/Advertising
Question
Getting clicks and add-to-carts but nobody completes checkout - what could be causing this?
Posted by •11/2/2025
This is driving me insane. My ads are performing well, people are clicking, adding products to cart, but then they just... don't buy.
My stats from the last week:
- Ad spend: $340
- Link clicks: 312
- Landing page views: 287
- Add to carts: 23
- Purchases: 2
So I'm getting an 8% add-to-cart rate which seems solid, but only 2 people actually completed checkout out of 23 who added to cart. That's like a 91% cart abandonment rate.
I'm selling a skincare tool (jade roller + gua sha set) for $34.99. The product page looks good to me - I have photos, a description, some bullet points about benefits. Checkout is standard Shopify checkout.
What could be making people add to cart but then not buy? Is this normal? Should I be retargeting them or is there something wrong with my checkout that's making them leave?
I'm so close to sales but something is stopping them at the last step and I can't figure out what it is.
My stats from the last week:
- Ad spend: $340
- Link clicks: 312
- Landing page views: 287
- Add to carts: 23
- Purchases: 2
So I'm getting an 8% add-to-cart rate which seems solid, but only 2 people actually completed checkout out of 23 who added to cart. That's like a 91% cart abandonment rate.
I'm selling a skincare tool (jade roller + gua sha set) for $34.99. The product page looks good to me - I have photos, a description, some bullet points about benefits. Checkout is standard Shopify checkout.
What could be making people add to cart but then not buy? Is this normal? Should I be retargeting them or is there something wrong with my checkout that's making them leave?
I'm so close to sales but something is stopping them at the last step and I can't figure out what it is.
3 Replies
•11/2/2025
OMG you guys are totally right. I just went through my own checkout and:
1. Shipping shows up as $7.99 at checkout (not mentioned on product page)
2. It DOES require creating an account
3. Shipping estimate says "14-21 business days" in red text
4. I only have credit card as payment option
No wonder people are abandoning! This is like a masterclass in what NOT to do lol. Going to fix all of this today. Thank you!!
1. Shipping shows up as $7.99 at checkout (not mentioned on product page)
2. It DOES require creating an account
3. Shipping estimate says "14-21 business days" in red text
4. I only have credit card as payment option
No wonder people are abandoning! This is like a masterclass in what NOT to do lol. Going to fix all of this today. Thank you!!
•11/2/2025
just want to add that for skincare/beauty products you NEED to have a clear return policy and skin-safe messaging. like "dermatologist recommended" or "hypoallergenic" or whatever applies.
people are putting this on their face, they need to feel safe about it. if your site doesnt address that concern youre gonna get a ton of cart abandonment even if everything else is perfect
people are putting this on their face, they need to feel safe about it. if your site doesnt address that concern youre gonna get a ton of cart abandonment even if everything else is perfect
•11/2/2025
91% cart abandonment is REALLY high - average is around 70% but you should be aiming for 50-60% max. Something is definitely broken in your checkout flow.
**Here are the most common checkout killers for skincare/beauty products:**
1. **Shipping cost surprise** - You say "$34.99" but does that include shipping? If they get to checkout and see "Shipping: $8.99" they'll bounce instantly. Beauty products are impulse buys - any friction kills the impulse.
2. **Delivery time** - Skincare is personal and immediate. If your checkout says "Ships from China, 15-20 days" you're done. Women buying jade rollers want them for this weekend, not next month. You need to either offer faster shipping or hide the long timeline better (not ideal but reality).
3. **No social proof at checkout** - Checkout page is where anxiety peaks. Do you have trust badges, "30-day money back guarantee", reviews visible? For beauty products especially, women want reassurance this isn't going to ruin their skin.
4. **Account creation requirement** - Are you forcing people to create an account? HUGE mistake. Enable guest checkout immediately.
5. **Payment options** - Credit card only? You're losing 30%+ of buyers. Add PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay. Beauty buyers love Shop Pay.
6. **Mobile checkout experience** - 80% of your traffic is probably mobile. Go through checkout on your phone RIGHT NOW. Does it load fast? Are the form fields easy to tap? Any weird layout issues?
**Quick test:** Go to your store on your phone, add the product to cart, and try to check out. Don't actually buy, just see where YOU would hesitate or get annoyed. That's where your customers are abandoning.
Also, for skincare specifically - do you have before/after photos? Real customer results? This stuff sells on transformation and trust. If your product page is just stock photos from the supplier, that could be why people add to cart (interested) but don't buy (not convinced).
**Here are the most common checkout killers for skincare/beauty products:**
1. **Shipping cost surprise** - You say "$34.99" but does that include shipping? If they get to checkout and see "Shipping: $8.99" they'll bounce instantly. Beauty products are impulse buys - any friction kills the impulse.
2. **Delivery time** - Skincare is personal and immediate. If your checkout says "Ships from China, 15-20 days" you're done. Women buying jade rollers want them for this weekend, not next month. You need to either offer faster shipping or hide the long timeline better (not ideal but reality).
3. **No social proof at checkout** - Checkout page is where anxiety peaks. Do you have trust badges, "30-day money back guarantee", reviews visible? For beauty products especially, women want reassurance this isn't going to ruin their skin.
4. **Account creation requirement** - Are you forcing people to create an account? HUGE mistake. Enable guest checkout immediately.
5. **Payment options** - Credit card only? You're losing 30%+ of buyers. Add PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay. Beauty buyers love Shop Pay.
6. **Mobile checkout experience** - 80% of your traffic is probably mobile. Go through checkout on your phone RIGHT NOW. Does it load fast? Are the form fields easy to tap? Any weird layout issues?
**Quick test:** Go to your store on your phone, add the product to cart, and try to check out. Don't actually buy, just see where YOU would hesitate or get annoyed. That's where your customers are abandoning.
Also, for skincare specifically - do you have before/after photos? Real customer results? This stuff sells on transformation and trust. If your product page is just stock photos from the supplier, that could be why people add to cart (interested) but don't buy (not convinced).