The survey shows that the terms of delivery are absolutely crucial to Scandinavian online customers – and that no fewer than 8 out of 10 customers check these when they visit an online store for the first time. With these four tips, you can make sure you give your customers the shopping experience they want.
1. Make the terms of delivery visible – all the way
The price of shipping is a very important factor for 80% of customers, while the delivery time is very important for 50%.
- One good tip is therefore to make this information as visible as possible along the entire purchasing journey, says Kjersti Pedersen, the person responsible for Bring Research.
The test shopping exercise shows that 75% of online stores had information about delivery and returns on the start page.
- Fast delivery can be crucial for the customer, especially if the alternative is a physical store. Providing information about the delivery time at an early stage of the process is therefore a good idea – for example, as soon as you’re on the start page, to allow customers to enter their postal code to see the expected delivery time, advises Kjersti.
As many customers start the purchase on the product page, it’s also important that the delivery information is there too – so that customers don’t become unsure and cancel the process because they have to start looking around for information about delivery. However, the test shopping exercise showed that only 56% of online stores had delivery information on the product page.
2. Remind the customer about free delivery
Of those who provided information about free delivery on the start page, 66% gave customers a reminder during their purchasing journey.
- Reminding the customer that they have free delivery – or how much they still need to buy to qualify for free delivery – can generate both sales and upsales, tips Kjersti.
3. The customer wants delivery options – but not without information
Freedom of choice is important for customers, and more and more online stores offer more delivery options and more suppliers. In our test shopping exercise, four different delivery options were the most common offering in online stores.
Delivery options are excellent – provided that you are clear about how the delivery takes place, emphasises Kjersti.
- It’s extremely important that the customer understands what the delivery option entails. If you offer home delivery, for example, the customer wants to know at what time of day the item will be delivered, and whether it will be delivered to the doorstep or carried all the way in.
But 51% of online stores that offered home delivery as an option did not provide any further information. This can cause the customer to quickly look elsewhere.
Also read: Do you make these home delivery mistakes?
4. Stand out in the order confirmation
Remember that the order confirmation is also a golden opportunity to make the customer feel reassured and satisfied. But many stores forget that. The test shopping exercise showed that 80% of people were informed about the delivery method in the order confirmation, but only 19% were informed of the estimated delivery date. 18% did not provide information about the delivery method or delivery date – which can make customers unsure.
- As the delivery time is crucial for half of online customers, it’s a good idea to inform them of the estimated delivery date, both at the checkout and in the order confirmation. This also sets you apart from the competition, says Kjersti.
NB: By using Bring’s APIs, you can easily give the customer the exact delivery date. Read more about our free solutions for online stores here.
