Learn and adopt 3 eCommerce out of stock strategies
If there’s one thing that always rings true in eCommerce, it’s this: You can’t sell products you don’t have. This is why an out-of-stock event (or stockout) are among the worst-case scenario for eCommerce brands. Out-of-stock products are frustrating for eCommerce businesses and customers alike. The business fails to make an otherwise guaranteed sale, and the shopper needs a better experience. In other words, it is a lose-lose for everyone when an item is not in stock. Fortunately, like many other eCommerce challenges, there are many out of stock strategies to keep potential customers engaged and switch a potentially harmful situation into a positive customer experience. Avoid Deleting Out Of Stock Product Pages Removing out of stock products and re-adding them to your website can negatively affect your SEO. Plus, redirecting stockout pages to the homepage of your site is also a common mistake, as it hinders the ability to gather your customers’ information to send out a notification when the product is back in stock. We recommend leaving the stockout page intact but adding an “out of stock” note underneath the product’s price. You can now easily automate this process with our BackOrder application, designed for BigCommerce store users. Collect an Email for When the Item Is Back-In-Stock Consider replacing the “Add-to-Cart” CTA with clear notification text. It’s a practical and simple way to improve the user experience and keep your shoppers happy. You can determine what CTA language resonates most with your customers by conducting A/B testing. Then, if a shopper clicks on an out-of-stock item, the “Add-to-Cart” CTA will immediately change to “Notify me when available” or “BackOrder Now!” Recommend Related Products When a product is out of stock, sharing related products can be an effective tactic. This allows you to boost orders from shoppers less concerned with some of the details of this out-of-stock product. Related products help you save a sale when an item is out-of-stock and increase your average order value. BigCommerce store owners now have easy access to upsell and cross-sell tactics using our OrderBooster application, designed for accessibility and productivity. Bonus Tips Include Bonuses on Each Order of Out-Of-Stock Items You can include bonuses on any order of out-of-stock products. Giving something “extra” to your shoppers will increase their motivation to sign-up and wait for a back-in-stock notification. It can be a discount coupon, free shipping, or similar offers. Use SMS and Push Alerts SMS text is among the most effective methods to reach customers. So you can give your customers the option to input their mobile numbers rather than their email addresses to notify them that an item is back in stock. Be Clear About the Back-In-Stock Date You should be clear and honest with your customers about when the item will be back in stock. This will reassure your customers that they won’t have to wait for an indefinite amount of time if they make an order. The Bottom line Stockouts are painful events for businesses and customers, and, unfortunately, it is inevitable. Nobody likes stockouts since they disappoint the eager buyer. In the worst case, they create irate customers and hurt sales. Stockouts will happen, but the good news is they are 100% predictable. Your out-of-stock strategies for responding to them will determine what will happen next. Contact us for a detailed consultation!
Guide to using Google Sheets to manage eCommerce inventory
If you are looking for effective ways to improve your business’s inventory management, Google Sheets and Excel are powerful tools that will help you manage inventory levels and track stock movements. In this article, we will deliver the ins and outs of using Google Sheets or Excel for inventory management. So keep reading to learn more about Google Sheets inventory! Why Should You manage eCommerce inventory with Google Sheets (And Excel)? Automation Using Google Sheets or Excel to track stock movements or manage inventory levels can help automate managing and tracking inventory. This automation will reduce the effort and time needed to keep track of stock movements and inventory levels, allowing your business to focus on essential tasks. Cost Savings Your business can also save money by utilizing Excel or Google Sheets. It may be because of reduced labor costs associated with manual inventory management and tracking, as well as reduced costs associated with mistakes and poor management. Improved Accuracy Another benefit of using Google Sheets or Excel to track stock movements and manage inventory levels is increased accuracy. This may lessen the possibility of mistakes and help your business make informed decisions about its inventory. Increased Efficiency To increase efficiency in managing inventory levels and tracking stock movements, consider using Excel or Google Sheets. It can result from the automation of the process, cost savings, and improved accuracy. How To Manage Inventory Levels Using Google Sheets Step 1: Set Up A Spreadsheet Let’s start by setting up the spreadsheet, including creating columns for the item name, item number, cost per item, quantity in stock, total cost, etc. You can also add some extra columns depending on the specific needs of your business. After setting up columns, you should save the spreadsheet and give it a name. Step 2: Type Your Inventory Information Now is the time to enter the inventory information into your spreadsheet. This includes the item number, item name, quantity in stock, cost per item, etc. You should enter this information for each item in the inventory. Of course, double-check the information to ensure it is entered accurately. Step 3: Determine the Total Cost Once you enter the inventory information correctly, you can calculate the total cost of the inventory. Step 4: Track Stock Movements Next, you need to track stock movements, which includes entering information about items that are removed from or added to the inventory. For each transaction, you should enter the item name, item number, quantity, and cost into your spreadsheet. This will allow you to keep track of the current inventory levels. Step 5: Update Your Spreadsheet Once the stock movements are tracked, your spreadsheet will be updated. This includes updating the quantity and the total cost for each product. Again, carefully check the information to ensure it is accurate. Step 6: Analyze the Data in Your Spreadsheet Now is the time to look at the quantity of each item, the total cost of the inventory, as well as the stock movements. You can use this information to make a decision about reducing the quantity of some items or ordering more inventory. Wrapping It Up Above are some tips on Google Sheets inventory that will be helpful to you in managing inventory levels and tracking stock movements. Remember, always double-check the information to ensure it is entered correctly. To better integrate Google Sheets with your eCommerce store, use our dedicated automation application, Atom8. With Atom8, eCommerce store owners can easily set up automated workflows to add transactions, items, or store actions to Google Sheets. Automation like this reduces human errors and eliminates reductive manual tasks.
