Great eCommerce brands use returns to their advantage, as it is a great way to craft a brand identity that the customer can rely on.
Learn how to take this opportunity to use packaging as a way to impress your customers with easy returns!
Returns, they’re not fun but they’re a critical component to a successful e-commerce.
Rather than looking at returns as a hassle, look at them as an asset and opportunity for your company.
You might be thinking:
‘Returns mean that people don’t like my product and that I’m not making as many sales as I’d like’.
However, the easier you make your returns process, the more your customers will want to come back to purchase again.
In this article we’ll be breaking down various packaging strategies that will help transform your eCommerce returns into opportunities to impress your customers. These are the strategies:
Among online retailers, a brand’s return policy is one of the main indicators of a customer purchase.
You have to consider that while you think a lot about shipping, it’s most likely that your customers do not. They don’t have the tools or know-how to make returns as efficient as possible. Because of this, it is critical for you to provide these solutions.
A recent study found that 85% of online shoppers say they wouldn’t do repeat business with a brand that makes returns complicated and that another 40% kept orders that they didn’t want, simply because they found the returns process too complicated.
These numbers can have considerable implications on customer retention if not addressed properly. Lucky for you, we have compiled the following list of packaging hacks that will simplify returns and surely impress your customers.
Talking about packaging growth hacks for your eCommerce business, we have to make a general distinction between:
If you’re shipping in a box you can make returns easier on your customer in three different ways:
If you’re shipping in mailers there’s actually two features you can build into the mailer itself to make returns easy:
Ok, now you have chosen the best packaging strategy for your products, but, unfortunately, this is not enough!
You have to communicate to your customer how to do the return!
A first method is to write an effective return policy. Otherwise another effective strategy is to include within your shipment: – return instructions – return label
The second way to do it is to put the return instructions on the package telling customers to not throw away until they are sure of their purchases.
In fact the last thing you want is that your return-ready is wasted or, worse, thrown away before the customer decides to actually make the return.
The third way you can increase the ease of your return process is to include a pre-filled return label inside the packaging.
Find a courier who offers a ‘pay-on-use’ or scan-based postage system.
If you’re looking for more information about all the shipping documents that you need in order to succeed in your eCommerce business, you can take a look or download ShippyPro packing list template.
Making returns easy for your customers is essential in today’s eCommerce marketplace. A positive return experience is a leading indicator of customer retention.
Remember that:
Almost 90% of customers who have a good return are likely to shop with you again.
In simplifying the process you develop a strong competitive advantage. Customers will be more likely to come back to you, spend more money, and remain loyal to your brand.
If you’d like to read more about how to best handle eCommerce returns, check out our latest article.