Page 2 - Discuss Check List for New E-Com Website in the E-Commerce Development forum on SEO Chat. Check List for New E-Com Website E-Commerce Development forum discussing specific online commerce related issues, such as payment processors, SSL implementation, chargeback problems, seasonal trends, shopping carts and membership to groups such as the BBB.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by realityhack
General checkout guidelines I have found:
List where you are at the top of the page. ie.
Step 1 - Step 2 - Step 3 - Step 4
(obviously use more meaningful names like 'shipping' and 'review'
Don't lock people into the checkout process. Even though Amazon does this I think it just pisses people off. Let them leave the checkout and browse for more products.
Make sure you 'remember' information that was already entered in the checkout if the back button is pressed or they leave and return to the checkout with the possible exception of credit card numbers.
Display shipping costs as early as possible. Preferably right on the page when people add to their card but definitely have the option to show them in the cart before checkout is started.
Trust marks work - File this under people are stupid or loads of scams exist. Whatever you like. But putting things like hackersafe, verisign secured, etc. on your product pages and in your checkout does work. Do A/B splits to see where on the page you should place them.
Don't force people to re-type information. For example if you require a billing address make sure you have a check box for 'same as shipping' etc.
Do NOT force people to register or provide an email address at all unless it is absolutely required for your product. Let them make a password AFTER you have gotten the sale not before.
If you require a phone number etc. make sure you show a privacy policy or provide a link to explain why you need it and how you will use it.
Make sure you test the crap out of your checkout for bugs and annoying things. etc. I have seen checkouts that require a credit card number in xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx format. There is no reason you can't program the system to drop non-numerical characters. It will just annoy people to format their input in some special way. Same for expiration dates.
Make sure errors display an intelligent message and help the user correct any typos etc. without loosing previously entered info.
If you have an order review page make it VERY clear that this is NOT a 'thank you' page. Otherwise people (being stupid) will print your review page and wonder why their order never arrived.
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I've been getting some education on Internet marketing at the University of San Francisco Online. One thing they stress is online goal setting. Make sure you're not just aimlessly adding things. Have a plan.
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Nice list.
I like to use single page checkouts. The theorey is that it doesn't give poeple a chance to backout, or lose a connection between pages...etc. Just add things to the cart, click checkout and fill in the payment and shipping info and press send!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrod1965
Nice list.
I like to use single page checkouts. The theorey is that it doesn't give poeple a chance to backout, or lose a connection between pages...etc. Just add things to the cart, click checkout and fill in the payment and shipping info and press send!
Out of curiosity, how does this work out for you? Have you ran A/B tests with 1 page checkouts vs multiple page checkouts? I guess you don't find there to be too much information for your visitors on 1 page? I would be interested in hearing more about this process if you are willing to share.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lb1878
Out of curiosity, how does this work out for you? Have you ran A/B tests with 1 page checkouts vs multiple page checkouts? I guess you don't find there to be too much information for your visitors on 1 page? I would be interested in hearing more about this process if you are willing to share.
I did some research when I set it up, and found a lot of data showing that the fewer pages, the less chance of shopping cart being abanded. So I have always just done it this way.
Our page just let's you log in, or check a box if you don't have/want to have an account. Enter in your billing info, check a box if shipping is the same, the shipping is automatically calculated and a total at the bottom is given. Press submit.
Why enter billing info, go to a next page, enter shipping info, go to a next page to select shipping method, then go to a next page to see the total?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lb1878
Out of curiosity, how does this work out for you? Have you ran A/B tests with 1 page checkouts vs multiple page checkouts? I guess you don't find there to be too much information for your visitors on 1 page? I would be interested in hearing more about this process if you are willing to share.
I am also interested in this.
I know for our checkout one page would be a problem because we poll using the Zip code and order weight to get UPS pricing for shipping which would mean a refresh no mater what and we want a confirmation page which would make the page to confusing, not to mention options like paypal express checkout or google checkout take you off page so you need somewhere for the person to land when they return (confirmation page).
I would love to see an A/B split though.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by realityhack
I am also interested in this.
I know for our checkout one page would be a problem because we poll using the Zip code and order weight to get UPS pricing for shipping which would mean a refresh no mater what and we want a confirmation page which would make the page to confusing, not to mention options like paypal express checkout or google checkout take you off page so you need somewhere for the person to land when they return (confirmation page).
I would love to see an A/B split though.
It's hard to explain how we do it but go ahead and check it out so you can see how it works with Google check out and Paypal. Our store is Environmental LED, it's a little bare looking at the moment since I just pulled down all the July 4th sale banners..etc. But it all works.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrod1965
...go ahead and check it out so you can see how it works with Google check out and Paypal...
I took a peek. I take it you land people right on the thank you page when they checkout with paypal or google? I didn't want to accidentally order anything so I didn't try.
I would love to see an A/B split for a multipage checkout on your site. The single page seems convenient in some ways but long and inconvenient in others (like having to refresh to get the shipping rates). I always wonder how much of a difference it makes in conversion rate.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by realityhack
I took a peek. I take it you land people right on the thank you page when they checkout with paypal or google? I didn't want to accidentally order anything so I didn't try.
I would love to see an A/B split for a multipage checkout on your site. The single page seems convenient in some ways but long and inconvenient in others (like having to refresh to get the shipping rates). I always wonder how much of a difference it makes in conversion rate.
I too wouldn't mind seeing if you are willing to share.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lb1878
I too wouldn't mind seeing if you are willing to share.
I have never done one for a single page checkout. Honestly we have very low checkout abandonment. I might try an abbreviated checkout at some point in which case I could share.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrod1965
If you do a search on "one page checkout" or "benifits..etc." you can dig up some data and opinions.
That's how we decided to go with the single page. It seemed that people were getting better conversion rates. Not always true, but for the most part.
Thanks. I have done that in the past. There is some debate over the issue. Like I said I might try something in the future but not likely a single page, more likely combining some of our pages to make it fewer steps.
Like I said, once people enter our checkout abandonment isn't that bad.
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Looks like most of the technical issues have been mentioned. Has any thought been given to how your website launch will impact the other members of your company? Not sure on how many employees you have, but simple things like training your customer service team on how to pull up order records during phone and email support. How are orders sent to your fulfillment team. What kind of reports senior management will need and how that data is put together. An e-commerce site impacts many areas of a company.
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I am under the impression that we are talking about a new company (no employees beyond the OP) but if not a lot of thought needs to be put into those issues of how the site will effect others in the company.
Regardless thought needs to be put into how the back end will function and wither it can scale up if you do well. Really a whole other topic though.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by realityhack
I am under the impression that we are talking about a new company (no employees beyond the OP) but if not a lot of thought needs to be put into those issues of how the site will effect others in the company.
Regardless thought needs to be put into how the back end will function and wither it can scale up if you do well. Really a whole other topic though.
We are a two man operation that already sells the products we will be offering to clients in our local market. We are a business to business supplier and we are extending our market to sell online as well.
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