Delivery is a key concern for your customers, and getting this right is a sure way to win customer satisfaction and repeat business. Here are some tips to getting your delivery promise right.


Your delivery promise is important, because it will encourage people to buy. If you honour it every time, then it will encourage people to buy again and again.

Research has shown that delivery is the most important factor for online shoppers and is one of the main causes of shopping trolley abandonment. In fact, according to a 2011 study 94% of shoppers have abandoned an online shopping cart, with 66% of those stating that it was due to delivery-related factors.

Clear information about delivery costs and times will help shoppers feel confident about placing an order. Give customers options so that you can satisfy their needs for different delivery timescales and costs.

Free delivery

Many shoppers look for a free delivery option, and are happy to spend more to secure it. If possible set the free delivery value at just above your average order. So if the average spend is £50, then set free delivery at £55. It also helps if you can notify customers how much more they need to spend in order to qualify for free shipping, for example an alert that says: “Spend another £X to qualify for free shipping” when a customer adds something to their basket.

Next-day delivery

Customers who want their items fast are usually happy to pay extra for a guaranteed next-day service. Make sure you state the cut-off time for next-day delivery and that you can fulfil this promise. You can then use this promise to increase your orders with a banner on the site that says, for example: “Place your order before 4.30pm for guaranteed next-day delivery.”

Returns

Customers like to know they can return items bought online and so having a clearly stated returns policy is vital to a positive customer experience. If a customer has a bad experience with returns, they are unlikely to use an etailer again. Consider offering free returns to attract buyers

 

Give extra peace of mind with tracked deliveries

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Find out more about Special Delivery Guaranteed™