Button order in online forms

[Kat_Hardisty at bnz.co.nz]

We're currently reviewing the layout of online forms on our company site, 
and are debating the pros and cons of whether the 'confirm' button should 
be on the left or the right of the 'back' button. 

The delemia being that the logical tab order would go from left to right, 
and since the preferred action will be the 'confirm' button, it should be 
the first button reached by using tab.  However, for mouse users, it makes 
more sense to put the 'confirm' button on the right and the 'back' button 
on the left, due to the mental image of going forward through a 
book/site/etc you move to the right.

Is there a usability standard for which option to go with here?  I haven't 
been able to find anything which gives a strong preference for one order 
or the other....


Kat Hardisty
Usability Analyst

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