22 Cart design guidelines

Many buyers begin the purchase process but do not finish it in one session, especially Mobile users when they use smartphones and are often interrupted by various distractions. As a result, if you don't have a persistent shopping cart, such buyers will have to start shopping from the beginning next time.

It's good practice to include all important information about the product added to the cart to let users know for sure that this is exactly what they want to buy.

If added to cart products have different product variants, let's say different colors, product image thumbnail should always show the exact product variant chosen by a shopper.

If you don't do that, when someone wants to change the quantity, they will have to click on the "Update cart" button, which is actually unnecessary if you have automatic updates.

"Edit cart" and "Update cart" buttons are just examples of bad UX of shopping carts where users have to take unnecessary actions.

Here is how bad UX looks: If you don't have selectors and don't automatically update the cart, users will have to do 3 unnecessary actions: Click on the quantity input field → . Write the desired quantity of items → Click on the "Update cart" button.

The most desired action on the cart page is when users proceed to Checkout. That's why prominent CTA is the essential part of the cart page. Without a CTA, the user experience dead ends when shoppers are ready to proceed to checkout.

The main rule for a copy of each CTA-button on the store is to explain what will happen after they click on it clearly.

In recent years, it became trendy to add express checkout buttons (Paypal, Amazon, Google Pay, etc.) on the Cart pages of e-commerce stores, and there are many obvious reasons for that.

Firstly, it greatly simplifies the checkout process for those shoppers already used to pay with these payment options (usually, contact forms on the store are auto-populated based on the data that is already saved in the account in a payment system).

When shoppers are already on the cart page, they think about proceeding with the checkout process. Showing them that they can pay with different payment methods can nudge them to the next step and reassure them that they can pay for the goods with these payment options.

In the last years, it became trendy to offer payments by installments, making it easier for shoppers to buy expensive products without big one-time spendings. It's especially very relevant for stores that are selling high-priced items.

It's common to place subtotal price near the Checkout button. Shoppers are used to it and know where to look for that information. Moreover, before clicking on the button, they will often want to see the order's total cost. That's why you shouldn't break the pattern.

Based on Baymard Research, 64% of users look for shipping information on the product page. I believe that the percentage of shoppers looking for that information on the cart page is even higher, as they are already one step closer to checkout. Therefore, you need to have shipping information on the cart page.

The majority of e-commerce stores offer free shipping after a certain threshold. In this case, free shipping works as an additional incentive to buy more products and significantly improve a store's average order value and revenue.

If shoppers understand that they don't have any risks when purchasing your products, it will be much easier for them to complete orders. If they understand that they can easily get a refund and return or exchange an item, it can decrease the fears associated with shopping on your website.

By the time shoppers reach the cart page, they already made a relatively firm commitment to proceed with the purchase. So your task is straightforward: streamline the process. It means that you should remove all distractions that can make shoppers change their minds and add information to persuade them to complete orders.

If you give your shoppers time to think, they can delay making purchases. Sometimes the delay will be short. Sometimes it will be long, so they even forget about the product and the offer altogether.

A very effective way of persuading users to make a purchase right now is by creating a sense of urgency. If you have any discounts or special offers in your store, you can always make them time-limited and notify users about that. That way, you will add a sense of urgency.

When a product or service is limited in availability, then it becomes more attractive to shoppers. When they understand that it's limited and others also desire it, it creates fear of missing out, persuading shoppers to act fast. Human psychology is such that we are prone to purchase something when we know that it's the very last one or that a special offer will expire soon.

This is a controversial thing and this, of course, is not suitable for all stores. But if done wisely and in a suitable context, it can significantly increase average order value and overall revenue.

If you are selling just one or a few items in your store, it's not relevant for you. But if you are selling hundreds of similar or complimentary items or you want to motivate shoppers to browse more products, this advice can be valuable and can increase average order value and total revenue.

It's hard to make shoppers trust you if you are not a well-known brand. One of the important factors here is to show clear contact information, so they will understand there are real people behind the store and they are ready to help in case of any concerns or problems.

Shoppers hate unexpected costs when they reach the checkout process. When they see a subtotal price on the cart page, they expect that it will remain the same on the checkout process (except for shipping charges), but when they see any additional costs there, it creates a lot of friction and frustration.

The more cluttered the cart page, the more cognitive load your shoppers will have. The greater the cognitive load, the more difficult it is to make decisions. Therefore it's crucial to have a simple and clean design of the cart page that is not cluttered with many distracting elements.