Nearly every online business deals with ecommerce returns. With the spike in e-commerce businesses coming up, especially in the fashion industry, this is inevitable. While it is important to make returns as easy and fuss-free as possible, it is always better to minimise them.
As a fashion entrepreneur since you cannot altogether avoid e-commerce returns, here are 6 ways to minimise them.
Ways to Reduce Ecommerce Returns to Your Fashion Store
1. Write Detailed Product Descriptions on your ecommerce store
Your fashion product description is the first thing customers will read before attempting to buy anything. It says a lot about that product and determines whether or not that customer will make the purchase. This is why it is important for your products’ descriptions to be as detailed and clear as possible.
As a fashion entrepreneur, you must pay close attention to what you write about each product because it will help a customer decide whether or not that is the product they need. Your product description should include the following;
- A catchy headline,
- Details of what makes your product unique and what benefits it offers customers,
- Key specifications and descriptions, for example, how many inches the heel of a pair of stilettos is, and
- A call to action, social proof, and so on.
The more detailed your product description is, the lesser the chance of it getting returned.
2. Indicate a Dynamic Size Chart for your ecommerce products
With fashion items, especially items of clothing, sizing can prove to be one of the biggest reasons for ecommerce returns. Size charts are a very crucial and important aspect of the whole shopping experience. Customers rely heavily on your size guides to help them pick out products that are the right size.
A great product description can change the game for your business, that is why you should reach out to the team at Mauvelli to craft clear and winning product descriptions that will reduce the rate of returns from customers and help you to make more sales.
Your size chart should be highly inclusive and create space for all body shapes and types. As a fashion retailer, you need to get every parameter right so that items are the right fit or require minimal adjustments. Also, you have to get fitting terminologies right such as relax fit, skinny fit, regular fit, etc and include details such as pocket size, zipper length and armpit distance. You should also provide measurements in both centimetres and inches.
3. Attach High-Quality Visuals for each ecommerce product
Fashion is highly visual. For every product you display on your fashion ecommerce site, you must attach a high-quality image or video. Customers highly depend on product visuals to give them an idea of what a product will look like in person. Therefore, you must pay close attention to your product photography and videography.
Your images should be high-resolution and should show various angles of your clothing or fashion accessory. It should also allow customers to zoom in to see all the little details of each item on your site. Showing how your products should look on customers through photos or videos is also a good idea so they know how what to expect with the fit. This prevents any case of “What I ordered vs. what I got”.
4. Pay Attention to Product Delivery and Packaging
In the business of fashion retailing, you must pay attention to timely delivery. Many customers order fashion items with an occasion in mind, so failing to deliver on time will result in returns. Always make your product delivery dates clear on your website before the customer makes the purchase. Ideally, 5 to 7 working days works best for fashion products.
In line with this, you should pay attention to your product packaging. Everyone loves to receive their packages in a great state and you must have that in mind. Whether you are delivering locally or internationally, ensure that your fashion products are packaged well enough for the journey to delivery.
As much as possible, you want them to be in the same state they left your warehouse when they get to the customer. Also, always take the time to assess how your courier service handles your packages to help you make informed decisions on what steps to take for delivery of your ecommerce orders.
5. Include Customer Reviews on your ecommerce store
Giving customer reviews for each product in addition to the product description is important. With customer reviews, potential customers can see what others are saying and decide whether or not that product is for them. With the various reviews customers give about your fashion items, others can see things you didn’t include in your description.
A Boston University study found that positive reviews can lead to lower returns rates and increased repeat purchases of ecommerce products. Customer reviews also help you know what customers think of your products and what to improve on. Potential customers also tend to trust products more knowing that others have used them before and like them. They can also get tips on how better to use your fashion products through reviews.
6. Promote Exchange Rather Than Returns
While it is important to include options for product returns, promoting exchanges rather than returns can be a good tactic. When customers know that they can exchange products that didn’t meet their expectations with similar products, returns are less likely.
For this, it is important to make the exchange process easy to keep customers at ease. Having an exchange policy also helps keep revenue within your business. Since most buyers are serious, they are more likely to exchange items that are not to their liking with others of equivalent value.
As you work on reducing ecommerce returns for your fashion brand, make sure to follow up every purchase with a post-purchase email. In it, let customers in on styling tips for your products and other interesting details about it. Also, make sure you have great customer service in your brand and that you build customer loyalty and trust along the way.
A great product description can change the game for your business, that is why you should reach out to the team at Mauvelli to craft clear and winning product descriptions that will reduce the rate of returns from customers and help you to make more sales.
