Best Practices to Keep and Track eCommerce Orders

Building brand loyalty in eCommerce is no longer only about offering the finest products at the lowest costs. These days, it is also about providing a positive delivery experience by giving the best experiences as you keep and track eCommerce orders. One of the most challenging aspects of the fulfillment process to manage appropriately is the delivery process. There are address errors, unexpected delays, and the peril of not receiving a package. All of these things may put a wrench in the works. It can also result in your client becoming unhappy and opting to buy somewhere else.

When a client clicks the “Order now” button, some businesses may incorrectly believe that their connection with the buyers has come to an end. However, this is far from the case. While placing an order may seem like the last step, it is the beginning of the post-purchase phase that is equally vital.

Therefore, real-time eCommerce order tracking is highly regarded as a component of the whole purchasing experience on an equal footing. More than 98% of consumers believe that the order delivery process affects brand loyalty, and 73% of customers anticipate it across all touchpoints.

Understanding eCommerce Order Tracking

Order tracking in eCommerce is the process of handling and monitoring orders placed online. It is about providing consumers with order progress information in real-time. Using it, they can determine when they should expect their purchase to arrive, and where it is precisely at that particular time. It can keep consumers informed of any potential delays.

Even if an order arrives on schedule, there is no assurance that it will not encounter any difficulties along the way. Even when everything is going according to plan, many anxious consumers will continue to bombard companies with questions about order status updates. Proper order tracking for your eCommerce business will enable you to keep track of all of your online orders and shipments. It allows you to communicate the order status to your consumers at any time. As you keep and track eCommerce orders, it comprises shipment tracking, anticipated delivery dates, and regular updates on the order progress. Together, these elements contribute significantly to the customer experience. It informs purchasers of what to anticipate from their order and alerts them to any delays.

How To Provide The Best eCommerce Order Tracking Experience

• Allow customers to track orders directly

To keep and track eCommerce orders, you may use mobile apps and particular carrier websites. There is, however, another manner in which order tracking can give your company a step ahead of the competition, especially given how e-commerce is all about ease and speed these days. It’s the process of adding an order tracking page directly to your website.

By providing this option, consumers will not be required to go the additional mile and seek information somewhere else rather than at your website. Not only can it save them time, but it may also avoid misunderstanding. Likewise, it improves their overall experience with your brand. To say nothing of the fact that it provides yet another incentive for them to visit your website. There, you can attempt to capture their interest with some new offers.

• Make order tracking option easy to spot

If you have an online shop, having an order tracking function is a significant asset. Therefore, make sure it receives enough credit for having one by making it accessible on your website.

Avoid hiding it under other categories. It will make consumers work just a little more than they would want and anticipate being required to do. Ensure that the order tracking page is in a suitable location. Make it simple to locate to avoid needless irritation or prevent abandoning it entirely at the end, leading to customer support issues. It is preferable to put your order tracking page in the top right corner of your website’s header. Still, it may also be placed in the footer or as a separate item in the page’s navigation menu if necessary.

• Include parcel tracking information in the confirmation email

Unfortunately, not all consumers will return to your store’s or the couriers’ website to find out where their parcels are. Clicking on a direct link to order tracking is an appreciated gesture from customers. For this reason, you should never fail to provide clear instructions on how to monitor orders in your purchase confirmation emails. Furthermore, if they were previously unaware of such a feature, it would inform them that order tracking is accessible when shopping at your establishment.

• Always give estimated delivery dates

The anticipated delivery date is one of the essential items that a consumer wants to see when making an online purchase, along with the shipping charges. Customers’ choice to continue to the checkout or not to finish their purchase if there are these estimates may directly influence no indication of it elsewhere. That is particularly essential during the Christmas shopping season when customers anticipate presents to arrive by a specific date. Your business may profit by displaying the estimated delivery time, enabling consumers to manage their schedules better.

• Use automated notification

When it comes to ordering status updates, automating any process is your best ally. It is one of those procedures that can and should be automated for the sake of both parties’ comfort and convenience. Sending automatic order status alerts to your consumers may help you save money on extra resources while improving your company’s overall experience.

This kind of communication often includes confirmation emails, issued immediately after a client makes an order). It should also have information regarding changes to the order’s status, for example, delivery of the item by the carrier). Reflect on potential delays and the delivery of the product itself. Customers will remain calm and informed with automated order status alerts. You can maintain or even increase their enthusiasm every time your store’s name shows on their screen.

Ways to Find The Best eCommerce Order Tracking System

To enjoy the full advantages of making an effort to track and monitor your eCommerce orders, you must understand what features you should seek in an order monitoring system. They must contain the following:

1.     Customization options

There are many third parties involved in the order fulfillment and shipping process, whether warehouses, 3PLs, or parcel carriers. That is not uncommon in the eCommerce industry. However, the idea of unidentified partners handling their purchases may create uncertainty and worry in customers. Look for a system that can offer you customization options and make it more personalized for customers.

2.     Integration with major eCommerce platforms

Because a tracking tool that is incompatible with your online shop makes it challenging to update orders efficiently, use an in-tune tracking service. When your tracking software is integrated with an eCommerce platform, it will immediately update your shop and the customer with the necessary information.  It can include shipment notifications and delivery information as soon as the purchase is complete. That eliminates the need for merchants to do manual data transfers. This process usually results in alerts not being delivered in a timely way. Mostly it happens if you have numerous selling channels.

3.     Ability to set triggers for notifications

It is wasteful and time-consuming for your customer service representatives to constantly review orders to determine whether they have progressed to the next step. With automated tracking software, you may inform customers automatically at suitable milestones in the order fulfillment and shipping process. You’ll have information when an order has shipped or been placed in the “out for delivery” status. That significantly simplifies your post-purchase customer service. It frees up your company’s resources to devote more attention to the more challenging aspects of your fulfillment process.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, repeat consumers cost less than one-time customers. Thus, doing all in your power to keep them coming back is critical.  Order tracking for eCommerce orders is critical in this process. With the growth of the competition and the whole eCommerce sector, customer expectations continue to rise. Customers expect to monitor their order’s progress and keep track of any possible changes. Providing real-time order status updates and guaranteeing a quick and dependable delivery process assist in reducing buyer’s remorse. It can also be an essential factor in boosting overall eCommerce company success due to increased customer satisfaction.

If you are looking for the best help in tracking your orders, Apiworx is the perfect match for you. Contact us and take our free assessment today!