By Henry Brown

A lot of ecommerce professionals know that if you want to sustain your business, you need to establish a loyal customer base that will buy from you time and time again. This is easier said than done, but with the right strategy, you can be sure to achieve remarkable results.

Preparation is key

Managing your inventory correctly, and choosing the right supplier is crucial. After all, this is the start of your logistical chain and if you experience a delay with sourcing your product, this will cause problems later down the line. If you want to benefit your business here then you need to track your product and you also need to master the art of supply and demand. Regular stock-taking is crucial here, not to mention that you also need to implement a stock counter on your online store too. This will help to keep your customers updated, and it will also give you the chance to know if you need to buy new products, well in advance.

Be transparent

If you want to have loyal customers, then you need to make sure that your company can be trusted. One way for you to do this would be for you to specify the different delivery options that are available, the expected date the product is going to arrive and the return conditions. This will help your customer to set realistic expectations, and it will also stop any unwelcome surprises.

Give your customers plenty of options

As mentioned above, transparency is key. Once you have a solid shipping process, you then need to focus on making it flexible. Your customers need to know that when they buy from you, they can get it next day, or even in a week’s time. You might also want to offer both door-to-door shipping and the option for them to pick it up from a local store. When setting your shipment flexibility, make sure the prices reflect this. For example, next day shipping should be more expensive when compared to standard, and pick-up collections should ideally be free.

Choose the best shipping partners

Look up the best trucking companies to work for, read reviews and explore the services that providers are able to offer. This will help you to find the best one for your needs and it will also help you to offer a much better purchasing experience. Price is a consideration when choosing your provider because if you choose someone who is expensive, this cost will translate into the charges your customers have to pay and they might not always be happy about this.

Returns policy

If your customer receives their order and they’re not totally happy with it, you may end up receiving the item back again in a couple of days. This is not an ideal situation for anyone, but one way for you to try and help yourself and your customer would be for you to have a crystal-clear returns policy. If you’re getting a lot of returns, consider getting to the source of the problem with the product itself.

_______

Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.