Shopping cart, bag, basket

A cart by any other name....

[hannamyluv]

Do you think it makes a difference what you call a shopping cart?

For example, a long time ago we changed the name of our cart to the shopping bag due to the fact that we thought carts were what people shopped with in grocery stores and bags were what people shopped with in department stores.

I have seen a site cart called all sorts of things (bags, baskets, box) but for the most part, most people call them carts, and people refer to them as carts. I am thinking that perhaps we should just go back to calling it a cart to reduce confusion.

In this case, does the name matter?

[bcc1234]

Do a splt-run test and see for yourself.
But I doubt you'll see much difference.

[andy_boyd]

I believe that the wording is very important ...

Shopping Cart - better for the US market.
Shopping Basket - UK users will recognize that term best.
Buy Now - Too pushy, sounds like you'll pay immediately to a new user.

For my US orientated sites I tend to go with a combination of "Add To Cart", "View Cart" and "Check Out".

[Essex_boy]

I use buy now, on several occassions Ive been with non internet savvy friends who have questioned what a cart is and why they would add anything to it!

Buy now is unmistakable.

[Joop]

strange Essex Boy, I've been with some non internet savvy friends, and they were not keen on the Buy Now option - they'd used eBay before and equated the Buy Now option with the Buy it Now otion on ebay and assumed that once they clicked it there was no return...

[sem4u]

I like "buy now" as well. You can't fail to miss what it means.

[Marcia]

I've never thought of it any other way but "Add to Cart" and "View Cart"

While we're at it, aren't there some who call them a shopping trolley?

[PCInk]

I was showing someone once, how to purchase on the internet. I told him to click 'Buy Now' and his response? "But I don't want to buy it"

I had to explain that they could not charge his card an send him the goods because they don't know your address yet and they don't know your credit card number. If, we had logged in to an account (such as Amazon), then people would wonder about the 'Buy Now' button when they know they have all the required details to process the order.

[katana_one]

You could always refer to it as an "order." Add this item to your order. View your order. Etc.

[dragon]

i think cart, basket, box etc is mostly not the question of recognition but search engine classification. one thing if you run a small shop selling red wooden tables and another if you are a mall with thousands of products. so if you are a mall "shopping cart" key phrase would be much more important for you than if you have sold red wooden tables.
in other cases i suppose it to be a question of taste - do what you like