I had quite the experience running an online store and it didn’t take long for me to realize how much fine-tuning it requires. You need to touch up every little detail to improve the overall experience for your customer. At first, I ran into a ton of problems and didn’t quite understand what direction I wanted to take my store in to improve it. However, I soon heard of the side cart for WooCommerce.
At first, I didn’t think it would make much difference and it just seemed like one of those features that are nice to have. But after a while, I realized that I was so wrong! It started off as a minor convenience for me but soon it became a huge and impactful change for my store’s shopping experience! And let me tell you the best part about it, I didn’t even know it had so many benefits.
If you’re on the fence about trying a side cart for WooCommerce, here’s a breakdown of five surprising perks I discovered along the way.
1. Faster Checkouts Without Hassle
One of the first things I noticed was how the side cart completely changed the checkout flow. Before adding the side cart for WooCommerce, my customers had to jump between pages — adding products, viewing the cart, then finally heading to checkout. It felt clunky and outdated.
With the side cart, everything happens on the same page. Customers can do various things such as adding items, adjusting the quantity value, and even remove products without having to navigate to the product page. Yeah I know, these are tiny details. But I assure you that they make a whole lot of difference. There was a noticeable difference in the checkout speed!
The best part? The checkout button is always visible inside the cart, making it easier for customers to finalize their purchase without any extra steps.
2. Cleaner, Minimalist Design
I’ve always been picky about how my store looks. If you are adding too many pop-ups or have a messy website layout, you are making a huge mistake! And that is exactly why I was also afraid at first to try this new plugin out. I just didn’t wanna mess up the clean aesthetics of my store that I worked so hard to create.
Here’s the crazy part though, the side cart for WooCommerce fits right in with your store! It has a pretty sleek, subtle, and modern design that adjusts with just about any website theme. Also, you don’t have to worry about it being there the whole time because it only slides into view if the customer interacts with the cart.
And here’s something even cooler, I could fully customize the cart’s layout, its colors, and icons as well. This helped me modify it to match my brand’s identity. All of that without needing to know anything about advanced coding too!
3. Fewer Abandoned Carts
This was one of the perks I wasn’t expecting at all but it genuinely made a difference. Before adding the WooCommerce side cart, I’d see customers add products to their cart, only to disappear without checking out.
What I’ve realized is that the old cart system made customers feel like they were committing to something just by clicking the cart button. With the side cart, everything feels more casual and low-pressure.
Customers can quickly glance at their cart without being forced to go through a whole new page. It’s like the cart is there to assist, not to rush them. I’ve noticed more customers sticking around and actually following through with their purchases since I made the switch.
4. Instant Product Updates
Before the side cart, any time customers wanted to adjust quantities or remove items, they had to reload the entire cart page. It was one of those small inconveniences I didn’t think much about until I saw how much smoother things became with the side cart.
With the side cart for WooCommerce, customers can update their cart instantly without refreshing the page. They can increase or decrease quantities, remove products, or even apply coupons all in real time.
It’s one of those little quality-of-life features that makes shopping feel effortless. I’m pretty sure this is one of the reasons my bounce rate dropped since adding the plugin.
5. Personalized Shopping Experience
Another feature I didn’t expect was how much the side cart allowed me to personalize the shopping journey. Depending on the product or promotion, I could add small messages or discount offers directly inside the cart.
I also loved that I could display product images alongside the cart items, which made the whole experience feel more visual and interactive. It is a very subtle touch that makes your customers feel like they are connected to the product they are buying.
Bonus Perk: Mobile-Friendly Shopping
We are in the era of the smartphone, meaning, most people are not on their computers. So yeah, most of my traffic came from mobile users. I can’t highlight how necessary it is to first optimize your store to be mobile-friendly. What surprised me even more was to see how well the WooCommerce side cart was adapting itself to smaller screens.
It is super responsive, very easy to navigate, and it never gives a cramped or clustered look. All customers need to do is swipe to view the cart, make the adjustments they want to, checkout, and boom, it’s done!
What I Learned After Using a Side Cart
I’m a quick learner, and one thing I learned pretty quickly was that the smallest changes have the biggest impacts! The side cart for WooCommerce not only made my store look better, it also improved how customers interacted with my website.
From faster checkouts to fewer abandoned carts, the perks kept piling up. I can honestly say I wish I’d installed it sooner.
Is It Worth Trying?
Absolutely. Whether you’re running a small boutique or a larger eCommerce store, a side cart for WooCommerce can seriously improve the shopping flow without requiring a huge overhaul.
While there are plenty of plugins out there, I found that the Extendons Mini Cart for WooCommerce is considered one of the best options for both design and functionality.
Final Thoughts
I went into this whole process thinking the side cart would be a nice extra something that added a little convenience without really changing the overall experience. What I ended up with was one of the most surprising upgrades I’ve made to my store.
If you’re thinking about trying out a side cart for WooCommerce, I’d say go for it. It’s one of those rare features that makes both your customers’ lives and your own business better without any major effort.