8 Ways Online Retailers Can Reduce Returns
With the rise in e-commerce, returns have become such a nightmare for retailers all over the world. E-commerce vendors are losing billions of dollars because of returns. To be a successful e-commerce retailer, returns HAVE TO BE easy and fuss-free. But, this can turn out to be a major problem for retailers. Returning a product is a hassle for both the seller and the buyer. Handling to pack the item and return it to the shipper can sometimes lead to many calls to customer service. On the other hand, from the retailer’s point of view, the price of processing the return of goods is costly for the business. Statistically, 1 of 3 products in e-commerce will be returned. 88% of people who browse through a website, go through the return policy and over 15% of cart abandonment rates are due to the confusion of the merchant’s return policy.
So here are some tips to reduce the return on purchases
1. Better merchandise descriptions – The first and foremost is a well-defined merchandise description. The first thing a customer reads right after looking at the product is the description. Accurate and detailed product specs are key. The product has to be well-defined along with the material used, styling tips, etc. The more detailed it is, the lesser chances of the products being returned.
2. Customer feedback and reviews – Adding customer testimonials for every product can prove to be a great strategy for reducing returns. Potential customers can relate with real people and it makes the buying process more authentic and reliable and helps the shopper to make an informed purchase. Customer reviews can also help the retailers to better their product depending on what people are appreciating and what not. Customer reviews can be helpful for both the shopper and the retailer.
3. Indicate a size guide – The size charts are one of the most crucial and most ignored aspects of the user shopping experience on a website. Size guides have to inclusive for all body types and shapes. Customers really rely on the size guides to help them pick the right size and getting that right is of the utmost importance. As a retailer, you have to get all the fittings terminologies right like relax fit, skinny fit, regular fit, etc. The size guide should be mobile responsive and measurements should be mentioned in both centimeters and inches. Including international sizing, conversions can also be really helpful in the long run.
4. High-Quality Visuals to Your Product Pages- One couldn’t stress enough the importance of visual products in online shopping. The shopper is completely dependent on the images to make a decision to buy the product. High-resolution images which can be zoomed in to assess the finer details of the clothing/fashion accessory is a must when it comes to online shopping. Taking pictures in multiple angles is also important. Mentioning the model size can help customers compare and make them feel more confident about their purchase.
5. Try before you buy- This is a comparatively new technique to tackle customer returns and might not be applicable for all types of e-commerce retailers. But, fashion retailers can make the most of this by offering a try-on service before buying. The customers will only pay for what they like. Some retailers reserve this option for their VIP customers who are a part of their loyalty program. For brands that are in the cosmetic sector, sending samples is a great way for the customers to test out the products without actually buying them.
6. Care for packaging – Caring for packaging is as important as anything else when it comes to online shopping. Especially if you are an international retailer. Packages can be easily mishandled and no customer will be willing to keep a product that has been mishandled. Package your products diligently and preserve them with suitable materials. Add a “fragile” tag to products that can be broken easily.
7. Timely Delivery and good customer service – Having a good customer service support system along with timely delivery are crucial. Ideally, a product should reach the customer in 5-7 working days. Anytime longer than that can result in customer cancelling or returning the product.
8. Data-driven e-mails to avoid returns – Using customer’s data-driven emails to identify problematic products and customers can help solve the issue of returns. By using customer’s feedback, you can identify which products are problematic and why. It can also help you better your product. You can also identify customers who have a high return rate and work on it as well.
The key to reducing product returns is to provide shoppers with all of the information they need to identify the products that will fit their needs. Lack of product information can be the downfall and in turn, lead to more returns. By applying data-driven practices at an organization level, retailers will be able to fine-tune a process that will yield minimal returns.
If you require additional assistance to help improve your conversion rate including returns for your Online Retail eCommerce store then please feel free to get FREE Consultation on your store to help improve
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