It’s an all-too-familiar scenario: a customer is ready to make a purchase from your online store, but the item they’re ready to add to their cart is out of stock. This moment of frustration more than likely caused your customer to leave your site, possibly never to return. Lost sales due to out-of-stock items can cripple an eCommerce store’s revenue and brand reputation. Thankfully, with tools like our Back In Stock Wizard, eCommerce store owners on BigCommerce have a reliable way to lessen these losses. Let’s dive into the necessity of having a back-in-stock app for BigCommerce, and how it can transform your business.
The Pain of Out-of-Stock Scenarios
Before talking about a solution, it’s crucial to understand just how big a problem out-of-stock items can be for your business. When a sought-after product is unavailable, it isn’t just a missed sales opportunity; it could also result in:
- Eroded Trust: Regular encounters with out-of-stock items can erode customer trust. A perception might form that your store isn’t reliable, making them less likely to revisit or recommend it.
- Increased Bounce Rates: Out-of-stock items can increase bounce rates, as users might exit your site immediately upon discovering their desired product is unavailable.
- Lost Sales to Competitors: When you can’t fulfill a customer’s need, they’re likely to look elsewhere, potentially boosting your competitors’ sales.
Reversing the Loss: Harness the Power of Notifications
By giving your customers an option to be notified when their desired product is back in stock, you not only build a bridge of communication but also express that you value their interest and business. Here’s how it works:
- Customer Retention: Instead of bouncing from your website, customers can opt to receive an email when their product of interest is available. This keeps them connected to your store and boosts the chances of a future sale.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Being proactive in communicating restocks displays a high level of customer service, which can result in increased loyalty.
- Data Collection: A back-in-stock notification system can provide invaluable data about product demand, helping you manage inventory more effectively.
Enter the Back In Stock Wizard for BigCommerce
If you operate your eCommerce store on the BigCommerce platform, you’re in luck. Our Back In Stock Wizard offers an easy-to-integrate solution for this very challenge. Here’s how the back-in-stock app for BigCommerce can solve your out-of-stock problem:
- Seamless Integration: Designed for BigCommerce stores, our app installs in seconds and works with the platform’s inventory functions, ensuring a smooth user experience.
- Customizable Alerts: Instead of generic notifications, Back In Stock Wizard allows you to customize your back-in-stock alerts to align with your brand thereby enhancing brand consistency.
- Prioritize Restocking: Based on the data you gather from customer sign-ups, understand which out-of-stock products are most in demand. This can guide inventory decisions and reduce future stock-outs.
- Capture Sales: By notifying customers promptly, you increase the chances of finalizing sales that might otherwise have been lost.
Out-of-stock items can be a significant setback for eCommerce businesses, but with the right tools, it’s possible to turn these challenges into opportunities. By implementing a back-in-stock app for BigCommerce, like the Back In Stock Wizard, you can recapture lost sales, enhance customer loyalty, and gain invaluable insights into your store’s demand dynamics. In an era where the online marketplace is fiercely competitive, such tools are not just beneficial—they’re essential.
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.