6 min read

9 TIPS TO REDUCE RETURNS OF YOUR ONLINE STORE

🕒 July 18, 2022 by Reham Omar - 6 min read

Why Do Customers Return Products?

You must first understand why people return the products before focusing on tips to reduce them. There are four main reasons for e-commerce returns. First, your customer orders the wrong item or the wrong size. Most of the customers return products due to improper fit. Second, the ordered item doesn’t meet your customer’s expectations or the product description. Third, the product that your customer received is damaged upon arrival. Lastly, there is also an issue rising that people are buying products with the intent to return. Many people purchase products of multiple sizes and return the extra items.

 E-commerce return rates affect business costs.

Shipping Costs

When you offer free returns and free shipping, you invest in the customer by paying for their transportation costs. These costs amount to nothing when a product is sent back to you.

Refund Cost

Your customer is unhappy, and that sale is lost now.

Product Disposition Cost

After a product is returned, you need to inspect it and place it in many categories ranging from liquidation to resale. According to e-commerce return statistics, when you put the returned products under the liquidation criteria, they sell at a much lower rate than their original value.

Tips To Reduce eCommerce Returns

High-Quality Images & Descriptions

The number of blurred images of the products online is higher than it should be. One way to reduce e-commerce returns is to ensure that the product images uploaded on your website are of high quality.

You should upload a minimum of four high-quality pictures of each product from every angle. You must also provide 360-degree videos of the product and a detailed description where necessary. 

Your product’s weight, size, and material should be highlighted in the description so that your customer knows all these details beforehand. You should ensure that every product’s definition is up-to-date to avoid returns.

Accurate Sizing

As you know by now, the fit is one of the biggest reasons for e-commerce returns. You must ensure you don’t apply a default size chart to all your products. Each brand or item might require a different size chart, even if the numbers are the same. If you use a model to display your product, make sure to mention the model’s height and the product’s size.

Customer Reviews & Rewards For Them

Before purchasing anything online, customers carefully research the product’s rating and reviews. You must encourage your customers to leave reviews on the products and services they bought. Doing this will identify the problematic areas and make amends accordingly. When you offer reward points for reviews, your customers are more likely to leave reviews.

Proper Packaging & Quality Control

Damaged goods and incorrect items are a big reason for e-commerce returns. Sellers often tend to save money and cut corners regarding packaging. You need to select sturdy boxes and secure the product by wrapping it with an extra layer of bubble wrap inside an envelope or a box to ensure your package survives the shipping process. You must also ensure the products are double-checked so that the wrong product is not shipped.

Live Chats

You can avoid the return process by keeping a live chat feature on your website or app and offering real-time support. Doing this can resolve the issues before the customer initiates the return process and either replace the product without a return or refund the price directly. You can also ensure that the customer is still spending money with you and eliminate a return by offering refunds in-store credit.

Liberal Return Policy

  • You can never eliminate the process of e-commerce returns. It is therefore essential to have a liberal e-eCommerce return policy that makes the entire process easier for you and the customer. The liberal approach ensures that the customer feels empowered while buying a product with peace of mind and confidence, knowing they can return the product later if it doesn’t match their expectations.
  • If you have a longer return policy time, your customers won’t feel the urgency to return the item. A longer time frame for returns triggers the endowment effect on your customer, stating that the longer they have something, the more attachment they form with it. Your customers will now be less likely to return the products.
  • At the time of return, you must ensure the customers have all the receipts and proofs of purchase. You can also include a policy where the customer will have to pay for the return shipping, but you must ensure you mention it in your policy.

Post-Purchase Emails

You can reduce returns via emails. After the product is delivered to your customer, you can send emails and tell the customer how the purchased items can be used. You can let them know about your uncomplicated exchange and return policy and get your customers in the repeat-purchase frame of mind. This ensures that your customer gets into a positive headspace whenever they think about their orders. This encourages the customers to buy from you again. 

Applying The Concept Of Reverse Logistics

  • Reverse logistics is moving your products backward through the supply chain. Reverse logistic returns are when you take back the products from your customers and, after modification, create a new product to sell.
  • You can use reverse logistics to recycle the items you sell. Your customers might not know the best way to recycle heavy metals or toxic components. You can do this work for your customers. This leaves a good impression on them, and a suitable recycling protocol can generate a revenue stream. You may be able to use parts of a used item to manufacture a new article.

Analyze & Improve

Even though e-commerce returns are the worst-case scenario, it provides you with a complete view of your customers, products, and processes. This teaches you how important the customer metrics and the data are. You will be equipped to make better business decisions when you analyze your exchange and returns process. Adopting a data-driven approach can make improvements and yield minimum returns.

Conclusion

It is impossible to eliminate the process of returns, but you can lower your e-commerce return rates quickly by implementing the points mentioned above. 

E-commerce returns are a good opportunity for your company to make amends and resolve your customer’s issues. You can help your customers by giving them a clear picture of your products and ensuring they are satisfied.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *