My Checkout Without Account Mod

24 Feb 2007, 03:24

#1

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My Checkout Without Account Mod

I've come up with a checkout without account mod that I'd like to get some feedback on. It seems pretty solid, I developed it on one store, then packaged it and installed it on another. I've put it through its paces, and as far as I can tell it does everything I want to perfectly.

I'm putting it out as a beta, and am looking for the community's views on language, phrasing, usability, bugs, proper practices, etc.

I've got links in my sig which link to the mod and a demo store. Feel free to perform whatever experiments you'd like there.

The Pithy Explanation:
This mod allows users to checkout with or without an account. Like all other such mods it creates an invisible account which requires less effort/commitment from the customer. However, my mod uses a particularly simple method to keep the problem of multiple accounts with the same e-mail address from effecting those who create permanent accounts.

I've pasted this further explanation from the readme:

What this mod does:
When a visitor adds something to their cart and proceeds to checkout, they are greeted with three options. They can sign in to their existing account, they can create a new account, or they can proceed through checkout without an account. They are only given this third option if they have something in their cart. After entering their billing information they are sent to checkout_shipping. If they somehow manage to enter the COWOA sequence without something in their cart, then after they enter their billing information they are directed to their empty cart.

A visitor may COWOA as many times as they like using the same e-mail address. They may COWOA using a given e-mail address, and then later use that same e-mail address in the creation of a regular account. They may not COWOA using an e-mail address that is associated with a regular account.

There's more information about how it works in the readme.

Awaiting feedback,
Joe

24 Feb 2007, 03:36

#2

ideasgirl

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Hi Joe,

I was testing and when I hit "checkout" (COWOA) doesn't go anywhere. :schmoll:

PS: I inserted the link on url (main_page=no_account) and takes me to the page, but the button is not working.

24 Feb 2007, 06:01

#3

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Ideasgirl,

Thanks for testing it out. (;

I was having trouble replicating that, and then on a whim I tried IE. It's terribly weird but the button that works for FF doesn't work for IE.

So, I switched to split panel(the mod puts the button both on split panel and non-split panel login), and the button works in IE. I don't have time to figure out the problem tonight, but now that it's on split login it should work for all parties.

Thanks for giving it a test drive.

--Joe

24 Feb 2007, 15:16

#4

tphoare

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

This is great - just what we have been looking for.

Have tried it on 1.3.7 test site and it has worked fine - apart from the IE problem. (In fact have just tried it on Safari and have the same problem)

Is there any way to tell in admin which customers have registered and which have not. Would be really interesting to know for sure whether mandatory registration really is a turn-off - I personally would much rather have no registration at all but simply a mechanism to check order status with email address and order number.

24 Feb 2007, 16:13

#5

boggled

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

I like this!
It works great in FireFox, but not IE (as already noted).
Looking forward to trying it when you get the IE part fixed. :smile:

Edited to add...Only bug I see so far:

When you receive the confirmation email it still has a link to view the order, which it won't let you do because you didn't enter a password and don't technically have an account.

24 Feb 2007, 18:21

#6

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

I had an opportunity to check this out with IE7 and it's even more screwed up. (;

I was checking IE6 last night when I said that it worked with the split login setup, but with IE7 it directs you to the standard account creation.

So, for the moment, the demo store doesn't work with IE7. If you only have IE7 then once you get to the split login screen you can manually go to:

https://www.theknitteur.com/zc/index.php?main_page=no_account

I'm sure this should be an easy enough fix, probably just have to put the link tags inside the div tags.

TPHoare: The emails of invisible accounts have a '.' at the end. I'm taking advantage of the fact that there's an implicit '.' at the end of every email address, and using it to keep invisible accounts from interfering with normal accounts.

At the moment there's no automatic sort, but I think that I could easily clone the admin 'customers' module into two more modules, one that shows only normal accounts and another that shows only invisible ones.

Boggled: Thanks for noting the email text issue. Glad for the feedback on the stuff I miss.

I have a question regarding the function of the mod. As noted, once a normal account has been created with a given e-mail address, that address can't be used to checkout without an account. That's a function I could easily remove, but I felt that it would lead to too many confusing issues. Any thoughts?

Also of note, you can pare down the information requirements on the no_account page using the admin module that controls account creation. You can see a more elegant implementation of the page here:

http://www.theknitteur.com/zc/screenshot.gif

Alright, thanks for all the feedback. I've got the button issue and the email text to do, and I'll look into the admin module.

Thanks much,
Joe

24 Feb 2007, 19:58

#7

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Alright, I've made the following modifications.

Fixed: IE button issues and cleaned up button code in general. Conditionally removed account/order invoice references from email. Conditionally removed product update notification and account references from checkout_success.

These are reflected in the store and the zip file.

--Joe

25 Feb 2007, 09:51

#8

tphoare

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Haven't had a chance to try your latest fixes, but it appears that order acknowledgement emails are being sent in plain txt with the store address (for example) one continuous unformatted line, while order acknowledgements from registered accounts are being sent in nicely formatted html.

Really pleased, though, about all the work you've done and just want to get this into action as soon as possible!

25 Feb 2007, 10:19

#9

deshojo

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Hi Jo

Thanks for the work you are doing on this - I would really like my customers to be able to purchase without creating an account as I believe this does turn some people away....

As a really new Zenner I'm not overly confident on installing & testing the mod - but as soon as it is working well I will ask my hosting company to help me out.

Anne

25 Feb 2007, 16:52

#10

boggled

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Good job Joe!

It appears to be working with IE7 now and the confirmation email looks perfect. :smile:

Things I noticed but aren't major issues:

When you complete the purchase, it tells you to log off...

1) If you click on log out, it takes you to the typical log out page telling you that you've logged out of your account, etc.

2) If you don't log off and decide to buy something else, it treats you just like a regular logged in account, adds stuff to your basket and you don't have to enter your address information again.

Not really a problem on the buyers end, but what will this do on the Admin side?

We have buyers who do this occasionally - they decide to add to their order within minutes of checking out. It's always an eBay buyer who came to the website to checkout and pay for their auctions. I don't think they realize they can continue shopping before paying for their eBay stuff. :rolleyes:

I really like the 'neater' short version of the checkout page too. Less info to have to enter. Will that be customizable on the Admin side?

25 Feb 2007, 17:06

#11

boggled

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

One other thing I just thought of...
How will this work with the 'Order Steps' mod and/or the Ty Package Tracker?

25 Feb 2007, 17:14

#12

tphoare

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Just seen your readme update note about hidden text variable - which I guess answers my query above re html acknowledgements

25 Feb 2007, 17:46

#13

ronwong

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Hi, so if there is any way to auto logoff on completion of check out, it should be perfect? So if the guy decides to add something after checking out, he will have to key in all the address again.

So technically, we would be looking at managing a bunch of new accounts with dots behind their email addresses?

25 Feb 2007, 18:21

#14

boggled

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

ronwong:
Hi, so if there is any way to auto logoff on completion of check out, it should be perfect? So if the guy decides to add something after checking out, he will have to key in all the address again.

So technically, we would be looking at managing a bunch of new accounts with dots behind their email addresses?

I said from the buyer's side it wasn't a problem, BUT I was curious as to HOW it would show up on the Admin side.

Also if the customer *thinks* he hasn't created an account, but clicks a log off button that tells him he has logged out of *his account*, they may get a little concerned/confused. I don't think an auto log-out is necessary, just maybe a different page to land on with alternative verbiage.

Maybe we could change the dots to *red asterisks*. :smile:

25 Feb 2007, 18:28

#15

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

TPHoare: Regarding e-mails, I think I'll go ahead and bring the html/text option forward again, with some optional instructions for hiding it as I've done.

Boggled: Thanks for noticing that language issue. I'll go ahead and clear that up. As for the neater version, that is controllable in the admin. At the moment, it's linked to the settings of your regular account creation page, so you turn fields off and on by adjusting your...I forget, I think it's somewhere under customer details. I think I'll put in an auxiliary readme with details like that.

The only things I've flat out removed from the no_account page are date of birth, phpBB integration, and newsletter sign up.

As for the issue of allowing users to remain "logged in" outside of the checkout process, I've wondered about this myself. On the admin side, it's no difference at all so long as it doesn't confuse the user. There does need to be a way for a customer "without an account" to log off, but an account should not be mentioned.

As ronwong has brought up, an auto logoff on checkout completion would be nice, and would address some of these issues. I'm guessing that will be simple enough, and I think this is something else I'll put in the auxiliary readme. Once everything is working correctly I think I'll move these options out of the readme and into an admin control panel, including separate control over the no_account fields.

Yes, the e-mail addresses of the invisible accounts do all have the '.' at the end. This isn't an administrative challenge, however, because they operate identically to ones without dots on the end, except they're non-identical to searches.

Also, TPHoare, you mentioned a page where you could look up order status with an e-mail address and an order number. That should be pretty easy to whip up, and I think it's a great idea, something that buy.com uses I think. That's also going onto my list.

Finally, Boggled you mention Order Steps and Ty Package Tracker. I plan on modifying Tableless Order Steps as an optional add-on for this. I looked a bit at Ty Package Tracker, but I'm not really familiar with it. What features are you curious/concerned about in particular?

Thank you again for all of the feedback,
Joe

25 Feb 2007, 19:01

#16

boggled

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Finally, Boggled you mention Order Steps and Ty Package Tracker. I plan on modifying Tableless Order Steps as an optional add-on for this. I looked a bit at Ty Package Tracker, but I'm not really familiar with it. What features are you curious/concerned about in particular?

The Ty Package Tracker allows you to enter a tracking number into the order on the Admin side and then it emails the information to the customer. Like the confirmation email, it includes a link to their order details. I think it works through the normal 'Order Update' because that's what the subject line of the email says. Customers with accounts can log-in and see the shipping details of their order. :smile:

26 Feb 2007, 19:20

#17

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Alright, I got most of that done this weekend. I'm going to be a bit slower over the week, but here's what I've decided to put on the list for this mod.

Conditionally editing account references out of follow-up e-mails.
Giving the page a more integrated look with the rest of checkout, including alternate page header('Step 1 of 5', 'Step 2 of 5' etc.) definitions.
As an optional add-on, a modified tableless order steps mod that will also conditionally display 4 or 5 steps.
A page to check order status with e-mail address and order number.

Once those are complete, I'd consider this mod done, pending a final search through for account references. After that I'll begin hacking away at an admin control interface.

This mod is going a bit deeper than I intended, but I suppose that's alright because a lot of people seem to want an integrated solution to this problem.

And I'm still open for feedback. (;

Thanks much,
Joe

27 Feb 2007, 01:53

#18

ronwong

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

you are the greatest!

27 Feb 2007, 02:35

#19

usernamenone

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Who do you know that wants to click through 5 pages to check out?

3 is bad enough. I am in the process of hacking code to make it 1 page.

I am using craftzombies no password no account mod. It works great.

I just don't feel someone wants more than one page after the shopping cart to to success.

Bill To, Ship To and Shipping method and Payment should and can be all on 1 page.

KGZotU:

Giving the page a more integrated look with the rest of checkout, including alternate page header('Step 1 of 5', 'Step 2 of 5' etc.) definitions.
As an optional add-on, a modified tableless order steps mod that will also conditionally display 4 or 5 steps.
A page to check order status with e-mail address and order number.

Joe

27 Feb 2007, 03:39

#20

kgzotu

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Re: My Checkout Without Account Mod

Who do you know that wants to click through 5 pages to check out?

I haven't seen the hard numbers, but I understand that the testing on this is a little counter-intuitive.

From what I understand, the larger reaction to single page checkout is "That's a lot of information to fill out!" Alternatively, a properly designed multi-page checkout benefits from the 'succession of yeses' effect. Rather than being overwhelmed by a whole lot of information to enter, they enter a portion of that information, and by the time they're asked for more information they already feel committed by the effort they put into the first form.

I believe that multiple pages are the superior solution. However, I haven't seen the a/b testing numbers for myself, and there might be audience dependent variance.

That said, throw as many mods onto the pile as possible. Choice is a boon!

I will note that craftzombie's method, by which I was inspired, does not allow for permanent account creation.

Isn't there already a similar mod? I would think that the 'single page checkout' mod would be compatible with craftzombie's. Of note, you still require a 'fill out your info page' and a 'confirm your order' page before your success.

Best of luck,
Joe

PS: Ron, thanks for the support. (;

Edit: On second thought, no the 'single page checkout' mod won't work as you describe if combined with craftzombie's. But, hey, why not make it an optional mod for my COWOA mod? (; Good luck.