Fieldstone Checkout Study

1. What we tested

We asked three real users to complete three key tasks on an e-commerce website: find a rain jacket they’d actually buy, apply a promo code and complete checkout, and check the status of their order after a few days. The goal was to see how easy and reliable these steps were in a real-world scenario.

2. How it went overall

Out of three participants, all completed the rain jacket search and checkout successfully, but one participant failed to find the order status. The checkout process took an average of about 184 seconds, and while two people found the order status easily, Sam couldn’t locate it on the page and had to check his email instead. Overall, the system usability score was strong - around 90 out of 100 - but the failure to find order status and confusing checkout errors show serious problems in key user flows.

3. What got in people's way

Poor visibility and inconsistent placement of order status - critical

Participants expected to find order status at the top of the page, where they’d naturally look. Instead, it was hidden at the bottom. Sam said, “There’s nothing up there besides cart, so I don’t like that,” and couldn’t find it directly. This made the task frustrating and required extra effort - like checking an email - which is not what users expect. This is a critical flaw because users don’t know where to look, and the system doesn’t guide them.

Unclear or missing error feedback during checkout - critical

Every participant encountered red error messages like “Could not be processed” during checkout, but none could remember or understand what the message meant. Jordan said, “I didn’t even read it. It was in red. I knew something was wrong,” and Sam asked, “Could not be a process. I’d like to know why.” There was no explanation or help to fix the issue - users just kept retrying without knowing why. This leads to confusion, frustration, and failed purchases.

4. Task by task

• Find a rain shell: All three participants completed this successfully, and it took about 191 seconds on average. Sam was confused by product features like “pit zips” and “helmets,” showing that product descriptions don’t match real-world expectations.
• Apply a promo & check out: The process took about 184 seconds on average. While two participants completed it smoothly, all three faced checkout errors with no clear explanation. Jordan didn’t remember the error message, and Sam asked why it failed - showing a major gap in error feedback.
• Check your order status: Two participants found it easily, but Sam failed to locate it on the page and had to go to his email to find it. This step took longer than expected and was the only one where a user didn’t succeed - even though the system didn’t break, it was just invisible.

5. What we recommend

1. Move the order status to a visible, intuitive location (like the top of the page) - users expect it there, and hiding it causes confusion and frustration. Make it clear and accessible without requiring extra steps like checking emails.

2. Improve checkout error messages - when an error occurs, show a clear, plain-language explanation (e.g., “Your payment method is not supported” or “Try a different card”) so users understand what went wrong and how to fix it.

3. Add a clear success path after checkout - ensure users can immediately see their order status after purchase, and make it easy to find without searching or relying on email. This builds trust and reduces user stress.