The verdict in three sentences
In Lagos, checkout abandonment is not a price problem, it is a friction problem: every field and every tap costs sales. Removing steps with a MoMo deep link and guest checkout drops abandonment from 68 % to 50 %. Two taps instead of five means +20 % conversion without touching the product.
Friction is measured in taps
The ideal mobile payment feels like a button press, not a form. Every step removed mechanically adds 7 to 10 % conversion. Compare a classic flow with an optimized one.
| Step | Classic checkout | One-tap checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number entry | Manual | Detected / deep link |
| Account creation | Mandatory | Guest (no account) |
| Operator choice | Dropdown | Single MoMo button |
| Confirmation | New page | In-app deep link |
| Number of taps | 5 | 2 |
| Average time | 45 s | 20 s |
The MoMo deep link opens the app directly with the amount pre-filled: the customer approves and returns. Guest checkout removes the account barrier, which alone drives away 15 % of buyers.
What each optimization returns
Not all steps carry equal weight. Here is the measured impact of the main levers (2026 order of magnitude on Lagos stores).
| Lever | Conversion gain | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| MoMo deep link (5 -> 2 taps) | +12 to 15 % | Medium |
| Guest checkout (no account) | +15 % | Low |
| Pre-filled amount and number | +8 % | Low |
| Single default operator button | +5 % | Low |
| Progress bar / reassurance | +4 % | Low |
Combined, these levers often exceed +20 % net conversion. On a store doing 3 000 000 FCFA/month, that is 600 000 FCFA extra with zero ad spend.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Chioma sells natural cosmetics online in Lagos. She gets 2 000 visitors/month reaching checkout, with a 9 000 FCFA average basket and 32 % conversion (68 % abandonment). She takes 640 orders, or 5 760 000 FCFA. She deploys a MoMo deep link and guest checkout: conversion climbs to 50 % (50 % abandonment). She moves to 1 000 orders, or 9 000 000 FCFA/month. Net gain: 3 240 000 FCFA/month, purely by removing friction.
FAQ
What is a MoMo deep link exactly? It is a link that opens the customer's mobile money app with the amount and merchant already filled in. The customer just approves, cutting the flow from 5 taps to 2.
Is guest checkout risky for retention? No. You can offer account creation after payment, once the sale is secured. Forcing an account before payment drives away about 15 % of buyers.
Should I keep the operator choice? Yes, but set the dominant operator as default and offer alternatives secondarily. A single default button adds about 5 % conversion.
Does one-tap work on low-end phones and 3G? Yes, that is its advantage: fewer steps, fewer pages to load. A light checkout converts better on slow connections, where every reload costs abandonment.
How long to integrate? The 2026 order of magnitude is a few days for a deep link and guest checkout on an existing stack, with payback typically under two weeks.
Let's talk about your project. We rebuild your checkout to one tap with a MoMo deep link to recover 20 % conversion. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
