What is the most ignored yet the most important aspect of ecommerce sales. Any guesses what that could be? It’s post sales service. In my previous articles I talked about getting started with online sales, strategies to boost e-commerce sales and ways to engage repeat customers.

The journey of setting up an ecommerce store, acquiring customers and scaling the business is extremely thrilling and exhaustive at the same time and once you start making steady sales, you feel a sense of accomplishment and why not? After all, days of hard work that you have put in start showing and it is definitely a moment to sit back and rejoice. But amidst all the buzz, are you missing out on post sales services which is the crux of a successful business?

The importance of customer satisfaction can’t be stressed enough and truly, it is the little things that matter the most. So, here are 5 post sales points you should remember.

1. Smooth delivery experience

Online shopping is like getting a gift from yourself. It’s exciting and fun. And the best thing ecommerce stores can do is making that experience richer and enjoyable so that customers are left with a smile on their faces after the package is delivered to their doorstep.

Hence it is very important to choose the right logistics partner. It’s almost like choosing the perfect life partner. The analogy might seem funny but logistics can either make or break your business. Imagine the horror of receiving the parcel 10 days later than the expected delivery date or receiving a tattered package after you have so lovingly ordered something online. It’s nothing less than a nightmare right?

Pro tip: An easy tracking system which allows customers to track their merchandise real time is the icing on the cake. Don’t miss out on that to enrich your customer experience!

Also read: Wondering if you should build your own e-commerce website or not?

One of the most important elements of post-sales is return policy. A savvy shopper would always look for a great return policy before making a purchase on your e-commerce site.

2. Spot-on return policy

One of the most important elements of post-sales is return policy. A savvy shopper would always look for a great return policy before making a purchase on your e-commerce site. Make a crisp return policy by stating all the terms and conditions clearly and stick to your policy after you have concluded a sales. The following are some important aspects of a return policy that you should keep in mind:

• The return policy should be easily readable
• It should clearly state what goods and products can be returned and what cannot.
• It should also mention the duration of placing a return, whether you have a pick-up service and how quickly the returns are processed.
• Money matters the most while handling returns. You should clearly spell out the monetary rules. Will the money be entirely refunded and if so, then what is the medium of return of money, is it via bank account or shopping credits.
• RMAs for your returns: Return Merchandise Authorisation (RMA) is a unique number that directly references the return order number and reason for returns. This way the merchant can easily return, repair or replace a product while it’s still in its warranty period.
  
  

Pro tip: Consider your return policy as a customer support and conversion tool. By setting it right you can win customers and increase your sales exponentially.

Also read: 5 proven strategies to boost your e-commerce sales

3. Gift coupons and discounts

Special offers and gift coupons have the power of cheering shoppers and creating a wave of happiness. And this tiny gesture can go a long way to ensure you have great sales all throughout the year.  You can get your first time buyers to buy from your e-commerce store again and give your regular buyers a pleasant surprise which will help foster a better customer relationship.

Discounts, offers, cash backs, free delivery and other referral programmes are also a great way to keep customers engaged.

Pro tip: Seeing coupons and discounts make customers happy and releases the happy hormone in them. Utilise this to your advantage and watch your sales grow!

4. Special day wishes

Whether it is a customised birthday or anniversary wish, customers love when companies remember them and wish them on special days. Studies reveal that customers who receive wishes are more likely to think positively about the company and tend to become more frequent buyers.

You can set up an anniversary flow.  An anniversary flow is a set email that is sent out to customers wishing them on their marriage anniversaries and birthdays. It can also be used to send out messages for purchase anniversaries or newsletter anniversaries. All you have to do is set up a push notification message, turn them on and watch them go.

Pro tip: Birthday wishes have the highest click and conversion rate. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

5. Great customer support

Last but not the least is great customer support. Most companies don’t dedicate much time and energy in maintaining a great customer care team and that is where even good services fall apart. When you have an ecommerce store, a good feature is to have an online chat support so that customers are assured that their queries would be responded in real-time.

Also make sure that your post-sales team is regularly trained to use terms that are easily understandable to the customer.

Pro tip: Always maintain a Turnaround Time (TAT) to close customer complaints and issues on time.

Related articles

• 8 tips to promote your ecommerce site that are easy and proven to be effective!
• Boost your e-store’s traffic with these meta descriptions
• Have a great FAQ page that convinces and converts customers

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