While returns are convenient and necessary for consumers, they can be a costly challenge for an eCommerce business. Find out how you can protect your bottom line by reducing your rate of returns here.
Unlike retail storefronts, eCommerce businesses’ return processes are more tedious due to the costs associated with shipping, restocking, and refunding. In this article, we will explore the primary reasons for returns and how to prevent them.
Primary Reason for Returns in eCommerce Stores
Many online retailers offer surveys as part of the return process to determine the causes of returns. According to these studies, the average number of online products customers return is eight yearly orders. We find that the common reasons for returns include:
- 56% of items have been damaged during packing or transportation
- 44% of customers weren’t satisfied with their product
- 31% found that the item didn’t match the description
- 13% found a better price at another business
- 12% no longer required the product
- 11% experienced buyer’s remorse
- And 11% accidentally purchased the wrong item
Many individuals found that the clothing items they ordered didn’t fit how they expected, with 65% expressing this as the reason for their return.
How To Prevent Returns
Many issues that lead to returns can quickly be addressed by optimizing the online store’s user experience and improving customer satisfaction.
Here are some ways you can enhance your eCommerce store to reduce returns.
Provide Accurate Sizing Information
Two significant reasons for returns involve how the customer perceives the product online versus the product arriving at their door. Impactful issues such as the wrong fit for clothing orders can be addressed by providing accurate product measurements, such as Size Charts by Clean Canvas.
Dynamic sizing charts provide additional benefits by streamlining the size search process, making it easy for customers to find products with the exact measurements they need.
Accurate sizing charts are a double-edged sword; they positively affect return rates by reducing uncertainty among potential customers and giving them confidence that the product will fit as expected. In addition, they improve customer satisfaction and build your brand’s perception of trustworthiness and reliability among customers.
Provide Easily Accessible Visuals With Supplementary Descriptions
Many returns occur because the product didn’t meet the customer’s expectations. Including additional product images that accurately reflect its appearance will improve customer satisfaction by increasing transparency and providing an honest representation of what they are ordering.
Including more images is also a great way to promote your product and improve conversions due to the effort and visual appeal it will bring to your store page. A recent study shows that images that are exposed and easily accessible lead to more purchases than photo carousels or slideshows.
In addition to appealing product images, including a displayed model’s measurements and the size of the garment they are wearing. This supplementary information helps customers visualize how the garment will look on them with better accuracy.
Promote Exchanges as an Alternative to Returns
Rather than facilitating returns and refunds, exchanges are a great way to keep customers and maintain satisfaction. This alternative is also beneficial because it streamlines the return process and requires fewer intricacies than initiating the refund process with credit card companies. Exchanging a product for store credit and discounts can happen almost instantly and can be used to improve customer satisfaction.
The method of exchanging products is also more challenging for scammers to take advantage of. A common eCommerce return scam involves requesting a refund for a product purchased with a stolen credit card. Exchanges reduce this by not providing scammers with cashback and keeping profits within your business.
Key Takeaways
Need a brief rundown? Here are the key takeaways for how you can prevent returns in your eCommerce store:
- Reducing the return rate for the products you offer is crucial for protecting the costs of your eCommerce business.
- Some common reasons for returns include damaged items, customer dissatisfaction, and misrepresented products, with the biggest cause being clothing not fitting as expected
- Returns can be prevented by providing accurate sizing information, including easily accessible visuals with supplementary photo descriptions, and promoting exchanges as an alternative to returns
- Accurate sizing information addresses the impact of returns due to failure to meet fitting expectations
- Including easily accessible photos of the product enhances engagement with the product by creating a realistic expectation, which leads to an increased amount of conversions
- Promoting exchanges keeps customers engaged with your brand and improves satisfaction due to its convenience.
