One-Page Checkout [Support Thread]

v1.5.5f

Hello Cindy - I am still using v2.0.3 (tried upgrading to 2.2.0 2 days ago and again today and checkout in all forms now doesn't work at all - that will be the subject of a seperate post) .
The post above - your response to mvstudio may be a hint for my problem below.

I have read through the listed changes of subsequent versions to 2.0.3 and had a look at Github and I do not see anything listed that appear to cover the issue below - if the latest version does cover these issues then please let me know :smile:;

I am not complaining - just looking for help.

I am having what I call major issues in customer usability / user friendliness of the checkout process. It is more to do with the layout, not so much the transaction processing. To you, me and most Zen Cart users these issues are not issues however we are dealing with customers and they invariably expect everything to be on a plate for them without having to think. Unfortunately most major websites / platforms out there have done just that with their checkout process - made it clear - simple - user friendly ... idiot proof. Without seeming to be too critical or ungrateful for the amazing work you have put into the OPC it still is not as user friendly as it could be (should be even).

As I said, it is more to do with layout - hence it may in fact have everything to do with the template I am using - if it is then maybe I should be getting assistance from that thread.

Guest & Logged in Checkout page

There is a huge whitespace between the Payment selection box and the confirm order, they are not in the same window, not the same visual space and as such scrolling is required - I have had customers that have clicked the PayPal selection and at that point expected to be taken to PayPal - they have not scrolled to then see the click to confirm order.
Suggestion: (a) include some instructional / directions text directly below the Payment Method box that states something like 'to continue please with your order scroll down to confirm your order by clicking the blue confirm order button' ... in a box that stands out, cannot be missed - and/or modify layout such that the order details and confirm order tab are in the same window as the payment method frame, and above the fold or within the screen space without the need for scrolling.

Scrolling

Checkout Page - PayPal Express Checkout button;

Using this button presents two problems, one is PayPals problem in that the redirection notice 'we are returning you to xyz website for you to confirm the order' is (a) on the screen for less than 2 seconds and is not as explanatory as it could be for some customers, so it can be easily missed or misinterpreted, and (b) that when PayPal returns the customer to the website to confirm the order it lands on the checkout page towards the top of the page which requires significant scrolling to get to the confirm order button. Some customers are not scrolling and they are assuming that the order is finalized (I saw the items in the cart, I selected to pay via PayPal, it took me to the PayPal site where I paid for it and it returned me to the site but I didn't want to order anything else so I left the site assuming all was OK).

Suggestion: that PayPal returns the customer to the specific section of the page for order confirmation, i.e. the shopping cart contents frame - maybe using a #segment or other tag.

Just to reiterate - many customers are not expecting to have to do any work or think or read - just press the big buttons.

Like many website owners I do the functional tests are installing a plugin ... yep it works .... but I do not use my site as a shopper. When sales are not as expected as shop owners we tend to look at all sorts of potential reasons, often ending up at SEO and/or advertising as the magic wand.

Fortunately I have had a few customers email me with their 'problems' in being able to check out - typically my immediate thought is 'another one who doesn't know how to shop online' but I go through the motions. After sending detailed 9 step follow the bouncing ball instructions and then getting the responses I have been getting it forced me to shop on my site as if I was those customers - then I realized that in my instructions I omitted 'then on that page please scroll down to find the confirm order button and click on it'... my instruction simply said 'on that page click the confirm order button' .... what button, it isn't there, because they didn't scroll.

The emails encouraged me to dig deeper into Google Analytics and the number of exits after the checkout page were scary - not the order confirmation page as expected - i.e. that many using the PayPal Express process are not scrolling but rather assuming the job was done.

Maybe some of these 'issues' can be solved through css stylesheet at which I am far proficient.

On that subject....

The Login page layout - can Guest checkout and Returning Customers be separated into individual files and allocated their own sequence for layout in admin/configuration - again a not in screen / scrolling is an issue to see all content / options - condense it maybe with less whitspace??

any guidance you can offer would be very much appreciated
cheers,
Mike

images of page returned by PayPal (checkout) when using PayPal Express checkout - = 3 full screen scrolls to get to the confirm button

Attachment 18708
Attachment 18709
Attachment 18710

Hi again Cindy,

As has been the case on a number of other occasions I have had trouble upgrading OPC - I am currently using 2.0.5 and in view of the issues described above I decided to upgrade to 2.2.0 to see if it addressed them.

I believe I followed your instructions to the letter however I obviously did something wrong (again) and now in any form of checkout from shopping cart (checkout and checkout with PayPal buttons) or login page (guest checkout button) I get a blank page totally white page, this url domain/ipn_main_handler.php?type=ec

There are no error logs.

I reinstalled a saved copy of the database but the result is the same -

so do I need to use the uninstall SQL and delete all files associated with OPC (in database) and then reinstall as a fresh install?

cheers,
Mike

website is www.treeoflifejewellery.com.au

blank page from clicking guest checkout tab is /index.php?main_page=checkout_one

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shags38

blank page from clicking guest checkout tab is /index.php?main_page=checkout_one

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If you look at the page's source (e.g. pressing Ctrl+U on Firefox or Chrome), is there 'source'? I've seen that whitepage at times when there's a jQuery conflict so that the CSS doesn't 'open up' the page for view.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shags38

Hi again Cindy,

As has been the case on a number of other occasions I have had trouble upgrading OPC - I am currently using 2.0.5 and in view of the issues described above I decided to upgrade to 2.2.0 to see if it addressed them.

I believe I followed your instructions to the letter however I obviously did something wrong (again) and now in any form of checkout from shopping cart (checkout and checkout with PayPal buttons) or login page (guest checkout button) I get a blank page totally white page, this url domain/ipn_main_handler.php?type=ec

There are no error logs.

I reinstalled a saved copy of the database but the result is the same -

so do I need to use the uninstall SQL and delete all files associated with OPC (in database) and then reinstall as a fresh install?

cheers,
Mike

website is www.treeoflifejewellery.com.au

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Mike, one of the major changes going from OPC 2.0.x to 2.1.x (and later) was correcting the integration with the PayPal Express Checkout and (more importantly) the recognition that OPC and the PPEC/shortcut button don't play well together. Now, when a customer clicks the PPEC shortcut button, they're directed down the 'normal' checkout process.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lat9

I've been developing OPC using the built-in responsive_classic template. For the fewest headaches, that's the one I'd suggest.

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Thanks so much! =)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lat9

If you look at the page's source (e.g. pressing Ctrl+U on Firefox or Chrome), is there 'source'? I've seen that whitepage at times when there's a jQuery conflict so that the CSS doesn't 'open up' the page for view.

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Thanks for your reply Cindy - prior to receiving your response I I recovered the site to a time prior to attempting the upgrade so I didn't get a chance to try the source. So the site is back to the v2.0.5 status.

I am attempting to rebuild the site to the latest platform v1.5.6c and then do a fresh install of v2.2.0

cheers,
Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lat9

Mike, one of the major changes going from OPC 2.0.x to 2.1.x (and later) was correcting the integration with the PayPal Express Checkout and (more importantly) the recognition that OPC and the PPEC/shortcut button don't play well together. Now, when a customer clicks the PPEC shortcut button, they're directed down the 'normal' checkout process.

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Many thanks for your response Cindy - so by 'normal' process do you mean ZC default or Guest checkout - either way it makes the PPEC method obsolete I guess? As per previous post hopefully I will be using OPC v2.2.0 once I have upgraded to 1.5.6c

cheers,
Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shags38

Many thanks for your response Cindy - so by 'normal' process do you mean ZC default or Guest checkout - either way it makes the PPEC method obsolete I guess? As per previous post hopefully I will be using OPC v2.2.0 once I have upgraded to 1.5.6c

cheers,
Mike

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Mike, 'normal' is the ZC default (3-page checkout). That doesn't make the PPEC method obsolete as the signed-in/guest-checkout version now works; it's only the shortcut button's processing that's sent down the non-one-page-checkout path.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lat9

Mike, 'normal' is the ZC default (3-page checkout). That doesn't make the PPEC method obsolete as the signed-in/guest-checkout version now works; it's only the shortcut button's processing that's sent down the non-one-page-checkout path.

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Thanks for that Cindy - I am removing the PPEC shortcut button from the shopping cart page to eliminate the confusion of where PayPal returns to the site for order confirmation.

cheers,
Mike