It's an age old subject, but perhaps worth another go around. Why do people abandon the shopping cart without completing the sale and what can you do to rectify the problem?

1) Shipping Costs unclear without registering!

For me, as a user, one of the biggest annoyances, and often the reasons I will hit the back button, is not having any way to check shipping costs without registering an account. To me this smacks of capturing data prior to making the sale, not good from the buyer perspective. Some might think it a good idea from the merchant POV, I would disagree saying it is a short sighted view on commerce and you risk losing a long term customer.

2) Taxes not deducted for out-of-country purchases.

This applies to GST/VAT type countries where the tax is part of the price rather than the US where applicable sales tax is applied after the sale. I find it most annoying trying to buy things from UK companies only to find they do not deduct VAT for out-of-country purchases. Again, short sighted, I am this far away from dumping a merchant because of this which will result in them losing many sales.

3)

Your turn.

So far I have been able to resist the Mobile Always Online scenario and am hoping to keep it that way, it is bad enough carrying around a Mobile Phone.

Bah! Viewable in the US only.

Ha! Love it!

Groan ...

No! I @#$%ing well didn't!

I'm sure it annoys you sometimes as it does me, and sometimes it can be just downright embarrassing.

Picture this:-

In a recent Permaculture course the host looked up "Cleavers", meaning Galium aparine, on Google to display some images to the class. Google responds "Did you mean Cleavages?" OK, it provided some comical relief at the time, but it does beg the question "Whoa, just where are you going with that Mr Google?"

Sometimes we are just searching for something very specific, and to have the Search Engine either suggest a correction or even automagically correct you without asking is just downright inefficient - not to mention annoying.

Sometimes the language/spelling used is correct locally, just not where the SE's server is located.

Sometime ... well, there are a myriad of examples.

And then there is personalisation. What the SE thinks you mean based on past history may be appropriate, but what if you are going off on a tangent? What if the Spouse starts using your computer? "Did you mean Cleavages?" Oi! John Boy! What you been lookin' at?!?!?!?

The real meat of the topic though is to what extent the internet is being skewed by SE's intentions, well meant or otherwise, how does that affect your sites/business, and how can you assert your original position?

The floor is open.

Woz would love to organise a get together in Aus, 

but is just far too busy at present. 

Oneday ...

I'm Woz

from Australia,

known as Woz almost everywhere online,

Jack of many trades, Master of, well, a couple perhaps. Trained musician/composer/recording engineer, although it's been a long time. Dabble in the Webmastering/Marketeering arts. Filling in my spare (??) time studying Permaculture, and Old Forgotten Skills as we are headed for tough times ahead, and amuse myself with Bushcraft activities.

Onya
Woz

or, as we Aussies would say - "Who the Bloody Hell Are Ya?"

So, tell us:

who you are,

perhaps where you are,

how we might recognise you around the traps,

and as much else about yourself as you are comfortable us knowing.

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