eCommerce Marketing: Avoiding the Dreaded Return

eCommerce Marketing: Avoiding the Dreaded Return

The holiday season is an exciting, busy time of the year for retailers and eCommerce businesses, often proving to be highly profitable. With the rise in prominence of online shopping, consumers can do all of their shopping from the comfort of their own homes – armed simply with a credit card, mobile device and a solid Internet connection. Along with this convenience, however, comes a price; with just as much ease as with purchasing, a customer an return products. Here are four simple ways to cut down on those post-holiday returns.

1. Enable Reviews

Most product catalogs come with ratings/reviews functionality, but many merchants turn these off in fear of negative reviews. While it’s prudent to moderate and prune your reviews, not every negative is a slam: when people post about relevant compatibility issues, they’re helping to reduce your return rate.

2. Take advantage of product comparisons

Pumping up the competition on your own turf may seem counter-intuitive or even sacrilegious, but today’s shoppers are savvy. If you don’t provide a comparison to similar or competitor products on your own site, your audience will find buyers’ guide matrixes on other sites, and at that point you’ve all but lost them. Keeping the comparison on your own site is both user-friendly and smart (and again, builds trust).

3. Include high-quality images from all angles

This tip helps a customer not only visualize the product they are about to purchase, but also can give them an idea of size and color. High-quality photos will also help highlight your product in a way that is flattering, not disappointing.

4. Use accurate product descriptions

This one may seem obvious, but it can be difficult to get right. Make sure all the products on your eCommerce site have detailed descriptions, including intended use and quantity (if applicable). The last thing someone wants to find out on Christmas morning is that the floor hockey set they bought for their children only has two sticks, and no puck.

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