Do named checkout steps as a path to completion lift conversion?

Our desktop checkout gave visitors no clear finish line. We added a breadcrumb that named each step: vehicle validation, confirm registration and last step. Over 15 days, conversion rose 12.2%.

Won Desktop 15 days Called at 90%

SURFACE

Checkout

DEVICE

Desktop

VERTICAL

Ecommerce (B2C)

PRIMARY METRIC

Conversion rate

VARIATIONS

1

The hypothesis

By giving visitors a clear finish line in checkout, we will show how close they are to done, resulting in more completed registrations.

A progress bar had helped on mobile checkout but lost on desktop. This version adapted the idea to the wider desktop page, naming each step so visitors could see exactly what was left.

What we changed

Named steps shown as a breadcrumb path to completion

We added a breadcrumb to the top of the desktop checkout page with 3 named steps: vehicle validation, confirm registration and last step. It adapted the mobile progress bar to better fit the desktop layout.

VAR A: STEPS + GOAL LINE

Breadcrumb added at the top of checkout
3 named steps, ending with Last Step

The result

Named checkout steps lifted conversion 12.2%

CONVERSION RATE

+12.2%

Over 15 days, the version with named steps converted 12.2% better than the original. Early results were strong from the first week, and the lift cleared our confidence bar. We implemented the winning version on desktop.

What we took from it

Desktop visitors finished more often when each step had a name

A plain progress bar had lost on desktop checkout. Naming the steps told visitors what each one was for and that they were on the last one, which gave them a clear goal line without adding clutter.