Introduction
Checkout friction is a core piece of Cart & Checkout. This lesson explains what it is, why it matters for Shopify merchants, and how to approach it without wasting effort.
Key concepts
- What checkout friction actually means for a Shopify store
- How checkout friction connects to revenue, not vanity metrics
- The signals merchants can measure this week
- Where checkout friction fits in the Orbit Growth OS
Examples
- A scaling apparel brand fixing checkout friction on their top 10 pages
- A home goods merchant using checkout friction to unlock repeat purchases
Best practices
- Start with evidence — audit before you change checkout friction
- Prioritize the highest-traffic surfaces first
- Document decisions so the team can repeat them
- Measure the outcome, not just the output
Common mistakes
- Copying tactics from stores that look nothing like yours
- Optimizing checkout friction without a baseline metric
- Changing too many variables at once
Summary
Checkout friction is a foundation, not a finish line. Treat checkout friction as an ongoing practice and connect every change to a metric you already trust.
Related resources
Suggested next lesson
Mobile conversion