1,026 US adults, 18% said they abandoned an order because they didn't want to create an account.
Baymard estimates that most checkouts could show 20% to 60% fewer form fields, and that the average large ecommerce site could gain about 35% in conversion rate through better checkout design alone. Those are averages across many large sites, so read them as a sign of how much room there usually is.
What We Fix First on Shopify
Shopify's checkout is already shorter than most custom checkouts, which helps. The issues we see usually sit around it.
- Offer guest checkout so customer accounts are optional. Baymard recommends guest checkout as the most prominent option.
- Keep express wallets such as Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay visible on the cart and product pages, so returning shoppers can skip typing.
- Show a delivery date or range in place of a speed such as 'standard shipping', as Baymard recommends. Use shipping method names and descriptions that say when an order will arrive.
- Show shipping costs or a free shipping threshold early, on the product page and cart, so shoppers know the total before checkout.
- If you offer local pickup or local delivery, show it alongside shipping in checkout so every fulfilment option is in one place.
Look at the Cart Too
Many Shopify themes now use a slide-out cart. That can be fast, but check what it shows. A good cart lists the item, variant, price, any discount, and the shipping threshold. It also has one clear checkout button.
Upsell blocks, countdown timers, and app badges can crowd the cart on a phone. If your cart has three or more apps adding content, test a simpler version. Also check that discount codes can be entered without hunting for the field, and that the cart updates correctly when a shopper changes a quantity.
Measure Before and After
Shopify's analytics show sessions that reached the cart, reached checkout, and completed an order. Note those rates for the last 30 days before you change anything. Make one change at a time where you can, wait long enough to get a fair sample, and compare. Fixes that remove friction usually show up in the cart-to-checkout and checkout-to-order steps.
Try Your Own Checkout
Place a test order on your phone as a new customer this week. Time it, count the fields, and note every point where you hesitated. Then work through the list above, starting with anything that forces an account, hides shipping costs, or leaves delivery dates vague.
Want us to review your Shopify cart and checkout? Book a call with our team.
Sources
- Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics Baymard Institute
- Current State of Checkout UX Baymard Institute, November 2024