Your keen eyes and bear-trap intellects are requested. After setting up the new e-commerce site, we need to test it. And test it you will.
We are offering 50% OFF the first 15 orders. Use the coupon code FOOFAH, cross your fingers, and if it doesn’t work, please email me right away (I tested it myself, but that doesn’t always seem to work). Aside from the coupon, though, I’d like to hear about any problems you might have in the process, or any things that don’t seem to make sense.
**NOTE** The one thing the coupon won’t work for is subscriptions. Those, it turns out, are already dirt cheap.
I am aware that one of the sort options is “By Manufacturer”, but apparently that’s a non-negotiable with the software. And doesn’t it make us sound like we’re bigger and better than we really are?
I thought so.
So go to it. Enlighten us, while you enlighten your wallets (but not as much as you would enlighten them if you had stopped by yesterday).
(And oh, ps, the first person who spends more than $50 gets the FIRE SALE original. To, um, hang on the table at your next yard sale to bring in the teeming hordes.)
UPDATE: Though we would still appreciate it if each of you spent $50 (or more, or much more), we think it only fair to tell you that Nifer K. has just won the fire sale illustration. Thank you, Nifer, generous of spirit (and wallet).
Comments:
1. Once I’ve entered in a state and zip code to calculate shipping, to modify that takes a few extra steps – first, click on ‘change my address’ then enter in state and zip code again. Not a huge deal, but might be nice if I could just directly modify state/zip code to recalculate.
2. Only Paypal or check for ordering? Boo! Could we get some Google Checkout in here?
3. I selected “Paypal” for ordering, pressed “Place Order”, and got this error message:
Invalid input. Please press your browser’s back button and re-attempt your submission.
Please double-check that the characters you entered are normal A-Z or 0-9 alphanumeric letters or numbers. If you are using any special symbols in your submission, please remove them, and then re-submit your request.
Example of special characters would be the following: !@#$%^&*-(),+={}?:”
If you continue to experience problems, please contact customer service with the following information:
Time of error: 9/21/2010 9:56:08 AM CST
Field Name: shipfaxnumber
Web Page: /one-page-checkout.asp
Website: store.robbib5.sg-host.com
4. Oh wait, I realized what caused that error. I had entered my email address in the field for “fax number” under “shipping information”. I hadn’t read what the field was for, because I assumed it would be identical to the “billing information” form, where there is a field for email address in that space.
Does anyone really use fax still?
5. Okay so I removed my email address from the fax field. Submitted. Went to Paypal. Got the order confirmation in my email. Realized I’m stupid and entered the wrong shipping address when I was testing the ”
6. Once I finished the Paypal process, I clicked on “Return to Idiots’Books” on the Paypal site. It sent me to the following page:
http://store.robbib5.sg-host.com/OrderFinished.asp?Order=Finished&OrderID=7
Error message on that page:
Invalid input. Please press your browser’s back button and re-attempt your submission.
Please double-check that the characters you entered are normal A-Z or 0-9 alphanumeric letters or numbers. If you are using any special symbols in your submission, please remove them, and then re-submit your request.
Example of special characters would be the following: !@#$%^&*-(),+={}?:”
If you continue to experience problems, please contact customer service with the following information:
Time of error: 9/21/2010 10:03:14 AM CST
Field Name: merchant_return_link
Web Page: /OrderFinished.asp
Website: store.robbib5.sg-host.com
7. Thanks for the sale! I snagged a nice poster.
Oh, also – is the whole “calculate shipping” thing necessary if you’re only offering Priority Mail? Might cut out a step if you just quoted a flat shipping free for all orders. Do you plan to offer more options in future? Or maybe do international shipping?
Ronit – You are the best.
1. Hm. I’ll look into that. I have a feeling it isn’t going to be something I can fix.
2. We actually DO offer google checkout, but it’s down at the bottom of the very first shopping cart page. I don’t know why they didn’t put it in the drop-down menu like they did with paypal. Maybe I can move it somewhere where people can actually see it. Also, soon, hopefully, we will be able to process credit cards. We eagerly await the go-ahead from the mysterious credit bureau.
3/4. Stupid fax. NO – nobody uses faxes anymore. Except maybe my dad. I will try to remove that field. But again, I don’t know if I can figure that one out.
5. You officially win an idiot badge. I’ll see about making one up for you.
6. Someone else had the same error returning from Paypal to IB – I think it’s because we have that stupid apostrophe in our name (which has caused us trouble all over the place) – we’ll see about how to fix that. It might mean we rename ourselves “IdiotsBooks” for shopping. Or maybe just “Frickin’Idiots”. Of course, we’d still have the same problem then.
7. You’re welcome! I love that poster! It IS nice!
8. AND THANK YOU.
Oh, and as for shipping – I did all kinds of weight metrics and signing up for special USPS live rates and all this crap, and yet it seems like no matter what the weight of things are, they just offer Priority Mail as an option. Unless you order 500 t-shirts, which I actually tried. And then it said shipping was only $11.95. So, I’ll see if I can fix that too. I was hoping it was just me.
Also, it was awfully easy for my brain to tune out the top menu – and wonder where the links to books and posters were when I landed on the home page. I don’t know if that’s just me or if takes other people a few extra seconds to locate the product category links. It might make sense to add links to the different product categories in the center or the sidebar. Or not. I dunno.
Okay so I ordered, and the coupon code worked just fine. And then I went over to Paypal and paid. And then I was automatically returned to the “To pay for your order…” page. But I think I was done at that point. Right? I hope so. I’m navigating away now….
All worked fine for me, except that when I clicked on “continue shopping” after viewing my cart, it didn’t take me anywhere, so I then just used my “back” option.
Love a good foofah sale! Thanks!
Woohoo! Best deal EVAR. Everything worked for me, and I even used Safari, that crazy browser. Ditto on the comment that when I returned from Paypal, the “redirecting you to Paypal” page displayed. The confirmation was in my email, though, so it all went through.
Thanks!
Ronit –
shipping options: fixed!
Sidebar menu: fixed!
Google Checkout made easier: not really! Sorry!
return to IB from Paypal: I think so! But no official word on whether or not it worked. But here’s hoping!
So – thank you, thank you and thank you.
Barb –
Yes, you were done! Unless you wanted to pay twice, in which case you were only half done! But I think it’s fixed now. I hope. Thanks for the feedback.
Clare –
See Barb’s message. Also – foofah’s are the best! Thank you –
Amy V –
See Barb’s message. Also, Safari?! That’s taking one for the team. Good work! THANKS!
Awesome. Hope my comments weren’t too nitpicky. By the way, I really like that I can get a good view of the product from the “larger image” – way too many stores, even art stores, don’t have a good image viewer. I also like how the pages for clothes allow you to view the different styles. Very nice.