Top 5 Ways to Manage Pre-Orders with Shopify Plus

If you have an ecommerce business on Shopify Plus, you should consider offering pre-order options to valued customers. A pre-order is when a customer places an order before a product is released or is out of stock; the product is not yet in stock, so a pre-ordered item will be shipped to the customer once it’s available. Customers pre-order products to be the first ones in line to receive them or because a much-loved product is out of stock, and they want to ensure they will get it as soon as possible. By pre-ordering a product, customers can relax, knowing that they won’t miss out. However, this does bring the challenge of managing your pre-orders as a business, but Shopify Plus is there to help.

1. Be Clear About Your Pre-Order Terms

To ensure your customers know what to expect when they make a pre-order purchase, be clear about the terms from the beginning. It’s essential to give details such as the release date and shipping date. Doing so reduces the chances of a disgruntled customer, and you could save a lot of time by not having to answer as many customer questions. The more pre-order information you give, the more confident customers will feel about making a purchase.

2. Consider Offering Discounts or Deals on Pre-Ordered Products

Though some customers will find the option to pre-order a product convincing enough, some might be swayed by a discount or deal. For example, you could offer a discount of 10% for those who pre-order before a specific date. You could also offer early shipping, giving customers a chance to get their hands on the product before anyone else. This is also easily done via the Shopify platform.

3. Highlight the Exclusivity of Pre-Ordering a Product

People tend to put more value on rare, exclusive or limited edition products, so highlight this when managing your Shopify Plus pre-orders. You can highlight how many pre-orders are left for order or add a countdown timer to your website. You could also highlight how many pre-orders have already been made, making shoppers feel like there is a ‘club’ they should be a part of.

4. Plan Your Marketing and Advertising Effectively

One key part of managing Shopify Plus pre-orders is effectively planning your marketing and advertising. Many sales can be gained on the first day of available pre-orders, but only if customers know what’s happening. This is why planning is vital, and you should try to use as many techniques as possible. The more marketing you do, the more people will see that a pre-order is happening. You should also think carefully about when you will announce the pre-order and which marketing channels will likely reach your target audience. Whereas some audiences are best targeted on social media, others are easier to engage via email marketing.

5. Learn From Your Competitors

There are a lot of companies that are already managing pre-orders successfully, so take note of what they are doing. Think about the products they offer for pre-order and how they drum up business. Consider how and when they announce a pre-order and how they market their offerings to customers. Customers vary hugely depending on the industry and type of business, which is why you should learn from your competitors. If something works for them on Shopify Plus, it will also work for you.

There are a lot of benefits that come with offering pre-orders via Shopify Plus, which is why it’s something that a lot of businesses offer. Not only does it help to boost sales and drum up excitement, but it also helps to ensure you meet market demands for products.

• Increase Your Sales – With a click or two, customers can access a whole host of products online, which means that competition for sales is tougher than ever. Customers could take their business elsewhere if a product is unavailable or out of stock. This loses you a sale, but also you run the risk of that person becoming a loyal customer for a competitor’s business. When you have pre-orders as an option, you can secure sales regardless of whether the product is available or not. Instead of turning a customer down and them going to another company, you can lock them in.

• Forecast and Meet Demands for Products – Knowing how successful a product will be and how much stock to buy can be difficult, but pre-orders help. They highlight how much demand there is for a product and give an insight into how popular it’s likely to be, allowing you to plan accordingly. It reduces the chances of stocking up on a product, only to have wasted time and money if it’s not as popular as you thought it would be.

• Drum Up Excitement – When someone sees a lot of advertising about pre-ordering a product, it gets them interested and engaged with what’s happening. It grabs their attention, boosts awareness and creates excitement about the product; they want to know what all the fuss is about. This can help to drive traffic to your Shopify website, which increases the chances of making sales.

• Boost Customer Loyalty – Customers offered the chance to pre-order a product are likely to feel valued, understood and connected to your business. It shows that you know the type of products they are interested in and that you have gone out of your way to offer them something special. This helps to boost customer loyalty, and it shows you appreciate their business.

To find out more about the benefits of using Shopify Plus and why it’s our ‘go-to’ ecommerce platform, get in touch with the Quickfire Digital team. Our professional services ensure you have the ideal website for your ecommerce venture.