Using more than one button on a product page

Are there benefits in using more than one button?

[balearic]

Hi all

Long time reader, first time poster.

I've read some really good articles/posts about product pages on WW, how ever I have a couple of questions regarding the placement of Buy Now/Add to Cart etc buttons.

Do you think there is any benefit in having two buttons? one below the copy and one above?

I have a product page that has customisible options towards the bottom - the current Buy now button is located towards the top of the page with price/title/description/picutre etc

If the options are changed/updated, the price needs to reflect this, I've been experimenting using ajax, adding some visual clues to the changes on the page and highlighting the price etc plus adding the extra button below the customisable options.

I'm trying to understand the trade off in terms of whats below the page fold and is it obvious to view the new price/buy now, you'll have to scroll back to the top?

I'm also going to look at page layout altogether, how ever I was curious about the two button thing first before I started to take apart the page.

Any help/thoughts appreciated :)

[cmarshall]

1) Welcome to WebmasterWorld!

2) Redundancy is one of the best ways to ensure usability. As long as it is tastefully and properly done, then this would probably be called a "best practice." I know that Amazon has "Buy Now!" buttons all over the place. I get a lot of stuff from them, and consider their cart to be about the easiest to use anywhere.

Of course, a cardinal rule of redundancy is also consistency. Don't have the button on top say "Buy the below items", and the bottom button say "Buy the above items". They should both say "Buy this item" (or something to that effect), and they should each look exactly the same.

[ytswy]

I remember once seeing a thread listing in the supporters forum (which I've never been a member of) years ago, with a subtitle saying something like: monkey see big yellow button, monkey press big yellow button, monkey get banana.

While the phrasing may be a little discourteous to your users, the concept is valid I think, and one I've always remembered; if you are selling something, and there someone on your site who wants to buy, you need to make it absolutely obvious and convenient for them to do so. All other design considerations are secondary.

[balearic]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the replies.

I've just read the "Does your button suck" thread - good read.

I'll post back with what I've decided to do later.

[cmarshall]

That would be this [webmasterworld.com] thread?

and this [webmasterworld.com] thread?

[balearic]

I can only see one of the topics - do I need a subscription to view the other? it's not clear. Thanks.

[cmarshall]

Unfortunately, yes.

It's the WebmasterWorld Supporters Forum.

I ponied up the $150, myself, because this place has helped me so much.