The hard work is done. Your SEO strategy worked, your ad copy was perfect, and the customer has added your product to their basket. They are ready to pay. And then... silence. They leave.
The average shopping cart abandonment rate is nearly 70%. For a UK business, that is money pouring down the drain. While there are many reasons users leave, a clunky, slow, or confusing checkout process is the primary culprit.
Generic e-commerce platforms often force you into a rigid checkout structure. At Custom Coded Websites, we build bespoke checkout flows using Django and Stripe that are engineered to reduce friction and maximise revenue. Here is our checklist for a high-performance checkout.
1. Mandate Guest Checkout
Forcing a user to create an account before buying is the number one reason for abandonment. Customers want the product, not a relationship.
The Fix: Always offer "Checkout as Guest." We can code the backend to create a "shadow account" automatically, allowing you to prompt them to set a password after the purchase is complete (on the Thank You page). This captures the sale first and the data second.
2. Automated UK Postcode Lookup
Typing out a full address on a mobile phone is tedious and error-prone. If a customer mistypes their postcode, your courier fails, and you deal with the support ticket.
We integrate powerful APIs (like Google Places or specialized UK address finders) directly into the checkout form. A user types "SW1A..." and selects their address from a dropdown. This reduces keystrokes by 80% and ensures 100% data accuracy for your logistics team.
3. Enclosed Checkout (The "Payment Tunnel")
Once a user enters the checkout flow, they should not be able to navigate away easily. This is not the time for them to check your "About Us" page or browse other categories.
We remove the main navigation menu and footer links during the checkout phase. This design pattern, known as the "Payment Tunnel," removes distractions and focuses the user entirely on one task: completing the purchase.
4. Multiple Payment Options (Digital Wallets)
In 2025, typing in a 16-digit credit card number feels archaic. Mobile users expect to pay with a thumbprint.
By using Stripe within our custom Django environment, we can seamlessly integrate Apple Pay and Google Pay. This allows customers to pay in seconds without ever reaching for their wallet. The easier it is to pay, the harder it is to abandon the cart.
5. No "Shipping Shock"
Unexpected costs at the final step cause immediate distrust. If you add £5.99 for shipping only after they have entered their address, they are likely to leave.
We recommend a "Zip Code Calculator" on the cart page itself, or flat-rate transparency. With a custom build, we can use IP geolocation to estimate shipping costs before the user even starts the checkout flow, maintaining trust throughout the journey.
6. Inline Validation (Real-Time Feedback)
There is nothing more frustrating than filling out a form, clicking "Pay," and the page reloading with red error messages at the top.
We use JavaScript to provide inline validation. If a user enters an invalid email format or misses a field, they get a gentle nudge immediately, right next to the field. This "positive friction" guides them to success without the frustration of a page reload.
7. Security Reassurance
With cyber fraud on the rise, UK consumers are cautious. A generic template checkout often looks suspicious.
Your checkout page must display trust signals prominently. This includes SSL padlocks, "Secure Checkout" badging, and payment processor logos (Visa/Mastercard) near the credit card field. On a custom web application, we can style these elements to fit your brand perfectly while maintaining the highest security standards.
Conclusion: Friction Costs Money
A checkout flow is a delicate balance of psychology and technology. Every extra second of loading time and every unnecessary form field reduces your profit margin.
Stop losing sales to a bad user interface. Let's build a checkout flow that converts.
Contact Custom Coded Websites today to audit your current checkout process and discover how a custom solution can increase your revenue.