Returns are the bogeyman of online retail. They cost an enormous amount of money, time and staff. According to a Bitkom study from 2018, German consumers send every eighth online purchase back. So of course every online retailer wants to keep the return rate as low as possible. We have put together 7 tips to help you reduce the return rate of your shop.
The keyword is: information, information, information… Because the more information the product page provides, the lower the chance of a return. If you answer every possible question a consumer might have as well as you can, the return rate drops enormously. A live chat or publishing product reviews can help with that too.
Use every channel you have to explain your offer. Only when consumers understand your product can they choose the right one. Customer stories on social media are a good fit, for example. Videos and tutorials are another option, as are posts in forums or blogs.
The best product is of no use to you if the delivery does not arrive on time. The basis for that is stating a realistic delivery time. To build the customer’s anticipation, you should also offer parcel tracking. Keep the delivery time as short as possible too. The longer customers have to wait for an item, the greater the chance that they will decide otherwise in the meantime.
Alongside a live chat, many customers still value the classic ways of getting in touch, by email or phone. The better the communication works, the more likely people are to choose the right product in your online shop.
The best way to avoid a return is of course to deliver good quality. Products that are not what they seem, on the other hand, are the first to be sent back. That also means describing your products as well as you can and communicating openly with the customer.
The return rate also depends on the product: books, for example, are returned less often than clothing. So match your return options to your goods. For items that have to be tried out (for example furniture), it makes sense to extend the return period as a gesture of goodwill. The longer people can test the product, the more they get used to it and grow fond of it.
Smart pricing also helps to reduce returns. Customers who see the product cheaper elsewhere while they are waiting are more inclined to send the goods back to you.