Add a progress bar to multi-step flows

When to use it

When a checkout or signup spans three or more steps with no count of what remains, and dwell is high while submissions trail the site's other forms.

How to run it

1. 1Add a slim step indicator, like 'Step 2 of 3: Payment', with named steps and completed ones checked.
2. 2Pre-credit the first step so the bar starts at 15-20% after the opening click and the flow already feels underway.

Why it works

Make the offer instantly understood

Not knowing how much is left feels like an open-ended commitment. The endowed progress effect (Nunes & Drèze 2006) found people handed a visible head start complete at a 34% higher rate than people starting from zero, for identical remaining effort.

Source: Nunes & Drèze, The Endowed Progress Effect (2006); Baymard Institute / UX Planet