What a checkout funnel can help you ask

A funnel is a sequence of questions about a journey. It becomes more useful when each step describes a real customer action, and less useful when a dramatic percentage is treated as an explanation by itself.

Define the journey first

Write down what each step means before looking at the report. Viewing a product, adding it to a basket and beginning checkout describe different intentions. Check whether the events behind those steps are recorded consistently, especially when the same action appears in more than one interface.

Read the page beside the chart

A change in a report is a reason to investigate. Pair it with the actual page, its content and the conditions a visitor might encounter. Missing product information, an unclear button or an unexpected form requirement are concrete things to examine. The chart alone cannot tell you which explanation is right.

Choose a focused next step

Turn an observation into a specific question and a bounded change. Record what you changed and what else might influence the result. Keep uncertain conclusions visible, and avoid converting one report into a sweeping story about customers. Good analysis should make the next investigation clearer.