Tip: If you find that many of your customers ask the same questions, include answers to these questions on your site, or make the needed information more prominent on your site.

Provide assistance when users have forgotten their passwords

When users forget their passwords and/or IDs, provide immediate assistance via the Web if at all possible. Use other media, such as telephone, or postal mail, if you need to increase security. E-mail delivery, while not as secure as telephone or postal mail, may be more secure than Web delivery.

One way of helping users remember passwords is to ask them to create password hints when they register with the site. For instance, if a password is the name of a user's cat, that user can store a hint such as "my cat's name." The site then displays this hint when the user cannot recall the password. Password hints can allow users to complete their purchases without further delay or embarassment.

Tip: On sites in which users cannot see each other's IDs, consider allowing e-mail addresses as user IDs. People with common names may experience difficulty creating and remembering a unique user ID. John Smith, for instance, may be jsmith on one site, johnsmith on another site, johnsmith1 on another site, et cetera. E-mail addresses are unique identifiers, and most users have theirs remembered. Provide an easy way for users to change their IDs easily, especially if registrants use e-mail addresses, which are subject to change.

Provide clear and informative error messages

Anticipate errors that may occur, and provide clear explanations and instructions for resolving these problems. Providing helpful error messages enables users to resolve problems quickly and increases their satisfaction with your site.

Provide helpful error messages for:

Always state the problem without placing blame, and provide a polite, helpful suggestion for correcting the problem. For instance, if a user requests a document that does not exist in the domain, the following message could appear: Our apologies. . . The document you have requested does not exist on this system. Please check the URL and try again or use our search function to find the information you are looking for. If you believe you have received this message in error, please use the Contact link on this page to report this error. Avoid cryptic, rude messages like "Error 404".

Also offer a choice of mechanisms for resolving the problem. For search errors you can provide search tips, a link to an alphabetical listing of products, and a list of some of the most popular products/pages on the site.

Address users' frequently asked questions

Provide easy-to-find answers to common questions so that customers can complete their tasks quickly and easily. Addressing their questions reduces customer service costs and helps establish trustworthiness (Cheskin Research & Studio Archetype/Sapient, 1999).

The following are questions applicable to all e-commerce sites:

Also address product-related questions that your users may have. For instance, users of travel sites may want to know if they can make a reservation now and pay later.

Address important questions immediately or at the point of need. Many users will consciously or subconsciously want reassurance about security before they begin shopping and before providing their credit card information. Address this concern at the point of need by providing a brief message such as "Guaranteed Secure" on key pages, and link from the message to more detailed security information.

Also provide easy access to frequently asked questions (FAQs) from all shopping pages. With the FAQs format, different users can receive answers to many different questions in one location. They also may feel more inclined to use the information than they would if it were found in a section called "Help." (Many people are reluctant to ask for help.) Remember that new users may be unfamiliar with the concept of FAQs, and explain this term when providing the link.

Provide simple definitions and explanations of important terms

Define and explain important terms so users can educate themselves about your products and services. For instance, sites that sell computers need to define and explain the significance of terms like MHz, GB, and RAM. Sites that sell audio equipment will need to define and explain the significance of terms like digital outputs and oversampling.

Some terms can be defined in FAQs or other types of assistance, but explanations are most effective when provided in context as users need them. Provide an explanation or link to one wherever each important term is used.

Provide product selection assistance

Assist customers in selecting the product(s) that best meets their individual needs. One method is to provide a system that identifies users' goals, and recommends products based on these goals. Such a system could ask users a series of questions designed to elicit their requirements, and based on their input identify the products that best meet their needs. This technique can serve to educate or remind users about the issues they need to consider when making a purchase decision.

When designing an assistant,

Note: Don't waste users' time or mislead them by providing a tool that gives bad recommendations. Test product selection assistance with users to ensure that its recommendations are appropriate.

Provide assistance to guide users through multiple step processes

Provide immediate and detailed user assistance to guide customers through multiple-step processes such as purchasing products. Providing this assistance demonstrates professionalism and commitment to meeting the needs of customers, which in turn contribute to trustworthiness. Since shoppers are more likely to buy from sites they trust, effective user assistance can have a positive impact on sales.

Know and understand the user assistance mechanisms that are available to you. Below are some different types of "just-in-time" assistance, made available when and where users need it:

The table below suggests some mechanisms appropriate for different situations.

In many situations described above, you may want to provide two types of user assistance: just-in-time assistance, and links to more detailed information.

Provide shipping information

Provide shipping information that includes the following:

Establishing clear expectations about shipping practices, and then meeting those expectations, will help you satisfy your customers.

Include the detailed shipping information in the customer service section of your site. Provide links directly to this information from product description pages. Users often want to know when they can expect to receive a product when they are considering ordering it.

Provide mechanisms that allow users to monitor the status of orders

Enable users to determine the date the order was or will be shipped, and provide a means of tracking the order once it is shipped. Ideally, facilitate tracking orders on your own site. Customers who can easily follow shipping status through your Web site may not need the assistance of your customer service department.

Alternatively, provide customers a direct link to the page of the shipper's Web site that displays the status of their order. Enable your customer service representatives to monitor shipping status so that they can answer customers' inquiries completely without referring them to another source.

Tip: When displaying shipping dates, use the full name or its abbreviation for each month. For example, use "February 3, 2000" or "Feb 3, 2000" instead of "2/3/2000," because some countries place the month first, and others place the day first. Users may not know whether 2/3/2000 means February 3 or March 2.

Provide an easy means to change submitted orders

Allow customers to change and cancel an order before it has been shipped. Making this task easy creates a more positive user experience and helps customers feel freer to order products from your site in the future.

To facilitate changing orders:

State clearly and prominently all terms and conditions related to customer transactions

Provide all terms and conditions relevant to purchasing, leasing, returning, and servicing products so that users know what to expect. If users develop accurate expectations, they are more likely to be satisfied. This practice can help meet legal obligations in addition to increasing customer ease and comfort.

When applicable, explain the policy for the following:

Indicate the applicability of all terms and conditions to international customers. Become familiar with applicable international law, as some countries have laws that may override parts of your terms and conditions.

This information can appear in a section of the site designated for customer service information, or it can appear in product information. Users need access to the information before adding an item to the order list and checking out. Avoid legal jargon; provide this information in simple language so that users can read it easily.

Provide customizable shopping lists if your users routinely buy the same items

Enable users to maintain their own customized, editable shopping lists for routine purchases. These lists facilitate and thereby encourage repeat purchases, as customers do not have to find all over again the same items that they bought last time. Businesses for which a customizable shopping list might be appropriate include online grocers, five-and-dimes, and office supply stores.

The shopping list feature should enable each user to:

Provide registered customers access to information on their previous purchases

Provide an option that allows registered customers to save and view their order history. Allowing customers to see their previous purchases is a valuable service that can reduce customer service costs. For example, a customer may want information about items they have bought in the past to help them select complementary items, or to remind them what size they need. Access to this information can increase customers' comfort and thereby encourage further purchases.

However, because some customers will feel uncomfortable knowing you are keeping information about them, order histories should not be saved by default. Keep a purchase history only for those customers who have registered with your site and have requested this service.