The global COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all areas of ecommerce and retailers are looking for support and advice from others. When it comes to quick updates to their ecommerce site, retailers are not sure where to start.
Every ecommerce retailer is finding their feet amongst the new guidelines, updated legislation and changes in shopping behaviours. It can be difficult for retailers to understand where to begin when it comes to updating their ecommerce store.
In these uncertain times the public needs as much clarity and reassurance as possible. It’s therefore become more important than ever for online retailers to provide up to date and clear information on the status of their service and be upfront about potential disruption to areas such as fulfilment and customer service.
What are some quick updates you can make to your ecommerce store?
#1 – Updated Delivery & Returns Information
The first thing that customers will be looking out for is if your delivery and returns options have changed. Even if they haven’t, it’s important that you let your customers know that nothing has changed.
They will want to know how long delivery will take and how they can return unwanted items in the event that there is an issue with the purchase. Updating your basket and order confirmation pages, along with the corresponding delivery emails, is advised.
However, even if you don’t know how long delivery will take, customers will be understanding as long as you tell them this too.
Preparation is key at the moment, and information and notices from the Government change daily. Retailers therefore need to be prepared to put up their own notices and change delivery options quickly.
#2 – Delivery Notifications for Orders
Similarly, after your customers have purchased, they want to be kept up to date with where their order is and how long it will take before it is delivered.
Any touch point with a customer should be reviewed and you should provide honesty when revising anything. Your customers will appreciate the transparency.
#3 – Up-to-Date Stock Notifications
You may be having challenges within your supply chain and as a result, your stock may be unpredictable and for some products, very low.
You will want to add a notice to any of the products that may be affected, especially if you only have a few left in stock. This will manage customer expectations and let people know that they should order soon if it is a product they need.
#4 – Backorder Functionality
As mentioned, stock may become a problem for some so advising when stock is next due in and offering backorder functionality (perhaps also offering discounts for placing backorders) can still convince users to purchase now.
A ‘notify me when in stock’ function is also useful to build up a contact list ready for when retailers have items back in stock.
#5 – Clear Contact Information
With the majority of the ecommerce workforce now working from home, your customer service is likely to have been impacted. You will need to update your contact page and highlight how customers can get in touch along with which channels are currently unavailable.
For example, your phone numbers may be temporarily unavailable whilst you adjust to a working from home setup. You may want to apologise and let people know that email, social or live chat is the best way to get in touch.
#6 – Showcase Good Causes
Whether your company or team is supporting any local causes or any partners you work with are, now is a good opportunity to showcase these so that your customers can help support if they can. It is a challenging and sometimes scary world for many at the moment, and so people want to see which causes they can help support.
Be honest and transparent
The key to making updates to your site is to be honest and transparent. Customers can be very understanding and forgiving, as long as a brand is open and manages expectations.
If you need help with any support for your Magento or Shopify site and want advice for how to make quick updates to your store, get in touch.