Customers have seen that button when they visit their favorite online stores and ecommerce websites to buy what they call the ‘essentials’. For owners of online businesses like you, this has brought advantages, especially during this time that buyers often shop online because of the pandemic. That’s right! Pre-order.
Pre-orders have been the trend recently because of their versatility and effectiveness in the world of online business. With this, you can edit photos of your products alongside short descriptions, and customers can place an order for an item even though it has not yet been released or not currently in stock.
As an owner of a business, it is normal to look for ways on how to effectively sell your products, and offering a pre-ordering process is one of them. Assessing the benefits of pre-ordering for potential customers, there are several advantageous reasons why you should offer pre-orders. While there are benefits, it is also common that you also have a lot to consider when offering a pre-order for your products.
Setting up pre-order campaigns in a free website builder can also be advantageous for your part, but before that, it is important to know first the basics of pre-ordering.
What is Pre-Order?
When you have started featuring your products on your website or on your online store, although these have not been manufactured or made yet, you are setting up pre-orders for your customers. For many business owners, especially those who are new to the industry, pre-orders serve many advantages. This can help increase sales even at the early stage of operations.
Allowing pre-orders can help your customers pay a deposit of the full price of the item before it is released. This is a win-win situation because your customers experience ease in buying their desired items while you have the time to maximize in setting up the order.
A lot of manufacturers and retailers have been using preorder since its inception. Preorders are beneficial, especially for those who have just started their business, because they can see their existing product demand. When they get to see a bigger picture, business owners find ways to boost up their products and get a better profit margin.
Aside from that, pre-orders also ensure a certain level of income and sales for both retailers and business owners. We can notice that there are different kinds of preorders that are suited for several cases, but the good thing about it is that it can be used by large organizations, merchandises, huge companies, and even startups, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
When and Why Offer Preorder?
Pre-ordering is best for corporate events or product launches like ecommerce business launches. Offering pre-order will also allow you to start taking orders and receive the payment while the whole process of production is taking place.
You may also want to consider putting up a preorder campaign when you have added a new flagship product, special items (i.e. limited-edition summer products or New Year items), or if you're introducing a major campaign or offering significant discounts for your products.
There are many reasons why ecommerce sellers and retailers should offer pre-orders on their online store for their new products. Here are some of those:
• Assess the Product Demand
When you offer a pre-order for your potential customers, you are also giving yourself an opportunity to see how much of the product you should produce or order. Also, by having a picture of what it looks like when you sell your unreleased products, you have the chance to re-organize your campaign to improve the product demand. Pre-orders can help you see just how well your products will perform in terms of sales.
• Being Mindful of Financial Risks
Since customers submit their pre-orders and you have already received their payment, you have the time to organize your funds that will be used to manufacture or purchase orders before the release of the new products. This will also give you an overview of the fundings that you will need to be able to proceed with the production of the items.
• Connects to Potential Customers
Businesses and ecommerce nowadays seek the hype, specifically online. Pre-order campaigns can help you to build a ‘hype’ about your store and your products. When consumers notice that there are limited preorders, they feel special and unique. It is also a great way to promote your brand, especially when most people are on different social media platforms.
Setting Up Pre-order Products
Having a free website builder that offers a variety of features can be advantageous to you especially when you are looking forward to establishing pre-order campaigns to excite your customers. Fortunately, Strikingly offers a wide array of tools that make it easier to create websites. If you’re starting an ecommerce business, consider using Strikingly to produce an online store that generates large revenues.
Using Strikingly, it is easy to set up your products as pre-orders since a simple store allows you to set your items as pre-orders to receive payments for items that can't be delivered right away.
1. Create an Ecommerce Website
Image taken from Strikingly product
This website will serve as your online store where you can place your products. If you do not have one yet, it is fully accessible and easy to use. Strikingly’s mobile-friendly options can help you set up one!
After creating your free account, you need an ecommerce website to launch your pre-orders. Make sure that you select a template that fits your brand image as a business. You can also add more sections as you pleas such as a blog section or product reviews page.
2. Adding New Products to Your Website
Image taken from Strikingly product
Before you can launch pre-orders on your website, you must first add a selection of products that your customers can choose from. You can manually add each product one-by-one or import products from CSV containing all your products, their categories and variations. Don’t forget to re-check and verify if all products have been uploaded successfully in your simple store.
3. Setting the Shipping Date of the Product
Image taken from Strikingly product
From your editing dashboard on Strikingly, go to Store > [Products] to enable the pre-order choice for your product.
Now, for pre-orders, edit one of your items. Select "Show as pre-order and set shipping date," then enter a delivery date in the box below and click "Save."
4. Transforming from “Buy Now” to “Coming Soon”
Image taken from Strikingly product
After setting up the shipping date, you can notice that the “Buy Now” button for that one particular product will be updated to “Coming soon” after you activate the Pre-order option. Your expected delivery date will be included in your product description as well.
Now that you are already aware of the basics of the pre-order campaign and even had a comprehensive guide on how to create a website, it is necessary for you to have ample knowledge on how to hype up your preorder items to your consumers!
Boosting Your Pre-order Products
The preorder function is used to establish a sense of excitement from your target market before the item gets produced. Marketing a pre-order product can work with the usual ecommerce campaigns, but here are successful strategies that you can apply!
• Using Viral Loops And Incentives
Be creative. In incentivizing your customers, you are allowing them to enjoy the discount as they are the ones who share your store link on their personal social media accounts. This is a win-win situation because they can enjoy the discount while you’re also benefiting from their promotion.
• Pay Social Media Promotions
Social media advertising is worth it for your pre-ordering campaigns because most of the people on your target market are using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and even TikTok. You should go where your potential customers are. The cost of social media promotions would be an initial worry, but when you finally get the chance to see its benefits, you will tell yourself about all its worth. Social media promotions are a trend nowadays so you can get many benefits.
• Connect With Communities
Facebook groups and online channels are everywhere. This is a safe space and a great free marketing channel where you can promote your latest pre-order releases. You just need to refrain from being too transactional; make sure that you are being like a friend to effectively convey your message.
• Collaborate With Socmed Influencers
Many social media influencers and celebrities are being followed by their fans, and most of the time, they use the same lipstick their idols use. Collaborating with an individual that represents your brand is a great way to promote your pre-order products.
It is true that pre-orders can be a flexible and effective method for increasing sales and rising the ecommerce business if used efficiently. You already have the competencies on how to skillfully maximize the advantages of putting up pre-ordering campaigns.
What are you waiting for? Head on to the Strikingly website and start creating your account today. Start your pre-order campaign in a few easy steps on Strikingly!
