Sellers should use online delivery services to keep customers better informed
Growth in e-commerce volumes in the UK could be being slowed by a lack of delivery options offered by retailers, according to a report. The online retail market is forecast to be worth £56billion in 2010, yet the research shows that about five per cent of that amount was lost to sellers as buyers abandoned their purchases because of problems in getting the delivery scheduled for when they wanted it.
According to the findings, retailers are failing to match their customers' expectations in five key areas which are leading to sales not being converted:
- Lack of flexibility in the delivery dates and times offered
- Inability to let customers give specific delivery instructions, leading to retailers not rising to the challenge of meeting them
- Lack of information supplied to customers while their delivery is in transit
- Deliveries being made late, with no express delivery option offered, and
- Lack of transparency about the way delivery services work, and no explanation of returns policies.
The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), a body which sets out to ensure that online retailers uphold high standards in their operations, and by doing so aims to maximise the commercial potential of online shopping, says e-retailers should undertake regular evaluation of the delivery options they offer.
As a result of this study, it has used the above identified failings in service offered by e-retailers to draw up five golden rules for online retailers, each of which specifically addresses one of the shortcomings which inhibit sales. All the evidence shows that satisfying customer expectations brings more sales and increased customer loyalty, the group says.
Although the report mainly concerns companies who have high-profile presences on the high street, there is a great deal in it which can be adapted for the benefit of online sellers no matter what the scale of their operation. For example, if a seller lets a customer give a specific day on which they would like their delivery to take place, this can be communicated to the courier company concerned at the time the collection of a consignment is ordered.
And the availability of online parcel tracking facilities can work as a two-way system, both assuring the sender that their package is safely on the way to its destination, and giving the receiver information which allows them to plan their schedule around the expected time of a delivery.
Many of the leading courier companies, including Fedex, offer customers a parcel tracking facility, whereby both parties can find information about the progress of their deliveries. Details of these can be found online.
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