PLEASE HELP IF YOU HAVE 1 MINUTE!!!

[Kelly Marks]

Please could you advise us on how to make our online shopping easier?!?!

We have a man helping with our database again on Thursday but I don't know why it's all so complicated!

If you've got a minute could you just pretend to buy something and see what you find difficult or confusing.

You do know that by logging in to buy something it doesn't make you a member don't you? And that being a member on the DG is a separate activity to being a member on the main website?

When you buy online normally do you bother with logging in with a password etc in case you want to buy something from them again?

PLEASE HELP BEFORE I DESCEND INTO MADNESS!

Kxxxxx

[HolsBols]

i realised after first attempt at login that it was different

I normally dont register when i buy something as would rather not have addresses cards etc saved online just in case.

looking around was easy enough x

[annabelle h]

Hi Kelly,

Have just had a quick go at buying a black dually.

Comments would be:

Home page - could perhaps do with big buttons to the most used parts of the site eg: click here for shop, click here for help with horse problems, click here for courses, click here for membership, click here for free discussion group.

Logins - usually puts me off if I have to create a login to buy something - although it looks like you can buy without logging in.

Logins 2: it is v confusing that the website logins are different to DG logins, I always forget my site one - can see why they need to be different - but some thought into simplifying this woudl be good.

Product descriptions - quite a few typos - a job for Catrin?!

Product descriptions 2 - would like to see a heading above each paragraph summarising it. People don't want to read through blocks of text that aren't relevant to them. Also may be useful to explain that "line" means "rope" in English.

Some great stuff on product pages, eg links to relevant DVDs, and to DG thread on Dually sizes.

Overall the look and feel of the shop is not especially slick but I don't think it really needs to be.

There you go!

Annabelle x

[ruthp]

OK - my comments:

1. As well as having online shop along the top menu, I'd also have it in the Main Menu - sometimes if you go to a site specifically to buy something, the first thing you do, even before looking at the page, is hit Main Menu

2. I don't know why but the pages load really slowly which is quite frustrating - and because it's so slow, the flip book idea doesn't really work for me. (And no, it's not just my PC, because other sites are loading fine, including the DG)

3. The right handed menu might be an issue for people using small screens - that's why the convention is to have menus top and left, as that is where a smaller screen will start showing from. (But it isn't a problem for me!)

4. I'd have a "click to buy button" on everything - so if you know what you want you don't have to go to the product details, wait for them to load etc. before you can buy.

And no, I don't always want to log in to buy something - if I don't think I'm going to be buying a lot from somewhere I tend to just want to buy it.

I don't think the site is particularly confusing - perhaps a little untidy on the page, but that's really a personal thing.

Please don't descend into madness!

Cheers, R. xxx

P.S. Happy Christmas!

[mags]

A few things that I noticed:
I think the layout could be a bit clearer. For example, when I clicked on "shopping cart" and the shopping cart page opens, the the button for "checkout" is just the word in regular font towards the bottom of the page. A more obvious button would be useful.
I agree, most of the time I prefer not to have to create an account with an online shop, but to go straight to checkout. I'll never remember the password I created on the spot for the next time anyway, and usually there's less of a chance of getting unwanted emails/newsletters etc. (This is generalizing for any online shopping experience, I've no problem with IH emails per se :-))
On the "Tack" page, there are two items (Dually, Giddy up rope), but one "Add to cart" button. Not clear which item the button is referring to. I also see some random bullets with "Next", "Prev", "Start" labels that don't seem to do anything. (In case this is browser specific, I have Firefox on Linux.)
I remember that when I joined IH, I did so over the online shop. I was automatically charged for shipping. I thought that was weird, since I was essentially paying a fee, not buying a product to be shipped. Do you pay for shipping if you join via snail mail? If not, then this should be fixed in the online shop (i.e. not to add shipping to an item that doesn't need shipping).

[penny70]

OK. I just looked at the shop at first, which was all very clear and easy.

Added child's hoodie to my basket with no problems. Then added Giddy Up Rope. Then deleted childs hoodie. All fine.

Then thought about my Western lesson on Saturday on my Highland and the Pony Club kicks I was having to give and thought, actually, I'll buy the Giddy Up Rope.

This is where the problems started. I had to register in order to buy, but the site wouldn't let me register using my email address as it is already in use - where or how I couldn't tell you, unless it's to register with the forum and to be a member of IH. So thought I'd try a different user name and password - when the page returned to register, a long list of countries came up and I couldn't even try to re-register.

Then went back to shop - fine. Went to check out. Not fine. I can't register in order to buy.

So no sale for you (at the moment - please can I have a Giddy Up Rope), and no purchase for me.

Other than that, all easy and fine - thought lay out of shop was clear and easy to use.

Hope this helps.

[mandal]

I easily managed to buy a zip fleece without logging in. Well nearly, I just stopped myself in time, no money in my UK account! lol

[mandal]

Been back on a shopping spree after reading penny70's post.
Added and removed stuff to my cart no problems. It remembered I'd put a fleece in last visit too.
When I hit checkout (which imo needs to be clearer, in a box?) it asked me to login, my username and password already in but when I clicked it tells me it is an incorrect username or password.

[happysnail]

Would pretty much agree with comments that the store was fine but layout needs tightened up a little.

I do like the flip book to compare products and have found it helpful.

Definitely prefer not to register to buy and prefer not to store card details. 3 different logins/ passwords for one organisation is really tricky (particularly if you are dyslexic- this is an everyday struggle at the best of times!)

[Caroline]

Navigation - should be top left, not top right. Users more typically expect navigation top left and it isn't a good idea to challenge the expectations of user.

Checkout - too big a vertical gap between email box and the "Customer Information" boxes. Customer could be left thinking "what next?" after entering their email.

Show Cart - perhaps change this to "Show cart/Checkout" or add a seperate link for "Checkout"

The product category page (i.e. the page within each category that lists all the products in that category) - did you know that there are various layout options here and the template you choose can be adapted in the CSS? (There are some templates for this page in virtuemart and you can also buy other vm templates to use or write your own). I think the vertical gap between products is too small. This is quite a common problem in virtuemart templates. I normally add a few pixels to seperate the vertical product layout a bit more. Also - you have different category layout pages on each category, which us potentially confusing to the user.

General site - it isn't entirely clear where the link to the shop is on the home page of your site. I know there is a blue button, but it took me a minute or so to find it. It might be a good idea to add it as a menu item.

Whilst there are hosting advantages in using proboards for the forum, it inevitably means seperate logins from the main site and a disjointed user experience. (You will also fail to reach a lot of DG members who come straight here to the DG and rarely touch the main site).

You can get some great forums components for Joomla (your shop is Joomla CMS + Virtuemart shopping cart). There are other things you can do too for members with Joomla components. If you take a look at my Love and Liberty site (http://loveandliberty.org/) you will see you can add features to Joomla such as member blogs, photo and video sharing, commenting system - thus making the site an integrated information site, shop, forums and Web 2.0 community site. I didn't bother with a shop on Love and Liberty as I am not selling anything, the focus is just horsey community, but I easily could have done and it would have been a Virtuemart shop like the IH one.

All welcome at Love and Liberty btw - particularly you Kelly

[Caroline]

A P.S. ...

You can change the contents of the email that gets sent out to new users when they register. Thus you can make it more friendly and about IH and add in whatever info you would like to.

[Kelly Marks]

Thank you all so much - this is really, really appreciated.
I'm going to get to work on this straight away.
Kelly xx

[portiabuzz]

look forwards to seeing the changes then! x

[Hannah]

I couldn't go back to add something else once I had started the checkout process. I agree a "click to buy" or "add to basket" button would be good.

[sharonh]

I didn't have a problem with buying my item but I found the log in or register offputting as if I want to buy something, I just want to buy it, not faff about with registering. If I was an ordinary customer and could buy the item elsewhere without registering, I would buy it there.
I can't see the point of having a website remembering you if it sells things that you are only going to buy occasionally.