What Actually Changed on My Store After I Got a WooCommerce Menu Cart Plugin

Okay so… here’s the thing. I never really thought adding a WooCommerce menu cart plugin to my store would make that much of a difference. Like, it’s just a tiny cart icon, right? But I was so wrong. That little cart sitting in the menu bar did way more than I expected—and not even in just a design-y way. Real talk, it even changed how my customers were shopping.

So yeah, this is me telling you all the stuff I noticed after I added it, including some stuff I didn’t even know I needed. No fancy talk, no weird over-the-top recommendations, and definitely not pushing a sale. (Though I will say people seem to think the Extendons Mini Cart for WooCommerce is one of the better ones around, just FYI.)

If you’re someone who’s been thinking of using a WooCommerce menu cart plugin or just wants to know what actually happens when you place a woocommerce cart in menu, you might wanna keep reading.

First Things First: What Is This Plugin Even About?

So before I jump into the things I noticed, let me explain what I even installed. A WooCommerce menu cart plugin basically lets you put a cart icon right up in your main menu. That way, visitors can check how many items they’ve got in their cart, see a quick view of it, or even head straight to checkout—all without hunting for the cart page.

Now, adding a woocommerce cart in menu seemed like something small, and I didn’t think much would change. But honestly? It kinda flipped a few things for me—some in cool ways, some I had to work around. Here’s what stood out most.

1. Customers Were Clicking More. A Lot More.

Literally within the first couple of days after adding the WooCommerce menu cart, I started seeing more clicks toward the cart. Like, way more than before. It turns out, when the cart’s sitting right there at the top of your site, people are way more likely to check what’s in it.

Before, when the cart was only on a separate page, people had to actually go looking for it. And let’s be real—no one wants to do that. With the woocommerce cart in menu, it was just there. And yeah, it sounds basic, but making it easy to see = more interaction.

2. Fewer Abandoned Carts? Yup.

This one shocked me, not gonna lie. After using the WooCommerce menu cart, I started noticing that cart abandonment kinda dropped off a bit. It wasn’t some crazy dramatic change, but it was noticeable.

Maybe because customers could quickly peek into their cart without leaving the page? Or maybe it made them feel more in control of what they were buying? Whatever it was, the woocommerce cart in menu seemed to keep them more engaged in the buying process.

3. People Bought Stuff Quicker

Okay so this was unexpected. Once I had the WooCommerce menu cart sitting there, customers weren’t just adding to cart—they were heading straight to checkout faster than before. I guess having that tiny icon showing their total made them feel like, “Alright, I’ve got my stuff, let’s go.”

And since most of us shop online kinda impulsively (don’t deny it), having the woocommerce cart in menu helped people act on that impulse faster. It’s like it shaved off that “wait, where’s the cart?” moment and made everything feel quicker.

4. It Actually Made My Site Look Cleaner

I didn’t expect this, but yeah—the visual side of things improved too. I used to have this clunky little “View Cart” button floating around near the header. It wasn’t cute. Once I got the WooCommerce menu cart up there, it all just looked more tidy.

There was something nice about having that cart in the menu, where people are already used to clicking around. It didn’t scream at visitors, but it was just obvious enough to work. A simple woocommerce cart in menu setup changed the vibe a little. Cleaner, easier, better.

5. The Quick View Thing is Way More Helpful Than I Thought

So with the plugin I used, the WooCommerce menu cart wasn’t just a number—it actually showed a mini dropdown with the product details, prices, and a total. Again, sounds small, but this helped customers a ton.

Before, they had to click all the way into the cart to double-check what they picked. But with the woocommerce cart in menu, they just hovered or tapped the icon and got that info right away. It made the whole checkout process feel less…mysterious, I guess?

6. I Had to Tweak Some Design Stuff (Not a Big Deal, Just Saying)

Alright, not everything was perfect out of the box. I had to adjust the styling a bit so the WooCommerce menu cart didn’t look weird on my theme. The icon size was off and the spacing was kinda off on mobile, but it was fixable.

If you’re thinking of putting the woocommerce cart in menu, just know you might have to do a little CSS poking around. It’s not a huge deal, but don’t expect it to be plug-and-play perfect unless your theme is super basic.

7. Mobile Users Really Like It

One of the best things? It works on mobile. A lot of my traffic comes from phones (like, a lot), and once I had the WooCommerce menu cart up top, it made the mobile shopping experience way better.

Instead of scrolling around looking for their cart, mobile users just tapped that little icon in the menu and boom—they were in. And since phone screens are already tiny and annoying to navigate, this woocommerce cart in menu situation definitely made things less painful for them.

8. My Support Emails Went Down (!!!)

This one shocked me. After installing the WooCommerce menu cart, I noticed fewer emails from people asking stuff like “Where’s my cart?” or “I added something, but it’s gone now.” I guess the cart being visible and interactive just made the whole process clearer for them.

If you’re running a store where people always get confused about where their items are, try adding a woocommerce cart in menu and see if it helps. For me, it definitely reduced confusion—and fewer emails means I got more time back. Major win.

9. Checkout Was Less of a Chore

Because people could see what they added without leaving the product page, they stayed more focused. Adding that WooCommerce menu cart made it easier for them to keep shopping without that back-and-forth.

They’d add something, check the cart from the menu, and keep going. Way smoother (sorry, I know we’re not using the word “seamless” here, lol). But yeah—people stayed more into the flow instead of breaking it up.

10. It’s Just More Convenient (For Everyone)

The biggest change I noticed? Everything just got more convenient. I didn’t expect this one plugin to change the feel of my whole checkout process, but it did. Having a WooCommerce menu cart made it easier for customers to buy, and easier for me to manage things.

I still needed to do the usual plugin updates and small customizations, but once it was set up, it did its thing and made my life easier. That’s all I really wanted, and that’s exactly what I got.

So… Final Thoughts?

If you’re wondering if a woocommerce cart in menu is even worth bothering with, I’d say yeah. It’s a small change that somehow makes a big impact. Whether it’s about getting more clicks, keeping customers from bailing on their carts, or just making your store look better, the WooCommerce menu cart can do all that.

And nope, I’m not trying to sell you anything here. Just putting it out there that based on what I experienced, this feature actually helped. If you’re stuck choosing a plugin, just know that a lot of folks seem to swear by the Extendons Mini Cart for WooCommerce—though again, go with what fits your setup best.

Alright, that’s all from me. If you’re thinking of adding the WooCommerce menu cart, hopefully, this helped you figure out what to expect. Try it, tweak it, and see what happens on your store. You might be surprised, just like I was.