Checkout optimization covers all measures that make an online shop's ordering process – from cart to order confirmation – faster, simpler and more trustworthy. The goal is to reduce purchase abandonment and increase the conversion rate.
The checkout is the online shop's till. Just like in a supermarket: if the queue is too long or the card terminal too complicated, customers leave their full trolley behind. Checkout optimization ensures the path from "add to cart" to "order completed" runs as smoothly as possible.
Why do I need checkout optimization?
The checkout is the final and most sensitive stage of the customer journey: on average, around 70% of all shopping carts are abandoned (Baymard Institute). Common reasons are unexpected costs, forced account creation, long forms, missing payment methods and technical problems. Because visitors dropping out here were already ready to buy, improvements to the ordering process are usually among the most effective conversion measures of all – described in detail in our article on checkout optimization and reducing cart abandonment. Even small improvements act directly on revenue here, without having to buy additional traffic.
Practical relevance for shop owners
Effective levers operate on three levels. First, the process: offer guest checkout, reduce steps, limit form fields to the essentials, make progress visible. Second, payment and trust: payment methods relevant to the target group (in B2B commerce, for example, purchase on account), transparent shipping costs from the cart onwards, trust seals and clear contact options. Third, the technology: short loading times on mobile devices too – measurable via Core Web Vitals – plus robust form validation with understandable error messages. Express payment options such as wallet buttons can shorten the process further for returning customers.
Checkout optimization is not a one-off project but an ongoing process: payment habits, devices and customer expectations change, and every assortment or system change can introduce new hurdles into the ordering process. Shop systems such as Shopware 6 ship with solid standard checkouts; the potential usually lies in adapting them to your target group – for example the order of steps, the payment method selection and the mobile presentation. Our article on conversion optimization covers broader measures.
Common mistakes
- Forced registration: Requiring an account before purchase is one of the most common reasons for abandonment.
- Hidden costs: Shipping costs or fees that only appear in the last step cost trust and completed orders.
- Too many mandatory fields: Every unnecessary form field increases the likelihood of abandonment, especially on mobile.
- Distractions in the checkout: Banners, pop-ups or a full navigation draw attention away from completion.
- Optimizing without data: Changes based on gut feeling instead of analytics and A/B tests often lead in the wrong direction.
What to look out for
The foundation of any optimization is measurement: where exactly do users drop out – cart, address entry, payment selection? Only then is targeted testing of individual measures worthwhile. Legal requirements are also part of the checkout in Germany: complete price information including VAT and shipping costs, correct order button labelling, and from June 2026 the withdrawal button for consumer contracts concluded online. B2B shops add requirements such as purchase on account or approval workflows. A structured shop check systematically uncovers typical weaknesses in the ordering process.
Even a few targeted measures – guest checkout, transparent shipping costs, fewer mandatory fields – noticeably improve the ordering process in our experience. Measure before and after every change instead of turning many dials at once.