What is Accordion Checkout?
Accordion checkout is an approach to eCommerce website design in which each checkout step expands as you progress. A fusion of one-step checkout and multi-step checkout, accordion checkout is gaining popularity among top eCommerce sites after being popularized by Apple and Sephora.
The Pros of Accordion Checkout
One of the pros of Accordion checkout is that it is intuitive. Only one section is shown at a time, while the others remain hidden. When step one is completed the next step is revealed without having to reload the page. This approach is clean, clear and unobtrusive, allowing users to see the number of steps to complete from the get-go and enabling them to focus on one section at a time while remaining on the same page.
When is Accordion Checkout Effective?
Accordion checkout can be particularly effective for the purchase of mid-to-high range items and for mobile or tablet shopping experiences.
However, if you’re considering implementing an accordion style checkout, make sure that the customer returns to the previous accordion section when and if they decide to hit the back button on the browser. Failing to do so, as well as failing to store the data during each step-transition, can be a great source of frustration for the customer and lead them to abandon the cart altogether.
Accordion Checkout Optimization
The aim of every checkout process is to reduce cart abandonment and increase purchase completions. Since the majority of shopping cart abandonments take place on the checkout page, eCommerce sites need to find the optimal usability to secure more purchases. Smart eCommerce sites continuously A/B test and optimize different payment layouts, designs, form field messages, calls to action and more, and use machine learning to automatically apply the best performing variations. Ensuring that you have an optimized checkout process will help you reduce cart abandonments to a minimum and increase conversion at this critical stage of the purchase journey. Click to learn more about Dynamic Yield’s eCommerce personalization and optimization solutions.
