Too many merchant websites are launched without first testing that they can do what they are designed to do. Websites are not ready to be launched without a complete test of its programs to ensure they can function according to the intent of those programs. Performance tests on the processing credit cards can reduce the risk of loss and abandoned shopping carts before they occur with customers; not after.

Internet merchant account performance should be evaluated from both the administrator’s face and the customer’s face. How well the software for processing credit cards is performing can impact the customer’s experience in a positive or negative way. Keeping in mind customers will come to your site through dial-up and broadband internet connections you should design the site to accommodate both. If your site requires the customer to have specific software installed have a link to that software or choose more commonly used software.

Customer Experience Components:

1. Functionality
2. Customer Paths
3. Performance
4. Customer Connectivity
5. Compatibility

Functionality

Websites are not ready to be launched without a complete test to ensure they can function according to the design of the software programs. Just because a program promises to function in a particular manner doesn’t mean it is doing that. Tests are the method to be certain the program functions as designed and the outcome is acceptable. If your internet merchant account service requires you to test their software for performance you should also test your site’s software.

A website owner should be asking the question “Do my programs function as they should?” The website might look impressive but if it doesn’t function as it should it is just a matter of time before increased risk of loss is materialized. When is the last time you tested your credit card processing system to ensure that deposits to you internet merchant account are in balance? Testing website programs to ensure they are functioning properly and timely should be performed periodically.

Functions on a merchant’s website should take into account the diversity of visitor’s computer experience. If a website requires a high level of computer literacy by its customers a large segment of them will be intimidated into leaving the site. Customers leaving the site take their purchasing potential with them and this will impact the balance of your internet merchant account. Make it easy and enjoyable for customers to use your website.

Website functions should be simple and easy for all levels of users. The simpler the better! If a purchaser is using the shopping cart does it function to make the processing of credit cards easy and ensure the customer the transaction is secure? Have you tested the shopping cart to ensure it is functioning as it ought to be functioning?

A good way to gauge customer experience is to survey your visitors and have them evaluate just how user friendly your website is? The feedback you’d receive might be eye opening but could give you insight to whether the website is as friendly as you think. You can tally up the sales figures from your internet merchant account and see first hand if your customers are having a positive experience on your site as well. Whether a website is user friendly will vary from visitor to visitor but a balance must occur where you have taking into account each customer’s experience.

Customer Paths

Website performance should be evaluated from both the web manager’s face of view and the customer face. Too often more stock is placed in the website manager’s face and not the customer face of view when it comes to testing performance. Testing a website’s performance from the customer face can provide invaluable information that if acted on can reduce risk, lost customers and abandoned shopping carts.

The testing of customer paths should be comprehensive and complete. Go into the website as a customer would and use different scenarios to test the effectiveness of the paths. If broken links or improper paths are found they can be corrected. It is better that you find them and not the customer.

The customer that discovers a broken path may abandon that path and move on to another website. For example if during the processing of credit cards the customer keeps giving an error code they may become frustrated and this may cause the customer to abandon the shopping cart and perhaps not make a purchase at all. If you were to have discovered this error you could correct it and prevent a possible negative customer experience.

Performance

To evaluate and test your website from the customer experience face will uncover many possible and undesirable performance issues. How well your software is performing can impact the customer experience in a positive or negative way. Is the shopping cart program performing as smoothly as it should? Is the program for processing credit cards freezing up? If the processing of credit cards has a performance issue it will directly affect your bottom line. Testing the performance of the various program on you website can help prevent poor performance and customer experience.

Customer Connectivity

With 45% of all internet users still using dial-up does your website accommodate this kind of connection speed? Or does your website take for granted by the functions and programs on the site that a customer will be using broadband? Is processing credit cards on your site taking too long? Factoring in the lowest common denominator you will be able to design or correct your web pages to accommodate more customers.

Perhaps you may have too many advertisements on pages and this causes the loading time to be delayed. Or maybe you have too many images and this causes the loading time to longer then necessary; you can correct them before the customer experiences the delay. The RAM a customer may have available could be insufficient to take on that kind of a load. It would be better for you to find out upfront and make the adjustment.

Compatibility

Functions on a website should take into account the diversity of a visitor’s computer compatibility. If a viewing program on the website requires a customer to have a certain amount of RAM or the program runs slow or not at all; you might consider alternative software. If programs require extensions like readers then the site should have a link for a free download. If your internet merchant account service requires compatible software you’re going to install it so give the visitor to your website the same consideration.

Reducing the risk your website can incur due to function, performance and compatibility concerns by performing tests can greatly reduce your exposure. Remember customers leaving you website take their purchasing potential with them and your sales revenues go down. Make it easy and enjoyable for customers to use your website and have a positive experience every time by performing tests on your website periodically.