[thelist] how design affects ecommerce

[mia at miaridge.com]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Keith wrote:

> I can display the actual shipping and, if applicable, tax
> in an acurrate grand total every time they add, adjust, or remove an
> item. That destination has to be collected at some point, why not up

Halleluiah!  When I see that in an online shop, I'm won.  To me, it's a
sign they've really thought about the needs of their customers.

On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Jon Hall wrote:

> People have been selling things for thousands of years. It's a pretty
> refined science. It doesn't matter if the sale is online or not.

It does if you're talking about the unavailability of shipping costs for
delivered goods.  You'd never buy from a printed catalogue that didn't
have a list of shipping costs and duties or taxes, and I think most people
would be even less likely to online.

> If the customer is on the phone and you have to put them on hold, at the
> very least get their phone number, THEN you put them on hold. This get's the
> customer in the mindset that they are in the process of purchasing

Or in the mindset that they're being added to someone's marketing
database.  I'm thinking about giving you my money, I don't need to give
you my (valuable) contact and demographic information too.  There's
nothing in it for me.

> something. Kind of like the line at the grocery store. Once you are in the
> line and you look down and you think that you might not want that gallon of
> milk, because you really only need the half gallon, most people are not
> going to get out of line, run back to to the dairy department and get the
> smaller one instead. They will buy the larger one anyway.

Or stealthily dump the milk on a shelf or counter and act like they're not
the ones who put it there.  (Or abandon their shopping cart and go to a
competitor).

> The grocery store analogy works here too. Tax is not applied until the
> entire order has been sent down the little ramp to the bagger. That is the

In most countries (everywhere I've been except the US), all taxes are
included in the display prices.  From memory, the point of tax inclusion
in the total price varies across different states in the US.  I know the
last-minute addition of taxes made shopping in CA a real pain.

> going to be satisfied no matter how much you try. There is nothing dishonest
> about asking a customer for their information showing them shipping and tax
> prices. They can close their browser window at any time.

And can go to a competitor who actively wants their business and doesn't
make them jump through hoops to get it.

cheers, Mia