A plain list of text-based product recommendations in an empty cart feels uninspiring and easy to ignore. Without engaging visuals, users may not feel compelled to continue shopping.
Use high-quality, branded imagery to highlight collections or best sellers in the empty cart space. This visually reinforces your brand while making products more appealing, encouraging users to explore and complete a purchase.
- Your cart abandonment rate is above 70% and empty cart page has high bounce rates (80%+)
- Analytics show users spend less than 10 seconds on your empty cart page before leaving
- Your empty cart currently shows basic text recommendations or generic "continue shopping" buttons
- You're running Shopify, WooCommerce, or similar platform with customizable cart templates
- Your store has at least 20+ products and established best-sellers or featured collections
Transform your empty cart into a visual shopping opportunity with these platform-specific steps:
- Shopify Implementation: Navigate to Online Store > Themes > Edit Code. Locate
cart.liquidorcart-empty-state.liquidtemplate. - Design Specifications: Use high-resolution product images (minimum 800x800px) with consistent aspect ratios. Create a grid layout showing 4-6 products on desktop, 2-3 on mobile.
- Content Strategy: Feature your top 3 collections or best-selling products. Include product titles, prices, and quick "Add to Cart" buttons beneath each image.
- Code Structure: Replace existing empty cart content with:
<div class="empty-cart-suggestions">
<h2>You might love these</h2>
<div class="product-grid">
{% for product in collections['featured'].products limit: 6 %}
<div class="product-card">
<img src="{{ product.featured_image | img_url: '400x400' }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
<h3>{{ product.title }}</h3>
<p>{{ product.price | money }}</p>
<button onclick="addToCart({{ product.variants.first.id }})">Add to Cart</button>
</div>
{% endfor %}
</div>
</div>
Timeline: 2-3 hours for basic implementation, additional 1-2 hours for mobile optimization and testing.
- Empty Cart Engagement: Track time on page increase of 40-80% and bounce rate reduction of 15-25%
- Cart Recovery Rate: Measure visitors who add products after viewing empty cart (target 8-15% improvement)
- Revenue from Empty Cart: Monitor conversion value generated from empty cart product clicks
- Results Timeline: Expect initial improvements within 1-2 weeks, with full impact visible after 4-6 weeks of data collection using Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce or Shopify Analytics
- AVOID: Using low-quality or inconsistent product images that look unprofessional and hurt brand perception. BEST PRACTICE: Maintain consistent lighting, backgrounds, and image dimensions across all suggestions.
- AVOID: Showing too many products (10+) that overwhelm users and create decision paralysis. BEST PRACTICE: Limit to 4-6 carefully curated products that represent your best offerings.
- AVOID: Generic "Continue Shopping" buttons that provide no clear direction. BEST PRACTICE: Use specific CTAs like "Add to Cart" or "Shop [Collection Name]" for each product.
- AVOID: Forgetting mobile optimization where cramped layouts make products unclickable. BEST PRACTICE: Test on mobile devices and ensure minimum 44px touch target sizes.
Get A Free Website Audit.
We’ll identify what’s leaking revenue on your site and show you how to fix it. The free audit includes:
Similar Guidelines
Let Customers Reinforce Your Brand—Handpick the Right Reviews
Your brand story is powerful, but when real customers validate it, it becomes even more compelling. A generic review section won't reinforce your brand's unique attributes as effectively as a curated one.
Your About Us Page is a Branding Powerhouse—Make It Count
In today's market, people don't just buy products—they buy into brands. Your About Us page isn't just a background story; it's a critical touchpoint for shaping how users perceive your brand.
Visually Brand Your About Us Page—Let Design Drive Engagement
A wall of text won't capture attention or communicate your brand effectively. If your About Us page isn't visually engaging, you're missing a key opportunity to leave a lasting impression.
Tell the Story Behind Your Product's Creation
Customers love knowing the "why" behind a product. If they understand the problem you set out to solve and the journey of creating it, they're more likely to feel connected to your brand.
Make Your Mission Clear and Impactful
A strong mission statement gives customers a reason to believe in your brand beyond just the products you sell. If your mission isn't clearly communicated, you miss an opportunity to create deeper connections.
Share Your Brand Story—Make It Memorable
Customers don't just buy products—they buy into stories. A compelling brand story helps differentiate you from competitors and creates a deeper connection with your audience.
Highlight Your Brand Promise—Set the Standard
Customers want to know what they can expect from your brand consistently. A strong brand promise sets clear expectations and reassures users that they're making the right choice.
Showcase Your Company Values—They Matter to Your Customers
Consumers want to support brands that align with their beliefs. If your values aren't clearly stated, you miss the chance to connect with like-minded customers who care about more than just the product.
Highlight Your Founder Story—Make it Personal
People don't just buy products—they buy into stories. A faceless brand feels transactional, but a compelling founder story makes your business more relatable and memorable.
Align Your Copy with Your Brand's Tone for Maximum Impact
If your About Us page sounds generic or off-brand, it weakens your message. Every word should reinforce your brand's personality and make users feel like they're engaging with a distinct, authentic voice.
Add an FAQ Section to Keep Users Engaged
Visitors often have questions about your product, policies, or brand. If they can't find answers quickly, they may leave to search elsewhere—or worse, abandon the purchase entirely.
End with a Strong Purchase Reminder
Users may scroll through your landing page, absorb the content, and then leave without taking action. If your page lacks a clear final CTA, you're missing an opportunity to convert engaged visitors.
Showcase Customer Reviews for Instant Trust
Visitors are more likely to trust what other customers say about your brand than what you say about yourself. Without a reviews section, potential buyers may hesitate, unsure if your product delivers on its promises.
Feature User-Generated Content (UGC) High on the Page
Consumers trust real people more than brand messaging. If your landing page lacks authentic customer content, potential buyers may hesitate, unsure of how your product performs in real life.
Showcase Press Mentions for Instant Credibility
New visitors may hesitate to trust your brand, especially if they haven't heard of you before. Without external validation, they might doubt your legitimacy or expertise.
Clearly Communicate Your Competitive Edge
If your product is in a competitive niche, users will compare you to alternatives. If you don't clearly state why you're the better choice, they may leave for a competitor that does.
Make Buying Easy with Clear Product Displays
If users have to navigate multiple pages—Product Detail Page (PDP), Cart, and Checkout—just to make a purchase, they may drop off before completing their order. A complicated journey leads to lost sales.
Showcase Your Brand & Values
Consumers aren't just buying products—they're buying into brands. Many users consider a company's values, mission, and ethics before making a purchase. If your brand story isn't highlighted, you may miss out on value-driven buyers.
Use Visual Storytelling to Communicate Instantly
Users process visuals faster than text. If your landing page relies only on copy to explain who you are, you risk losing visitors before they engage.
Make Actions Visually Prominent
If users struggle to find your key actions—whether it's shopping, signing up, or booking—they'll likely leave without converting. A buried or unclear CTA leads to lost sales.
Clearly Communicate Product Benefits
Visitors don't just care about what your product is—they care about what it does for them. If your landing page only lists features without tying them to real benefits, users may not see the value.
Build Landing Pages with Intent
Many businesses create landing pages simply because competitors have them or because it feels like a necessity. But without a clear strategy, these pages can become generic, misaligned with user intent, and ineffective at driving action.
Clearly Define the Problem Your Product Solves
Never assume users instantly understand why they need your product. If they can't quickly identify the problem it solves, they may lose value and leave without engaging.
Highlight Shopping Benefits to Remove Friction
Uncertainty about shipping costs, return policies, or payment options can create hesitation and cause users to abandon their purchase. If key shopping benefits aren't clearly stated, potential buyers may leave instead of taking action.
Highlight Social Proof Upfront
Visitors often hesitate to take action without reassurance that others trust your brand. If they can't see proof of your credibility early on, they may leave without engaging.
Highlight Awards & Recognitions Upfront
New visitors may not immediately trust your brand. Without clear proof of excellence, they might hesitate to engage or purchase.
Use Badges to Instantly Boost Credibility
Visitors may hesitate to buy if they're unsure about your brand's credibility or product quality. Without visible trust signals, users might leave without taking action.
Showcase 3-4 Key USPs Upfront
If visitors don't quickly understand what makes your brand and product unique, they'll struggle to see why they should choose you over competitors. A lack of clear differentiation can lead to lost opportunities.
Lead with a Clear, Solution-Focused Hero
When users land on your page, they need to know instantly what it's about and how it matters to them. A vague or cluttered hero section creates confusion and increases bounce rates.
Use Countdowns to Drive Urgency
Visitors often delay taking action, thinking they have time to decide, shop around, or think it over. Without a compelling reason to act now, many disappear and never return.
Craft a High-Impact Hero Section
When visitors land on your page, they quickly decide whether to stay or leave. If your hero section doesn't instantly communicate your brand, value, and differentiation, they'll likely bounce.
Make Categories Clickable for Easy Navigation
If category labels are not clickable, users may get frustrated trying to tap subcategories or navigate backward. This adds unnecessary friction and slows down the shopping experience.
User Experience, Technical Performance
When collection and product links look the same, users may struggle to differentiate between browsing a category and selecting a specific product. This can lead to frustration and an inefficient shopping experience.
Add a Primary Action in Mobile Navigation
On mobile, users may feel overwhelmed by multiple navigation options, leading to indecision and drop-offs. If they can't quickly determine where to go next, they may abandon the session entirely.
Use Visual Elements in Mobile Navigation
On mobile, text-only navigation can feel overwhelming and hard to scan. If users can't quickly grasp what each link leads to, they may hesitate or drop off.
Optimize Mobile Dropdowns for Quick Access
On mobile, opening all dropdowns by default creates a cluttered, overwhelming experience. But if everything is closed, users may not realize what's available, leading to frustration.
Maintain a Clear Visual Hierarchy in Mobile Navigation
If your mobile navigation lacks a clear structure, users will struggle to find what they need. Poor visual hierarchy leads to confusion, frustration, and increased drop-offs.
Add a "Shop All" CTA for Easy Browsing
Some users may not know exactly what they want or might struggle to choose from the categories provided. If they don't see a clear all-in-one shopping option, they may leave instead of exploring further.
Upgrade to Branded Mega Menus
Traditional dropdown menus can feel dull, overwhelming, or hard to scan. If your navigation lacks visual appeal and organization, users may struggle to find what they need and leave.
Keep Navigation Branded for a Lasting Impression
Navigation isn't just functional—it's an opportunity to reinforce your brand. A generic or plain navigation menu misses the chance to remind users who you are and what you stand for.
Nest Links Under Dropdowns to Reduce Clutter
A long list of links on mobile can overwhelm users, making it harder for them to find what they need. Cluttered navigation leads to frustration and higher bounce rates.
Add Descriptions to Navigation Dropdowns
If users only see category names in your navigation without context, they might not fully understand what's inside each collection. This can lead to hesitation, unnecessary clicks, or users abandoning the search.
Use Collections as Main Navigation Dropdowns
If your store has a large number of SKUs, listing individual products in dropdowns will overwhelm users and make navigation cluttered. This slows down browsing and creates decision fatigue.
Make Categories Clickable for Easy Navigation
If category labels are not clickable, users may get frustrated trying to tap subcategories or navigate backward. This adds unnecessary friction and slows down the shopping experience.
User Experience, Technical Performance
When collection and product links look the same, users may struggle to differentiate between browsing a category and selecting a specific product. This can lead to frustration and an inefficient shopping experience.
Get Creative with Product Collections
Standard category-based navigation can feel rigid and may not always align with how users think about their needs. If products are only grouped traditionally, some users may struggle to find what's most relevant to them.
Prioritize Primary Shopping Links
If all links in your navigation look equally important, users may struggle to find the main shopping paths. When primary and secondary links compete for attention, it creates confusion and slows down decision-making.
Streamline Navigation by Limiting Links
A crowded navigation bar can overwhelm visitors, making it harder for them to find what matters. Too many options create decision fatigue, leading to frustration and higher bounce rates.
Keep Promo Banners Relevant & Actionable
A promo banner is prime real estate, but if it's filled with vague, irrelevant, or generic messaging, it becomes noise rather than a conversion driver. Visitors will ignore it or get distracted from the main offer.
Keep Desktop Navigation Clean for Large SKU Catalogs
If you have a large number of SKUs, adding images to your desktop navigation can create visual overload, slowing down the browsing experience and making it harder for users to find what they need.
Always Include a Primary CTA on Desktop
Without a clear and relevant Call-to-Action (CTA), visitors may not know what to do next. A missing or weak CTA leads to confusion, hesitation, and lost conversions.
Display Cart Total Clearly
If users can't easily see their cart total, they may hesitate, feel uncertain about their purchase, or abandon their cart altogether. Hidden or unclear totals create unnecessary friction.
Keep Navigation Clean with Dropdowns
A cluttered navigation bar overwhelms users and makes it harder for them to find what they need. Too many options can create friction, leading to frustration and drop-offs.
Display Total Price on Checkout Button
If users don't see their final total on the checkout button, they may second-guess their purchase, go back to review, or abandon the cart altogether. Uncertainty creates friction in the buying process.
Show a Clear Cart Total Breakdown (But Keep It Collapsible)
Users want to understand their total cost, but displaying subtotal, taxes, shipping, and savings all at once could make the cart. Too much information upfront can be overwhelming.
Reinforce Shopping Benefits Below Checkout CTA
Users may hesitate at checkout due to security concerns or uncertainty about your policies. If they don't feel assured, they might second-guess their purchase and abandon their cart.
Make Upsells Easy to Add to Cart
If users have to go through multiple steps to add an upsell item, they're less likely to complete the action. Complicated buying processes kill momentum and reduce conversion rates.
Use Upsells in Cart to Boost AOV
Once users are in the cart, they're already shown intent to buy. If there's no strategic upsell, you may miss easy opportunities to increase order value.
Keep Upsells Relevant to Cart Items
Generic upsells feel pushy and irrelevant, leading to user frustration or ignored promotions. If the recommendations don't logically fit with what's in the cart, it won't drive conversions.
Keep Upsell Cards Short & Impactful
Overloading upsell cards with too much information can make the cart look cluttered and overwhelming. If users are bombarded with details, they may ignore the upsell entirely.
Upsell "Subscribe & Save" Directly in the Cart
If a user has added a product as a one-time purchase, they may not realize there's a subscription option that offers more value. If they have to go back to the product page to switch, they are less likely to do it.
Keep Your Cart Fast & Lightweight
A slow or clunky cart experience can frustrate users, leading to abandoned purchases. Overloading your cart with heavy JavaScript or third-party apps can delay interactions, making it harder for users to proceed smoothly to checkout.
Keep Your Cart Clean & Easy to Scan
A cluttered or poorly structured cart makes it hard for users to review their selections and adjust their order, creating friction on what should be a simple process for readying to order to check out.
Make Cart Actions Simple & Intuitive
If users struggle to update quantities, remove items, or make changes in the cart, they may abandon their purchase out of frustration. A clunky cart experience creates unnecessary friction.
Incentivize Bigger Carts with Threshold Rewards
Users often hesitate to add more items to their cart, especially if they feel they're spending too much. Without a compelling reason, they may checkout with fewer products or abandon their cart altogether.
Make the Checkout CTA Loud, Clear & Sticky
If users have to scroll to find the Checkout button, they may get distracted or second-guess their purchase, creating unnecessary barriers to completing a purchase.
Reinforce "Subscribe & Save" in the Cart
If a user adds a "Subscribe & Save" product to their cart, but the checkout isn't clearly labeled, they may think they're making a one-time purchase or get confused and miss signing up to potential subscriptions available.
Make Incentive Thresholds Clear & Actionable
If users don't know how close they are to unlocking free shipping, a bonus, or discount, they may not be motivated to add more products. This can leave revenue on the table as opportunities may pass over.
Display Cart Item Count for Clarity
Users need a clear visual cue to know how many items they have in their cart. If they can't see their selection or gauge how their cart is growing, they may lose track of their purchase or second-guess their checkout experience.
Use Empty Cart Space to Guide Users
An empty cart is a dead end if left blank. Instead of letting users leave, use this space to guide them back into shopping mode.
Use Branded & Clear Imagery in Empty Cart Suggestions
A plain list of text-based product recommendations in an empty cart feels uninspiring and easy to ignore. Without engaging visuals, users may not feel compelled to continue shopping.
Add a "Shop All" Option in Empty Cart
Some users may not have a specific product in mind but are still interested in browsing. If your empty cart only suggests a few collections, they might feel limited in their choices.
Make Collection Names Readable in Empty Cart Suggestions
If collection names in the empty cart section lack contrast or are difficult to read, users may miss key product recommendations, reducing the effectiveness of this space.
Make Collection Pagination Easy to Use
If pagination is clunky or hard to navigate, users may struggle to explore beyond the first page, leading to missed products and lost sales. Poor pagination can create friction and lead to abandoned searches.
Auto-Scroll Users to the Top on Pagination
When users click on pagination options that aren't scrolled back to the top, they may feel lost or assume the page hasn't updated. This damages the shopping experience and creates frustration from having to manually scroll up.
Use a Single-Column Layout on Mobile for Info-Rich Products
If your products require detailed descriptions, specs, or key features, cramming them into mobile can make the information feel cramped and harder to read. User may miss crucial information.
Optimize Desktop Collections with a 3-4 Column Layout
If desktop collections use too few columns, products take up unnecessary space, forcing users to scroll excessively. This can make browsing feel tedious and drawn out.
Use a 2-Column Layout for Info-Light Products
If your products don't require detailed descriptions or specs, a traditional single-column layout wastes space and slows down browsing. Users shouldn't have to scroll endlessly to find what they need.
Display "Starting at" Pricing for Variant-Based Products
If product prices vary by size, material, or other variants, showing a single price on product cards can mislead users. If they click expecting a lower price and see a higher one, they may feel frustrated and bounce.
End Collections with a Branded Section
Some users land directly on collection pages without seeing your homepage or brand messaging. If collections end abruptly without reinforcing your brand, you miss an opportunity to educate and connect.
Enable Variant Selection on Collection Pages
If users have to click into a product page (PDP) just to view color or size variants, they may find it frustrating to keep going back and forth between the collection and PDP. This slows down browsing and creates unnecessary friction.
Insert Branded Cards Between Product Rows
If users are only seeing product after product, they might miss out on important brand benefits, product USPs, or shopping perks. Relying solely on banners or footers to communicate these messages risks them going unnoticed.
Add CTAs to Collection Cards for Seamless Shopping
If users have to click into each product page just to add items to their cart, it slows them down and creates unnecessary steps. This friction can lead to drop-offs.
Keep Product Cards On-Brand for a Cohesive Experience
Generic product cards that don't align with your brand's aesthetics can make the shopping experience feel disjointed. If the design feels out of place, it reduces trust and brand recall.
Optimize Card Readability for a Seamless Experience
If product cards have poor contrast, small fonts, or cluttered layouts, users may struggle to read key details. Hard-to-read cards create frustration and slow down the shopping experience.
Clarify Customization in Collection Card CTAs
If a product requires customization, a generic "Add to Cart" button can mislead users. They may expect an instant purchase but get frustrated when they're redirected for additional options.
Display Product Count for Better Search Context
If users don't know how many products are available in a collection or after filtering, they may feel lost or frustrated. Without product count visibility, they might assume there are too many (or too few) options and abandon the search.
Add Quick Links to Other Collections
If users don't find what they need in one collection, they might leave instead of exploring other options. Without clear paths to other collections, you risk losing potential conversions.
Reinforce Shopping Benefits Throughout Collections
Users may browse collections without fully realizing the shopping perks you offer. If benefits like free shipping, easy returns, or secure checkout aren't visible, they might hesitate before purchasing.
Organize "All Products" by Categories for Better Browsing
"All Products" collections can feel overwhelming, especially if users are scrolling through hundreds of products with no structure. Without organization, they might struggle to find what they're looking for.
Enable Sorting for Better Product Discovery
Without sorting options, users are forced to scroll through products in a default order that may not match their preferences. This can feel inefficient and drop-offs, especially in large collections.
Compress Long Collection Descriptions with a "Read More" Button
Long collection descriptions are great for SEO but they can clutter the page, pushing products too far down. If users have to scroll past a block of text before seeing products, it disrupts the shopping experience.
Use Breadcrumbs for Clear Navigation
Without breadcrumbs, users may feel lost when browsing collections, unsure of how they got there or how to navigate back. This can lead to frustration and early exits.
Make Breadcrumbs Clickable for Easy Navigation
If breadcrumbs are static text, they lose their full potential as a navigation tool. Users may want to quickly jump back to a parent category without relying on the back button or reloading pages.
Remove Fluff from Collection Headers
Overly wordy collection headers slow users down. If they have to process unnecessary text, it creates friction and distracts from the main goal—browsing products.
Keep Collection Headers Short & Punchy
Long, overly descriptive collection headers slow users down when the main goal is to get them to browse products. If users have to process too much text, it disrupts their flow.
Use Branded Copy to Introduce Collections
A generic introduction like "Browse our latest products" feels uninspired and forgettable. If your collection pages lack personality, you miss a chance to connect with users.
Keep Collection Descriptions Short & Scannable
Long collection descriptions take up space and slow users down if they have to read past a block of text before seeing products. It disrupts their shopping flow.
Make Filters Easy to Access & Use
If users have to dig through menus or scroll endlessly to find filters, they're more likely to abandon their search or leave frustrated. Quirky or hidden filters also slow down the shopping experience.
Showcase Before & After Results to Prove Effectiveness
If your product solves a specific problem—whether it's skincare, fitness, cleaning, or home improvement—users want proof that it works. Without visible results, they may doubt its effectiveness and hesitate to buy.