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Basket and checkout UX checklist

The checkout is where small problems cost the most. These checks look for surprise costs, forced accounts, long forms and anything that makes people doubt the payment step.

If you only do three things

  1. Let people check out as a guest. Offer an account after the order, not before it.
  2. Show the full total, including delivery, as early as you can.
  3. Cut every form field you don't need, and use the right keyboard for each one on phones.

Checks written for basket and checkouts (8)

Your wordsShoppers can't see delivery cost or timingSurprise delivery costs are a common reason people give up at the checkout.TrustPeople can't see a guarantee or returns promiseA clear guarantee or returns promise takes the risk out of buying. Without one, some people will hold back.TrustPeople may pay more than the price shownThe law requires prices to include any fees people can't avoid, and you could be fined. Surprise costs also lose sales and trust.TrustNothing at payment says it's safe to payPeople worry most when they type in their card details. With no reassurance, some will leave without paying.Easy to useShoppers can't see how they can payPeople who want Apple Pay, PayPal or pay later check before they start. If they can't see it, some leave.Easy to useYour basket hides the total or the next stepThe basket is where people check the total. If the cost or next step is unclear, they leave without buying.Easy to useShoppers have to create an account to buyBeing forced to sign up is one of the most common reasons people give up on a purchase.Easy to usePeople can't tell how many steps are leftPeople are more likely to finish when they know how much is left. Not knowing makes some give up.

General checks that matter most here (23)

Your wordsYour forms don't explain what they need or whyA short hint stops people getting stuck, and saying why you need their details helps them trust you.TrustYour company details are missing from the footerThe law requires UK limited companies to show their registered name, number and office on their website. Careful customers look for them too.TrustThere's no privacy policy or terms pageMissing legal pages put careful customers off. If you collect people's details, the law requires a privacy policy and you could be fined.TrustPressure messages like 'only 2 left' look fakeFake-looking urgency puts people off. The law treats misleading urgency as unfair, and you could be fined.TrustPeople can't easily say no to cookies or marketingThe law requires an equally clear way to say no, and pre-ticked boxes don't count as consent. You could be fined, and it feels sneaky.TrustYour 'no thanks' wording makes people feel guiltyButtons like 'No, I don't like saving money' annoy people and make your business look pushy.Easy to useOn phones, everything useful is hidden behind the menuFewer people open a hidden menu. If your main button is in there, you're likely losing enquiries.Easy to useOn phones, your headline is pushed out of sightA phone screen is small. If a big image or awkward layout fills it, people don't see what you do.Easy to usePeople on phones can't call you with one tapLocal customers on phones often want to ring straight away. If they can't, some will call someone else.Easy to useParts of your page look broken on phonesOverlapping or cut-off content makes your business look careless, and people may struggle to use the page.Easy to usePeople don't realise they can swipe for moreIf nothing hints at more off to the side, people don't swipe and miss what's there.Easy to useYour form asks for more than it needsEvery extra question puts some people off finishing. Fewer finished forms means fewer enquiries.Easy to usePeople forget what each form box is forThe grey hint text vanishes as people type, so they lose track and can't check their answers. Some give up.Easy to useYour form is hard to followA muddled form takes longer and causes mistakes, so fewer people finish it.Easy to usePeople can't tell which form boxes they can skipIf people don't know what they can leave blank, they fill in everything or give up.Easy to useA puzzle on your form puts people offPicture puzzles and wobbly text annoy real customers, and some people with poor eyesight can't do them at all.Easy to useButtons are too small to tap on phonesSmall or crowded buttons cause mis-taps, which frustrates everyone and shuts out people with shaky hands.Easy to useYour page shows up tiny on phonesPhones show a shrunken version of your desktop page, so people have to pinch and zoom. Many will leave instead.Easy to useYour page slides sideways on phonesWhen the page is wider than the screen it feels broken, and people may lose trust or leave.Easy to useYour form asks for too muchEvery extra box to fill in is another reason to give up before sending you an enquiry.TrustYour copyright year is out of dateAn old year makes people wonder if you're still trading, and some may go elsewhere.TrustBrowsers warn people your site is not secureBrowsers label your site "Not secure". Many people will leave rather than get in touch or pay.TrustNo small logo in the browser tabWithout one, a blank or generic icon shows in the tab, which makes your site look unfinished.

Checklists for other pages

Check your basket and checkout automatically

AgoraScan runs these checks on your page in about 2 minutes, with screenshots of anything it finds. The first scan is free.

Free. No account or card needed. Results in about 2 minutes.