Website testing

[KidsBeeHappy]

HI

I have a problem with one of the websites that I work on, the e-comm pages don't work properly under a particular set up. Problem is, that I don't know what that set up is!!

Customers send me the "website is broke" email, but then are slow to stop in coming forward to provide me with the details needed to follow up. I have a feeling that it's particular firewalls etc that prevent the website passing through to the payment gateway.

We have done all normal testing, browsers, PCs etc. However, one thing that we can't replicate is other people's office set ups.

Does anyone out there offer a testing service?

Many thanks
Sandra

[dzined]

Dear Sandra,

We can probably help you here but we would need to know a few more details from you. Can you give us the details of which one of the website or sites that you mention do not work properly and which payment gateway you use so we can have a look.

Regards,

Matt

[los_design]

Hi Sandra

What cart are they using?

Regards
Daren

[KidsBeeHappy]

Cart is asp.net storefront. And 90% of transactions got through fine, on all sorts or browsers, set ups etc. Which is why I think it's maybe firewall related. The payment gateway is sagepay. Its the parcelsplease website.

[liams7]

It cant be firewalls. Its all server side ASP and Sagepay. What difference does 90% off them getting through mean? how do you know whats getting through and what isn't? Is it an email problem?

[KidsBeeHappy]

We have live stats and a telephone ordering system, so the combination of them means that it's quite easy to see how and when people drop out. The telephone team are very good at identifying the bookings which should be made online and following up the reasons as to why the customer chose to phone in rather than book online.

Not an email problem because its all on the website. Emails are all fine. very few bounce backs and they are genuine email errors.

[matt.chatterley]

Hi Sandra, I'll drop you a PM.. but we might be able to help! :)

[edmondscommerce]

this is where crowd sourced testing can become really handy..

i've been looking into this a bit recently, any one else got any comments on crowd sourced testing (google it if you don't know what i mean)

[awebapart.com]

I have a problem with one of the websites that I work on, the e-comm pages don't work properly under a particular set up. Problem is, that I don't know what that set up is!!

We have done all normal testing, browsers, PCs etc. However, one thing that we can't replicate is other people's office set ups.
Cart is asp.net storefront. And 90% of transactions got through fine, on all sorts or browsers, set ups etc.
Thorough testing is a good idea, but there's always something that gets past testing, that's why no software is 100% bug-free, and sometimes it can be something very simple that other experienced developers or website owners here might have experienced before.

It is worth mentioning the website and as much information as you have about the problem, just in case it rings a bell with someone else.

If the site in question is your parcelsplease site (or a site with a similar setup) then your issue does ring one bell for me...

Your site is accessible on both the www . domainname and the domainname without the www. The issues might be related to the odd people who access your site on the non www side, something you many not have tested yourself if you/your developers did all of your testing on the www side.

I wont get too technical here, but there are reasons why this can cause issues, and these issues can appear in different ways, especially around basket and checkout time. Do test your site going in via the non-www address to see if you can recreate the problem (I certainly get some problems going in this way, home page then click on parcel tracking link in middle of page, gives a page not found).

If this is the issue, then the best way around the issue is to redirect non www pages to www pages.

[liams7]

Maybe people are just dropping out. If they are good at getting informaiton when people are phoning why arent they asking why they arent ordering online?

What are the issues? If you know there are some ask the people who have the issues?

You could save your self alot of time and money on testing if you really do have people phoning telling you they are having issues.

[KidsBeeHappy]

Re redirects - That is a very good point and well worth checking out.

I agree about crowd sourced testing, I think that that was unknowingly the concept that I was trying to get at. Note to self, do more techy homework reading.

Re dropping out, that's not the issue i'm trying to fix. The issue I'm trying to fix is the "website not working" issue that makes people pick up the phone/email in order to continue the transction. Its a proper technical issue, not a conversion issue.

[KidsBeeHappy]

What are the issues? If you know there are some ask the people who have the issues?

You could save your self alot of time and money on testing if you really do have people phoning telling you they are having issues.

I've done this :rolleyes:
The testing i'm looking for is beyond this because there is nothing in the set ups of those that cant use the website that is specific and unique, and different from those that can progress through the website fine. It's an intermittent inconsistent problem, which is why I am asking this question.