A frequent request from small business owners aiming to enhance their online stores involves simplifying the checkout procedure. Each additional step between adding an item to the cart and finalizing the order introduces the risk of abandoned carts and diminished sales.
One effective method for increasing sales involves bypassing the WooCommerce cart page, sending shoppers directly to checkout. Optimizing your online store’s checkout process can potentially raise conversion rates by as much as 35%.
This guide offers a clear, step-by-step process for bypassing the cart page in WooCommerce. We will also provide advice on how to implement this change without negatively affecting the customer experience.
Skipping the WooCommerce Cart Page: Is It Right for Your Store? 🛒
If your WooCommerce store primarily sells a single product, bypassing the cart and routing customers directly to the checkout can significantly improve sales.
Similarly, for businesses that book appointments or offer services, directing customers immediately to the WooCommerce checkout simplifies the process.
However, if your online store features a diverse range of products and customers commonly add multiple items to their cart before purchasing, maintaining both the cart and checkout pages may be preferable.
Alternatively, you might consider implementing a one-click WooCommerce checkout option. This approach provides customers with the choice of adding the item to their cart or proceeding immediately to payment.
Another valuable solution is integrating a WooCommerce mini cart that appears as a slide-in from the side. This allows customers to view their cart contents without navigating away from their current page, offering both speed and convenience.
If you’ve determined that bypassing the cart page is right for your store, we’ll explore two methods to achieve this. Select the approach that aligns with your specific needs.
- Option 1: Use FunnelKit + CartHopper Addon (More Customizable)
- Step 1: Install the FunnelKit Plugins
- Step 2: Remove the Cart Page
- Step 3: Customize Your Checkout Page
- Option 2: Use Direct Checkout Plugin (Free Method)
- Best Practices for Skipping the WooCommerce Cart
- Frequently Asked Questions About Skipping the Cart Page And Redirecting to Checkout
Important: Prior to following either tutorial in this guide, ensure you have a working WooCommerce store. If one is not yet set up, consult our comprehensive WooCommerce tutorial.
Option 1: Use FunnelKit + CartHopper Addon (More Customizable)
This method suits store owners prioritizing complete control over checkout and actively seeking to lower cart abandonment. FunnelKit enables a fully customized WooCommerce direct checkout experience tailored to your requirements.
Step 1: Install the FunnelKit Plugins
This solution requires three WooCommerce plugins:
- FunnelKit Funnel Builder Pro
- FunnelKit Funnel Builder (free version)
- FunnelKit CartHopper add-on (free)
These first two plugins work in conjunction, aiding you in designing a high-converting, visually appealing checkout page.
The Pro version is a paid option. Nevertheless, its powerful tools for tailoring the checkout process, refining sales funnels, and integrating upselling elements like one-click order bumps make it a worthwhile investment.
Alternatively, the CartHopper plugin, available for free, allows you to bypass the cart entirely and take shoppers right to the WooCommerce checkout.
Interested in a more detailed exploration of FunnelKit’s capabilities? Read our comprehensive FunnelKit review.
Begin by installing and activating each of the three plugins through your WordPress admin panel. Consult our tutorial on WordPress plugin installation if you require assistance.
Next, navigate to FunnelKit » Settings within your WordPress dashboard.
Click on the ‘License’ tab in the left column and enter your license key. You can find your license key in your account on the FunnelKit website.
After entering your key, select ‘Activate’ followed by ‘Save Changes.’ You are now prepared to begin tailoring your checkout process.
Step 2: Remove the Cart Page
To skip the cart page in WooCommerce, go to FunnelKit » CartHopper. Here, you’ll discover all the settings required to tailor your cart’s behavior and implement a direct checkout redirect.
Simply activate the ‘Enable SkipCart for all Products’ option. With this enabled, the cart page will be bypassed, and users will be routed to the WooCommerce checkout whenever they select the ‘add to cart’ button.
This basic configuration provides a streamlined checkout process for WooCommerce. The plugin also provides additional features for refining the customer experience.
Beneath the primary setting, there are options to designate specific product categories or individual products that should retain the standard cart and checkout flow. Enter the names of the relevant categories and products in the provided fields to exclude them from the direct checkout.
Additionally, you have the ability to modify the ‘Add to cart’ call to action to align better with your site’s branding.
Although the default is “Buy Now,” you may want to use alternate text such as “Purchase Now” or “Checkout Instantly”. To help lower cart abandonment, consider adding a sense of urgency.
For finer-grained control, establish specific rules by selecting ‘Add Rule.’
A modal window will subsequently appear.
Within this window, specify if the rule pertains to ‘Any of these’ or ‘All of these’ items in the cart.
As an example, if you are selling a hat, choosing ‘Any of these’ will bypass the cart if a buyer purchases only the hat, or the hat combined with other items.
However, selecting ‘All of these’ will only skip the cart if shoppers buy the precise combination of items specified, such as a hat and a scarf together.
Additionally, you can choose to enable or disable cart behavior for the rule, and tailor the add-to-cart button specifically for the selected items.
If you have several checkout pages defined, you can also designate which WooCommerce checkout page should be used for particular products. After you have configured your rule, select ‘Add Rule.’
The modal window will then close.
Remember to select ‘Save Changes’ so that your new settings are applied on your WooCommerce store.
Step 3: Customize Your Checkout Page
While steps 1 and 2 are technically sufficient, why install a robust funnel plugin without leveraging its full capabilities?
To tailor your checkout page, go to FunnelKit » Store Checkout. Then, switch to the ‘Store Checkout’ tab and click the ‘Create Store Checkout’ button.
FunnelKit provides various checkout templates. These are easily modified using the block editor, or with page builder plugins such as Divi or Bricks.
Choose your preferred editing platform at the top, and then preview any checkout template by clicking ‘Preview’.
The majority of FunnelKit templates contain a checkout page, along with upsell and thank you pages designed to boost sales.
When you discover a template that meets your needs, simply select the ‘Import This Funnel’ button.
The next step involves naming your checkout. This is helpful for monitoring different checkout funnels, especially if you’re running multiple versions for distinct products or customer segments.
After you have named your checkout, select ‘Done.’
To edit the checkout page, click on the checkout name above the ‘Add Order Bump’ button.
Subsequently, you’ll find a variety of settings that allow you to personalize the checkout page.
In the ‘Design’ tab, click ‘Edit … Template’ to customize the design using the editing platform of your choice.
We go into more detail about these customization steps in our guide on how to customize the WooCommerce checkout page.
If you scroll down the page, you can also customize the sections and fields required on the checkout page.
By default, the Checkout Form includes sections for Contact Information (Email) and Shipping Address (First Name, Last Name, Shipping Address, Billing Address, Phone). While these default fields work well for most online stores, you can customize them further by clicking on any field.
To adjust the Shipping Address, for example, simply select it.
A popup window will appear, giving you the ability to customize the fields within that section according to your requirements.
Within the First Name field editor, you have the ability to modify its label, insert placeholder text for clarity, and designate the field as either mandatory or optional.
Feel free to implement any number of alterations to the form fields according to your needs.
After you have completed customizing the form fields, navigate to the bottom of the screen and select the ‘Update’ button.
The ‘Optimizations’ section presents further options designed to enhance the overall checkout process.
As an example, activating express checkout streamlines payment processing through platforms like Apple Pay and Google Pay. This allows customers to complete transactions with greater speed.
For comprehensive instructions, refer to our dedicated guide on integrating express checkout buttons within WooCommerce.
Additionally, consider setting up automatically applied coupons. These are coupon codes applied automatically as users proceed through checkout.
To configure this, go to ‘Auto Apply Coupons,’ choose ‘Yes’ for ‘Auto Apply Coupon,’ then input the desired coupon code. If desired, disable the coupon field. Click ‘Save’ to confirm.
The ‘Prefill Form for Abandoned Users’ setting presents another practical enhancement.
When enabled, this automatically fills in previously inputted information when users revisit the checkout page following an abandoned cart email, simplifying purchase completion.
Simply click ‘Yes’ in the ‘Enable’ option and click ‘Save.’
By navigating to the ‘Settings’ tab, you gain the ability to incorporate custom code, such as tracking scripts.
If you are tracking WooCommerce conversions, this is where you can insert your relevant scripts. Our WooCommerce conversion tracking guide provides more in-depth information.
After you’ve completed your desired adjustments, select ‘Enable Store Checkout.’
That completes the process! Now, selecting the Buy Now button on product pages redirects users to your streamlined checkout page.
Expert Tip: FunnelKit provides options for customizing your WooCommerce thank you page after purchase.
For increased cross-selling and enhanced customer loyalty, see our guide on creating custom WooCommerce thank you pages.
Option 2: Use Direct Checkout Plugin (Free Method)
The Direct Checkout For WooCommerce plugin by QuadLayers offers a straightforward solution, with fewer customization settings than FunnelKit, to guide shoppers to checkout.
Begin by installing and activating the plugin. Consult our guide on WordPress plugin installation if needed.
Next, navigate toWooCommerce » Direct Checkout. You’ll notice a new Direct Checkout tab in your WooCommerce settings page, starting with the General section.
Ensure that the ‘Added to cart redirect’ setting is set to ‘Yes.’
Subsequently, in the ‘Added to cart redirect to’ setting, choose ‘Checkout’ from the available options. After adding to cart, customers will be immediately sent to checkout.
Additionally, there are optional configurations available, such as the ‘Added to cart alert’ setting.
Upon adding a product, shoppers typically see a message confirming the addition and offering a cart link. Setting this option to ‘Yes’ redirects that link directly to the checkout page.
Another setting, ‘Added to cart link in shop,’ dictates where the ‘View cart’ link in your store leads. Setting this to ‘Yes’ will bypass the cart and go straight to checkout.
It’s crucial to thoroughly test these settings. A direct checkout can be faster, but some customers prefer reviewing their cart.
The ‘Replace cart url’ setting can safely remain as ‘No’ since it’s not essential.
Remember to save the changes you made by clicking the ‘Save Changes’ button.
Let’s now switch to the ‘Archives’ tab.
Here, you can tailor the appearance of the ‘add to cart’ button on your WooCommerce shop page.
Enable the ‘Replace Add to cart text’ setting by selecting ‘Yes’ to change the cart button.
Next, select the WooCommerce product types for which you want to modify the text, such as simple, grouped, variable, virtual, and downloadable products.
These represent WooCommerce’s default product types; additional types might appear if you’ve installed plugins.
Finally, personalize the ‘add to cart’ text to encourage immediate action, such as using ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Purchase Instantly’.
After making your selections, remember to click ‘Save Changes.’
Next, proceed to the ‘Products’ tab. This area resembles the previous one, but it manages the cart page and redirection behavior on individual product pages.
You can set ‘Replace Add to cart text’ to ‘Yes’ and customize the button text in the appropriate field.
Optionally, proceed to the ‘Checkout’ tab. Within this area, you can eliminate specific checkout fields to streamline the WooCommerce checkout process.
For instance, you might remove the shipping address fields if you exclusively offer digital items, conceal the checkout policy statement, and make other adjustments as necessary.
And that’s essentially all there is to it! You can now experience your WooCommerce store as a customer to assess the functionality of the direct checkout process.
When customers click the add to cart button, they’ll skip the shopping cart completely and go straight to checkout.
Best Practices for Skipping the WooCommerce Cart
Although configuring direct checkout for WooCommerce is relatively simple, bear in mind these key points to guarantee its optimal performance for your online store:
- Payment methods – Certain payment gateways might not function seamlessly when bypassing the cart page. Consult our guide on top WooCommerce payment gateways for WordPress to select options compatible with direct checkout.
- User experience – Upon removing the cart page, monitor how this alteration influences your customers’ shopping patterns. Think about activating customer tracking and implementing post-purchase questionnaires to collect feedback.
- Performance impact– While bypassing the WooCommerce cart can make checkout faster, ensure your online store is optimized for speed to provide a seamless shopping experience.
- Security– A quicker checkout process must not sacrifice security. Protecting your store by learning how to prevent fraudulent and fake orders in WooCommerce is essential.
- Clear Your Cache– After configuring direct checkout, clear both your website and browser caches. This guarantees that the updates are live and visible to your customers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Skipping the Cart Page And Redirecting to Checkout
Here are some common questions that our readers ask before they remove the cart page and redirect to checkout:
Will skipping the cart page hurt my SEO?
No, bypassing the cart page will not directly harm your SEO. Search engines prioritize factors like site speed, mobile compatibility, and content quality. A faster, simplified checkout can enhance user experience, which positively impacts SEO.
Can I still offer coupon codes if I skip the cart page?
Yes, definitely. The default WooCommerce checkout page contains a field designated for coupon codes.
Is it possible to skip the cart page for only certain products?
Yes, FunnelKit’s CartHopper addon lets you define conditions to exclude specific products or categories from the cart-skipping functionality. This is ideal if you offer both individual items and products typically purchased together.
Can I easily go back to the standard cart and checkout process?
You retain complete control; you can always undo these changes. Within either plugin’s configuration panel, deactivating the cart-skipping functionality will immediately restore the default WooCommerce process, reinstating the separate cart page.
Hopefully, this tutorial clarified the process of bypassing the WooCommerce cart and proceeding directly to checkout. You might also be interested in our guide on displaying frequently purchased bundles and our curated list of the top WooCommerce automation tools to increase revenue.
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