Let’s face it, online shopping sure is convenient, but it can be risky. After all, how do you really know the new outfit you ordered is going to look good without trying it on first, and how can you be sure that huge chunk of cash you’re about to drop on a state-of-the-art TV will be worth the investment – when you can’t see it working in all its HD, 3D, 55-inch OLED glory? The truth is, you absolutely don’t!
This is why it’s essential for online retailers to mitigate these perceived risks by offering online shoppers easy and painless returns processes which do wonders for calming those nerves at the checkout. To put it another way, online shoppers who fear they might have to jump through hoops to get a refund on a disappointing or faulty product are likely to take their business elsewhere.
Not yet convinced? According to a study, as many as 60% of consumers take the time to review a return policy before making a purchase decision, while another study found convenient returns could actually generate an increase in sales by more than 25%. And there’s more. An inconvenient returns process is said to deter as many as 80% of shoppers.
So, now your sold, but aside from not making your customers go to the post office and wait in line, how can you make your online returns process as easy as possible and what are the real business benefits you can look forward to?
Resealable and reusable packaging
Sometimes the devil is in the detail. You might have worked hard to make the process of getting your goods back to base as easy as possible, but what happens once your customers have torn that courier bag or completely obliterated the cardboard box? Is the onus on the customer to acquire new packaging, and if so, is that really good enough when you’re trying to eliminate ALL the headaches from the returns process?
There are two ways to deal with this. Either send return packaging with the order, or if that’s not possible, ensure all packaging is resealable and reusable with clearly marked instructions to prevent accidental damage.
Offer customers convenient pick-ups
As already mentioned, locating the nearest post office and waiting in line during the peak hour rush is not at all enjoyable nor convenient. Today, it’s easy to get around this by offering to pick up return packages at a time and date that’s convenient for your customers – not for you or your courier company!
Go People is one such solution to this typical return delivery conundrum. Through Go People’s intuitive platform, it’s easy to arrange for items to be picked up at a specified time from a designated address and transported straight to the retailer the very same day. What’s more, this cost-effective same-day delivery solution will help minimise any losses on returned goods.
Speedy refunds
And what would be the point in Go People’s speedy same-day delivery solutions if they didn’t allow retailers to effect speedy refunds in turn? That’s right, customers will be even more impressed if they don’t have to wait days for their items to be delivered before retailers start thinking about assessing the issue and processing that refund.
Make the returns process obvious
Don’t lose out by not making all your hard work and consideration around easy returns obvious to the customer. To put customers’ minds at ease and encourage new buyers, make sure your highly competitive returns process is clearly stated on your website – where it can’t be missed! After all, if customers need to go digging for it, you may as well not have it at all, right?
An easy and hassle-free returns process that eliminates the risks of online shopping will no doubt drive customer loyalty and repeat sales for your business. Studies have revealed 92% of consumers will buy something again if returns are made easy. One online shoe and apparel shop, Zappos.com, is reported to have achieved 75% customer loyalty with one of their key perks being free returns. So, perhaps it’s time for your online retail business to review that returns process and remove the pain points once and for all!