PHP and MySQL Web Development 4th Ed-tqw-_darksiderg

334 Chapter 14 Running an E-commerce Site
n
n
n
Keep text clear. Use clear, uncomplicated fonts. Do not make text too small and
bear in mind that it will be different sizes on different types of machines.
Make your ordering process as simple as possible. Intuition and available
evidence both support the idea that the more mouse clicks users have to make to
place an order, the less likely they are to complete the process. Keep the number of
steps to a minimum, but note that Amazon.com has a U.S. patent 2 on a process
using only one click, which it calls 1-Click.This patent is strongly challenged by
many website owners.
Try not to let users get lost. Provide landmarks and navigational cues to tell
users where they are. For example, if a user is within a subsection of the site, highlight
the navigation for that subsection.
If you are using a shopping cart metaphor in which you provide a virtual container for
customers to accumulate purchases prior to finalizing the sale, keep a link to the cart visible
on the screen at all times.
Compatibility
Be sure to test your site in a number of browsers and operating systems. If the site does
not work for a popular browser or operating system, you will look unprofessional and
lose a section of your potential market.
If your site is already operating, your web server logs can tell you what browsers your
visitors are using. As a rule of thumb, if you test your site in Firefox on all platforms, the
last two versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, a recent version of Internet Explorer on
Windows and Safari on an Apple Mac, a handheld mobile device, and a text-only browser
such as Lynx, you will be visible to the vast majority of users. Remember to look at
your site using a variety of screen resolutions. Some users have very large resolutions, but
some use phones or PDAs. It is hard to make the same site look good on a screen that is
2,048 pixels wide and one that is 240 pixels wide.
Try to avoid features and facilities that are brand new, unless you are willing to write
and maintain multiple versions of the site. Standards-compliant HTML or XHTML
should work everywhere, but older features are more likely to be correctly supported on
every browser and device.
Providing Services and Digital Goods
Many products or services can be sold over the Web and delivered to the customer via a
courier. A smaller range can be delivered immediately online. If a service or good can be
transmitted over a network, it can be ordered, paid for, and delivered instantly, without
human interaction.The most obvious service provided this way is information.
2 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Number 5,960,411. Method and system for placing a
purchase order via a communications network.