How to Reduce Ecommerce Returns

In 2022 alone, consumers returned $816 billion worth of products. Dealing with a lot of returned products can be difficult for an ecommerce business. 

While ecommerce returns are a necessary part of operations, they can be a burden and hurt your profitability. Taking steps to minimize ecommerce returns is essential for your business to thrive.

Ready to learn how to do it? Read on to learn how to reduce ecommerce returns in your online store.

Why Do Customers Make Returns?

There are a few main reasons why customers request ecommerce returns. In many cases, it’s because they didn’t get what they expected or the product didn’t serve their needs in the way they thought it would. 

To correct this problem, giving customers more information about the products they buy is essential. An educated customer will be more likely to make a good purchase decision from the very beginning and will be less likely to ask for a return.

Another big reason why customers return items is because the product simply didn’t meet their expectations. They understood what the product was for but didn’t feel like it did a good job of meeting their needs. They felt that it was inferior or didn’t work the way it was supposed to. 

Finally, a customer may return a product because of shipping issues. If the item is damaged in transit, is late to arrive, or the customer received the wrong item, then a return becomes more likely.

How to Reduce Ecommerce Returns

So how do you reduce ecommerce returns? Here’s how to minimize the chance that a customer will request a return.

Improve Product Descriptions

One of the ways that you can reduce returns of your ecommerce products is to add more detail to product pages. If the details of a product are unclear to a customer, then don’t be surprised that they buy it by mistake when it’s not what they actually need.

It can be tough for a customer to buy the right item if they can’t view the product in person and the product description isn’t accurate or descriptive enough. A customer may make a mistake and buy a product that they don’t need if it’s not described well on the product page.

Be sure to manage customer expectations correctly. Include a full product description as well as any other details that a customer needs to know about. This could include sizing information, instructions, and other usage details.

Provide Better Photos and Media

In addition to detailed descriptions and written information, include high-quality photos that accurately represent the product you’re selling. Including enough photos will give customers a better understanding of whether a product is right for them.

Adding other visuals and media content can also help a customer verify that the product is what they’re looking for. Consider adding 3D images, videos, and other visual content to help the customer make the right purchasing decision.

Let Customers Leave Reviews

To reduce the amount of returned goods, make it possible for your customers to help each other. They often have the same problems and the same questions about products and can serve as guides for one another, if you let them.

One of the best ways to do this is to allow buyers to leave reviews of your products. This way, a new customer can look through the reviews to find more information about a product and can learn things that may not be in the product description. They’ll also feel more certain about purchasing a product based on the ratings and reviews.

By getting additional insight into the products they buy, it will become less likely that they’ll return an item.

Provide Better Customer Service

Effective customer service can also reduce instances of returns by helping a customer better understand products, how to use them, and how to resolve issues. Customers should have a way to get in touch if they have questions or concerns, either before or after receiving a product.

With great customer service, a customer won’t have to resort to making a return as often. They may learn how to use a product to meet their needs without feeling like they need to purchase an entirely different product instead.

Improve Your Return Policy

While it may seem surprising, offering a great return policy will reduce the number of returns in your ecommerce business. Having a longer returns window that’s 30 days, 60 days, or more will encourage customers to hold onto their items for longer and can even reduce returns.

This may be because a customer has a longer time to try the product and may learn more about how it works. They may also forget to return it.

On top of this, a longer returns policy can also help increase the total number of purchases and can lead to greater profitability.

Make Exchanges

To reduce returns, help customers understand how to make an exchange. Have customer support in place to fulfill exchanges smoothly and efficiently. 

Many customers will be happy to exchange a product for one that’s more suited for them but it can help if they’re encouraged to do so. By making your exchange policy as attractive as possible to your customers, there’s a good chance that they’ll take you up on it. This can reduce your returns and boost profitability.

Prevent Shipping Problems

Finally, take special care when shipping products. Do everything you can to prevent errors. Always ship the right items and package them safely and securely so that they won’t experience damage during transit. 

Work carefully with shipping carriers to get items to a customer quickly. Receiving the wrong item, receiving a damaged item, or experiencing long lead times and delays will lead to returns and be bad for your bottom line. 

Minimizing Ecommerce Returns

To reduce ecommerce returns, put in effort to improve product pages and update your policies. Providing more product information, offering reasonable return policies, and preventing shipping issues will make it less likely that customers will request returns.

Looking for an innovative logistics provider? As the fastest-growing provider of parcel logistics services in the US, ACI Logistix offers reliable small parcel logistics and distribution solutions. We help both offline and online businesses succeed.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can serve your business.