Products available to order: how to present them right
LightSEO · Catalog
Products available to order: how to present them right
Selling what you don't have in stock is fine – as long as the buyer understands the terms before placing the order. The whole difference lies in how honestly and visibly you say so.
0
surprises after payment
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cancellations and negative feedback
Rules
How to present these products
The label comes before the button. "To order, 7–10 days" should be visible next to the price instead of in an email after payment.
A specific lead time. Give a range in days instead of "please inquire". Even an approximate one beats uncertainty.
A separate filter. Let the buyer show only what is in stock.
At the bottom of the category. These items should not come first in the default sort order.
Risks
What dishonesty costs you
😡
Cancellations and negative feedback
A person paid expecting delivery in two days and is then told it will take three weeks.
🚫
Problems with ads
A mismatch in availability between the feed and the website triggers warnings in Merchant Center.
⭐
Bad reviews
One such case outweighs ten successful orders.
Benefit
How to turn it into an advantage
Pre-orders with a discount. If the buyer is willing to wait, give them a small benefit for it.
Collecting demand. A "notify me when available" button builds a list of people waiting for a specific product.
Transparent status. A notification at every stage: order received, item in transit, arrived at the warehouse.
Selling to order and running into cancellations?
We will set up correct availability display in the catalog and in the feed – so there are no mismatches or complaints.
