Introducing a 2-Step Checkout to Boost Purchase Intent & Conversion
The Problem
Users were dropping off at a critical moment—the order page.
Exit rate: 56%, significantly higher than the industry average of ~25%
Users landed on the order page but didn’t convert
Top exiting reasons:
Cognitive overload: Pricing, payment, and order summary all on one cluttered screen
Lack of purchase intent: Some users might just want to check out the cost instead of committing to a plan
Low persuasive power: The page didn’t reaffirm why ExpressVPN was the right choice
Competitor Analysis
A competitor analysis revealed that most high-converting platforms used a 2-step checkout flow to reduce decision fatigue and qualify leads better.
Hypothesis
We believed that introducing a dedicated pricing step before the checkout form would:
Increase conversion rate and revenue per visitor
Lower refunds by attracting more intentional purchasers
We will know we are successful when
↑ Conversion Rate
↑ Revenue per Session
↓ Refunds (as we offer 30-day money-back guarantee)
Design Discovery
To better understand how to improve the flow, I led a "How Might We" workshop with stakeholders from product, marketing, and dev.
Problem A
Users are not sure if they really need a VPN and whether ExpressVPN is the right option or not.
How might we
Educate users why a VPN is crucial and how ExpressVPN is the right choice for them.
Problem B
The checkout experience is confusing. Pricing information and payment options are all in one page without a clear action guide.
How might we
Make our checkout flow simpler and more intuitive for users.
Problem C
Users just wanna checkout the plan and pricing details instead of having intension to checkout.
How might we
Showcase our plans clearly and increase users’ purchase intention.
Ideation & Wireframing
After those ideation sessions with the team, we explored directions that can
Showcase plans in a clear, digestible format
Introduce social proof and trust signals
Reinforce unique selling points before payment
Design Solution
After reviewing with different stakeholders, we decided to incorporate the following elements in our order page:
Step 1: Pricing Page
Clear plan comparisons
Top USPs to reaffirm value
Social proof
Step 2: Order Page
Cleaner layout focused only on payment
The final checkout flow
Conclusion
This has been an exciting project for me to work on because I was able to design a new checkout experience for ExpressVPN’s potential customers on such a crucial page that directly impacts business revenue.
Key learnings
Introducing a small amount of friction—a second step—actually improved user decision-making.
Reinforcement works. Highlighting benefits and trust signals just before the paywall reassures users.
Research-backed design wins trust. By aligning with user behavior and competitive norms, we designed an experience that converts.
Let's Connect!
Always down for collaborations. I love to make products even more meaningful.