How Can a Complicated Checkout Page Design Sabotage Your Sales?

Running a small business means you’ve put in the hard yards on your online store. Your customer finds a product, tosses it in the cart, and goes to checkout. Should be easy—except sometimes it’s not.

That checkout step is where a lot of stores lose customers without even knowing it. A slow, clunky, or confusing checkout can make people bail at the last minute. And honestly, it happens way more than you think.

Let’s break down exactly how a complicated checkout could be costing you money and what you can do about it.

Why Your Checkout Page Really Matters

When someone gets to your checkout page, it only means that they’re already interested. They’ve said “yes” to your product. Now, they just need a simple way to pay and confirm their order.

But here’s the thing: People are easily put off if the final steps feel too hard. If they’re asked to fill in too many details, if things don’t load properly, or if they’re not sure what’s happening next, they’ll leave.

And they often don’t come back.

In fact, research from the Baymard Institute shows that almost 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned, and a big chunk of those are abandoned due to checkout issues.

So, even if your website looks great and your marketing is strong, a poor checkout experience can undo all your good work.

What Makes a Checkout Page “Too Complicated”?

There are a few common problems we see in checkout designs. These may seem small on their own, but together, they can seriously impact your conversions.

• Asking for too much information
• Forcing account sign-up
• Surprise costs at the end
• Confusing design or poor navigation
• Not mobile-friendly
• Poor error messages

What a Smooth Checkout Should Look Like

A well-designed checkout feels easy and reassuring. It doesn’t distract or confuse people—it simply helps them finish what they came to do.

Here are some features of a good checkout:

• Simple layout with as few steps as possible
• Guest checkout is the default option
• Only essential form fields
• Clear summary of items and total cost (including shipping and tax)
• Multiple payment options (like credit card, PayPal, Afterpay, etc.)
• Trust badges and secure payment symbols
• Mobile-friendly design that loads fast

If you can get those basics right, you’re already ahead of the game.

How Does a Complicated Checkout Page Affect Your Business?

It’s not just one sale you might be losing when a customer drops off at checkout. The effects can simultaneously happen across your business website in ways you might not immediately see.

A confusing checkout page can quietly kill your revenue, your reputation, and your long-term growth. Here’s how:

1) Lower Conversion Rates

Your checkout is where people make their final decision. Even if your marketing worked beautifully, your products are top-notch, and your site looks the part – if the checkout causes friction, all that effort can go to waste.

And when conversion rates drop, it doesn’t just affect this week’s numbers. Over time, it means fewer orders, less cash flow, and slower growth. It’s a silent sales killer.

Think of it like this: if 1,000 people add items to their cart, but only 200 complete their purchase, what if better design could convert even 50 more? That’s a direct impact on your bottom line.

2) Higher Cart Abandonment

You might be pouring cash into Google Ads, Facebook, or email campaigns to bring people in. But if they drop off at checkout, that money’s wasted. Fixing checkout can seriously improve your marketing ROI.

3) Frustrated Customers Don’t Come Back

Today, shoppers have plenty of options. A rough checkout could push them toward competitors — even if they liked your product. And they might tell friends to avoid your site too. That trust? Hard to win back.

4) More Support Headaches

Confusing checkouts lead to more customer support requests — calls, emails, and chats from folks stuck or unsure. That’s time and money spent fixing problems that better design could’ve avoided.

How to Fix Your Checkout Without Starting Over

Good news: you don’t need a full website rebuild to sort this out. Try these steps:

• Test it yourself on desktop and mobile. Is it slow? Confusing? Ask friends or customers for honest feedback.

• Check your data. Use Google Analytics or tools like Hotjar to see exactly where people drop off.

• Cut the clutter. Remove unnecessary form fields, combine steps, and nix distractions like ads during checkout.

• Add trust signals. SSL certificates, secure payment icons, and consistent branding make a difference.

• Try A/B testing. Small tweaks like button placement or wording can move the needle.

• Get a pro’s eye. If you’re stuck, a conversion-focused agency like Chromatix can find hidden issues and fix them.

Conclusion

Look—this stuff works. I remember a client back in 2022 who was losing heaps of sales at checkout. We simplified their form, added PayPal, and cleaned up surprise fees. Within a month, their completed orders jumped 18%. No new ads needed.

Your checkout isn’t just a page. It’s where sales either happen or slip away.

If you want a hand making your checkout a real sales machine, give us a call at Chromatix. We specialise in building websites that actually convert.

So, how’s your checkout feeling right now? Think it’s helping or hurting your sales?