What do you think? E-commerce buyer experience question?

[websiteproducer]

hey you fellow webheads,

i have an important question regarding e-commerce buyer experience.

Would you rather go to a one-page website, the product info and the pitch are there, along with the contact and credit card info forms and there's a ORDER NOW button which will capture your information immediately and your order is officially placed - then you're sent to a page of upsells which you can then 'add to your cart' but the original order is already placed ......

- OR -

Do you like the Amazon model of add to your cart, view your cart, add other items if you'd like, and keep viewing your cart and when you click CHECKOUT, you're taken to the order form where you fill in contact and credit card info???

what do you guys think?

thanks.

--web

[hammerstein_04]

It all depends on whether you're selling one product or many. I personally would question a site that took me straight from the pitch to the credit card details, but if you're selling a single product that might be all you need.

Amazon on the other hand sells many thousands (if not millions) of products, therefore a single page would be a little silly.

[websiteproducer]

Thanks for the reply.

Let's say it's one product, such as those As Seen on TV products you buy from TV.

It's one main product, like a juicer for instance ... but you can add accessories, get expedited shipping or add another one for half price.

My question is really more with the layout of the pages .... by amazon style i mean having to view a cart and 'then' checking out ... as opposed to an immediate order/checkout all on one page ... does that experience feel weird to you?

thanks.

[hammerstein_04]

I think that if you group it all into a single page, you run the risk of it looking cheap, or at least presenting the user with too much.

Amazon works because you can search for the products you want, they can upsell through recommendations, you can checkout when you're ready.

If you present the user with a page, and then expect them to buy there and then you could come across as too pushy. What I would do is possibly introduce the product, and provide a buy now button that takes you to the upsell page. A combination of the two.