Every e-shop has abandoned carts. Baymard Institute's long-running research puts the average at roughly seven in ten carts never completed. Some of that is normal: people comparing prices, using the cart as a wishlist, just browsing. But another part is customers who wanted to buy and were pushed away by the shop.
That second part is the one you can fix.
First, measure where they leave
Before changing anything, get visibility. In GA4 (or whatever analytics you use) make sure view_cart, begin_checkout, add_shipping_info, add_payment_info and purchase are tracked correctly. That shows you which step loses the most people.
Then add:
- Session recordings (Microsoft Clarity is free) to watch real customers get stuck.
- Failed payment logs from your payment provider.
- Questions from phone and chat: "I can't complete the order", "how much is shipping?". Write them down.
Different step, different problem. If people drop at the shipping step, cost is the likely culprit. If they drop at payment, it is probably technical or about trust.
The usual suspects
1. Unexpected costs
The number one reason in every survey: shipping, a cash-on-delivery fee or other charges appearing only at the end. The customer feels tricked.
Fix:
- Show the shipping cost or free-shipping threshold on the product page and in the cart.
- Add a simple shipping estimator to the cart.
- Show the COD fee next to the option, not afterwards.
2. Forced account creation
"Create an account to continue" is one of the surest ways to lose a first-time buyer. Offer guest checkout and suggest creating an account after the order is placed, with one password field and one click.
3. Long or confusing forms
Every field is friction. For each one, ask: do I actually need this to ship the order?
- One or two name fields, but not "Title", "Father's name" or "Date of birth".
- VAT number and invoice details only when the customer ticks "I need an invoice" (common in Greece for business buyers).
- Address line 2 and company as optional, collapsed by default.
- Do not ask for the phone twice or for a confirmation email field.
4. Their payment method is missing
If the customer is looking for cash on delivery, instalments or IRIS and cannot find it, they leave. We covered this in our guides to payment methods in Greece and IRIS payments.
5. Slow or vague delivery
"When will I get it?" If the answer is not obvious, the customer goes to someone who gives one. Show an estimated date or range ("delivered Thursday–Friday"), plus courier and locker options.
6. Technical problems
This is where we find most of the quick wins when we audit a checkout:
- JavaScript errors that break the place-order button in specific browsers.
- Error messages that do not say what is wrong ("Invalid value").
- Postcodes rejected because of a space.
- A coupon that silently resets the shipping choice.
- Slow checkout loading because of heavy plugins and scripts.
- A redirect to the payment provider that does not come back properly after 3D Secure.
7. Lack of trust
Especially for smaller and newer shops. What helps:
- Visible company details and a contact phone number.
- A short note on your returns policy near the pay button.
- Reviews (Skroutz, Google) if they are good.
- Recognisable payment and courier logos.
Do not cover the page with "security badges" that mean nothing. Greek shoppers recognise their bank, Visa, ACS and Skroutz. Those are the signals that count.
8. Distractions
Checkout is no place for newsletter pop-ups, promo banners and a full navigation menu. A simplified header, a logo that links back, and nothing that pulls the customer out of the flow.
9. The coupon field
A big, prominent "Coupon code" box sends customers without a code off to Google to hunt for one. Sometimes they find one; often they do not, and they never come back. Turn the field into a discreet link ("Have a discount code?") that expands on tap, and if a promotion is running, apply it automatically.
One page or several steps?
Both work if they are built well. What matters is:
- The customer knows where they are and how many steps remain.
- Their details are not lost if they go back.
- The order summary (items, costs, total) is always visible.
On WooCommerce, the checkout blocks are a big improvement over the old shortcode checkout. On Shopify, checkout is already well optimised and the work is mostly in settings and the apps you bolt on.
Recovering those who leave
Even with a perfect checkout some people will go. An abandoned cart reminder email, sent to shoppers who gave their email and consent where required, is one of the highest-return automations there is. Keep it simple: what they left, a button back to the cart, and a way to contact you if something went wrong.
Checklist
- Funnel events tracked correctly in analytics
- Shipping cost visible before checkout
- Guest checkout
- Only essential fields, invoice details as an option
- The main Greek payment methods
- A clear delivery estimate
- Clear error messages
- A monthly test order on iPhone, Android and desktop
- No pop-ups or distractions in checkout
- An abandoned cart recovery email
The bottom line
Checkout abandonment rarely has a single cause. It is usually a stack of small frictions, and each one you remove brings back sales you had already earned. If you want a second pair of eyes on your checkout, take a look at our payments and checkout service or get in touch.