The world of ecommerce is evolving faster than ever, and 2025 is poised to be a year where efficiency and customer satisfaction take center stage. One of the most significant trends shaping online businesses is process automation—a game-changer that helps ecommerce brands streamline operations, boost sales, and enhance customer experiences.

The Rise of Automation in Ecommerce

Automation is no longer just a luxury for large enterprises; it’s a necessity for businesses of all sizes. With increasing competition and rising customer expectations, ecommerce companies must leverage automation to remain competitive. From order fulfillment to customer service, automated processes reduce human error, save time, and ultimately improve overall efficiency.

Key Areas Where Automation Is Transforming Ecommerce

1. Order Processing & Fulfillment

Automating order processing allows businesses to seamlessly handle high volumes of transactions without errors. AI-powered inventory management systems ensure stock levels are updated in real-time, preventing overselling and stockouts. Additionally, automated fulfillment services, such as smart warehouses and robotic picking systems, enable faster delivery times, meeting the growing demand for speed and convenience.

2. Customer Support & Chatbots

AI-driven chatbots and automated customer service tools are revolutionizing how brands interact with customers. These bots provide instant responses to common queries, process returns, and even upsell products based on customer behavior. By using automation, businesses can offer 24/7 support, reduce wait times, and enhance the overall shopping experience.

3. Marketing & Personalization

Marketing automation tools help ecommerce brands deliver personalized experiences at scale. Automated email campaigns, dynamic product recommendations, and automated social media management ensure businesses stay engaged with their customers without requiring manual effort. Personalized product recommendations, powered by machine learning, boost conversion rates and increase customer retention.

4. Fraud Detection & Security

Cybersecurity threats continue to rise, making fraud detection a top priority for online retailers. AI-powered fraud detection systems analyze transaction patterns in real-time, flagging suspicious activities and reducing chargeback risks. By automating security measures, ecommerce brands can protect both themselves and their customers from potential threats.

Leveraging Automation with Marketing 360

Our marketing partners at Marketing 360 supercharge your marketing efforts and help automate your email, content, SEO, reputation management, influencer marketing, and more. With powerful solutions, businesses can streamline their marketing strategies, engage customers effectively, and drive higher conversions with minimal manual effort. Learn more by scheduling a 1x1 free website checkup with a Volusion Client Growth Specialist.

Preparing for the Future

As technology continues to advance, ecommerce businesses must embrace automation to stay ahead of the curve. Implementing the right tools and strategies will ensure efficiency, scalability, and a superior customer experience in 2025 and beyond.

Stay tuned for more insights in our Ecommerce Trends in 2025 blog series, where we explore the latest innovations shaping the future of online retail!

Running an ecommerce business can be incredibly rewarding, especially when you’re able to provide shoppers with the perfect product they need or a gift that they love. However, not every purchase will turn out to be exactly what the customer was expecting, which means that you also must handle requests to return products that are no longer needed.

Fortunately, a well thought-out and presented return policy can make the returns process relatively seamless for both business owner and shopper. Read on for a quick guide on how to create a return policy for your ecommerce store that makes life easier for both you and your valued customers. Keep in mind, Volusion has a free Return Policy Generator to help you get started.

1. Prevent returns before they happen.

The most important step you can take is to do everything you can to present the product as accurately as possible—this way, customers will have more realistic expectations of what they are ordering before it arrives on their doorstep.

Optimize your product pages by including high-quality product photos from multiple angles and including well-written product descriptions that provide as much detail as possible. The more accurate a concept customers have of the product before they buy, the less likely they are to purchase something that doesn’t quite fit their needs—and then try to return it.

2. Make your return policy prominent and accessible.

Many online shoppers view a business’s return policy before they decide to make a purchase, which means that making it easy to find is crucial. When it comes to online storefronts, most businesses include a link in either the header or footer (or both) to a dedicated landing page that details their return policy.

To make it even easier on customers, include a link to your return policy landing page on every order confirmation email. If you include a paper invoice with your shipped orders, consider including a hard copy there as well.

3. Ensure that your terms are clear and comprehensive.

Conduct research on your competitors to see what types of terms they include in their return policies to help inform what you include in yours. Make sure you spell out everything you can, including:

• All applicable return charges (flat fee or location-based? No cost?)
• The timeframe returns are accepted (up to 30 days after delivery? Up to 90 days after purchase?)
• Condition of the item (new and still packaged? Any condition?)
• Method of refund (back to the original payment method? Store credit?)
• Any other necessary stipulations

Detail the requirements for an acceptable return as thoroughly as possible so that customers are not unpleasantly surprised by unexpected fees or deadlines later.

4. Adopt a more customer-centric return policy.

Considering the enormous amount of ecommerce businesses in operation today, online store owners have some stiff competition when it comes to winning over customers. Those that offer a more flexible or forgiving return policy can give themselves a leg up on the competition, giving customers more reason to purchase from them rather than someone else.

While it may seem like a difficult expense to absorb, free return shipping is expected by 79% of consumers. If you’re concerned that offering free return shipping will eat into your revenue, consider folding some of the cost into your product prices, or offer a low, flat return shipping fee. Even if you incur some expense, the more you show shoppers that you value your business, the more likely you are to gain loyal, repeat customers.

5. Convey your return policy in an easy-to-understand manner.

The last thing shoppers want to see when looking for a return policy is a long, text-heavy page full of legal-sounding jargon. Make sure that your policy is written so that your customers can actually understand it, and consider illustrating it (when possible) to break up larger and more overwhelming-looking blocks of text.

Not only will making your return policy easy to read reflect well on your business—it will also likely reduce the amount of calls, emails, and chats you receive asking for more information about your returns process, saving valuable customer service time.

6. Make the process simple and straightforward.

Consider the steps your customers will need to take to make the return, and try to make the process as seamless as possible. List each step with links to applicable label templates, accepted shipping providers, and more (bonus points if you create a shipping label for them!). You might also include a link that lets them find the closest drop-off location of major carriers in relation to their location.

Got a brick-and-mortar storefront as well? Consider saving both parties money by allowing in-store returns for locals, and make sure this policy is featured prominently as it can be a major competitive advantage.

7. Get feedback on why the return happened.

Customer return reasons can vary, and you may not always know what caused a return to happen in the first place. Include a method of collecting feedback in your return process, whether in the request itself or as a follow-up email after completion. This can help you discover if there are any issues with your shipping process, product descriptions, and more—or whether the customer simply likes to see options in person before making a final decision.

If the reason for the return was a poor experience with the product or delivery process, let them know that you appreciate their help in making your business better and offer to make it up to them. A discount off or free gift with their next purchase can go a long way in showing you care, rebuilding trust, and gaining brand advocates.

8. Review and update your return policy as needed.

Once you have your ecommerce return policy written and in use, make updates as needed based on customer feedback and how the process works for you operationally. If, for example, you continuously receive the same questions about returns, find a better way to incorporate those answers into your return policy landing page—or find a way to make your policy more visible.

Watch your profit margins as well—if your implemented process is costing you more than it’s helping, don’t be afraid to update or change your terms. At the end of the day, your process needs to make sense for your business more than it needs to bend to buyers’ every demand.

In Conclusion

With an easy-to-find, clear, detailed, and competitive return policy in place, you are on your way to experiencing fewer returns and leaving customers satisfied. Need help getting started? Check out Volusion’s free Ecommerce Return Policy Generator.

With the holiday rush complete, online business owners are breathing a sigh of relief as order volume, task requirements, and deadline pressures return to normal. But savvy online retailers know that their holiday work isn’t quite complete.

Due to the logistical, marketing, and design changes typically undertaken to prepare for and appeal to holiday shoppers, extra attention must be paid to get ready for a more “normal state” of ecommerce after the holidays.

Review our Ecommerce Post-Holiday Checklist below, and read on for more detailed descriptions of the most important steps all ecommerce businesses should take to prepare their online stores after the holiday season.

Ecommerce Post-Holiday Checklist

1. Focus on Returns & Complaints
2. Revert Holiday-Centered Design Updates
3. Remove Holiday-Focused Ads
4. Switch Out Holiday-Specific Keywords
5. Reinstate Regular Fulfillment Processes
6. Review Metrics from the Season

1. Focus on Returns & Complaints

In the ecommerce industry, some returns are inevitable—especially after the sales spike of the holiday season. It's extremely important to make sure that you have a streamlined return process in effect.

To continue providing the best customer service and experience you can, your first order of business should be ensuring that you handle all return requests—and any complaints you may receive—in a professional and timely manner. Even if a customer isn’t 100% satisfied with what they received, the prompt and helpful service you provide will build goodwill and confidence in your brand, which can lead to more sales later.

2. Revert Holiday-Centered Design Updates

If you’ve made any changes to design on your website or social media pages for the holidays—festive logos, holiday colors, sale banners, etc.—you will want to make sure that you revert them to your normal look and feel as soon as possible so your site doesn’t look like it’s falling behind.

If you don’t want to remove all of your holiday theming immediately, at the very least make sure that any design elements that remain in effect are timely. For example, you could switch out a Santa hat on your logo for a seasonal snowflake and exchange images with Christmas tree lights for plain pine or fir trees.

3. Remove Holiday-Focused Ads

We mentioned sales banners above, but it’s also important to update any paid advertising you may be running that features holiday-specific keywords, imagery, etc. Similar to your design changes, you can make small changes to make your ads sound more seasonal-specific than holiday-specific or simply return to using any ads you run during the non-holiday season.

Since paid advertising like PPC can take up a large chunk of your marketing budget, this is a good time to revisit all of your ads with fresh eyes and optimize them for the new year. Look at what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what new opportunities you may have to start your next phase of sales off strong.

4. Switch Out Holiday-Specific Keywords

In addition to your paid advertising, you’ll want to look at anywhere else you may have used holiday-specific keywords and weed them out for the time-being. Product pages, category pages, and your homepage are all examples of where holiday keywords may have been used to build search juice for the holiday season.

If you have any landing pages that are specific to the holidays, however—like a holiday sales page, a holiday gift guide, or holiday blog posts—you definitely won’t want to remove any keywords there. Leave those alone so that they can build up search momentum for the next holiday season.

5. Reinstate Regular Fulfillment Processes

With such a huge uptick in orders to be shipped throughout the holiday season, it’s likely your fulfillment process changed a bit to accommodate changes with your shipping partners and any special order instructions you may have allowed your customers to make (gift wrapping, discreet packaging, etc.)

Make sure you take the time to go through each of the changes you made and determine whether it is necessary for them to stay in place, or whether you can revert them back to normal until the next holiday season. This way, your back-end process will leave less room for errors to be made.

6. Review Metrics from the Season

Finally, take a moment to look over your metrics for the holiday season. Were your sales higher or lower than you expected? Did you get as many site viewers as you expected based on your marketing and advertising? Consider what worked and what didn’t so that next year you’ll have a better idea of where to focus your efforts.

Additionally, consider the inventory you have remaining—what items sold a lot, and what didn’t? Was there anything you ended up sold out of early on, or any products that had a surprising amount of sales? Write it all down so that you can reference your notes next year.

Final Thoughts

Ensuring that your ecommerce site always appears up-to-date is a great way to convince shoppers that your business is organized, timely, and worthy of their business. Start making these changes—along with preparing for new sales—as soon as the holiday season is over so that your customers will keep coming back again and again.

If a few years have gone by since you’ve updated your website design, you might be surprised to see the difference a design refresh can make. A more current website design with a better user experience can increase conversions, delight your customers, and help you sail over any revenue plateaus you may be experiencing. As you plan out a design refresh for your own website, keep the following best practices in mind.

1. Make sure your website is responsive

While all current Volusion themes are fully responsive, if it has been a very long time since you’ve updated your website, double-check that it’s mobile-optimized using Google’s PageSpeed Insights. If it isn’t, updating to a responsive theme is an easy way to make a profound difference in traffic, usability, and conversions.

2. Consider switching to a more up-to-date theme

Even if your current theme is responsive, design trends change swiftly and it’s worth considering whether a newer theme might be a better way to showcase your brand. Theme designers stay ahead of trends so you don’t have to, and switching to a new theme can be a stress-free way to make a major difference for your website.

3. Update your main hero image or slideshow

On the subject of stress-free ways to make a difference, updating your main hero graphics or homepage slideshow requires no modification of the underlying code; it’s as easy as choosing the right images. Free stock photo sites like Unsplash provide beautiful alternatives to pricey stock photos, and updating your banner text to include new value propositions or offers is a great way to keep your website feeling fresh for your customers. Users can become “banner blind” as they grow accustomed to encountering the same images over and over, and mixing it up every now and again will keep your audience intrigued.

4. Strive for consistency

Have you ever wondered how a theme can be gorgeous when it’s populated by the stock photos the designer chose, but when you swap in your own photos, everything feels off? The likely culprit is a lack of consistency between the images you’re choosing with each other and/or with your broader design. Pay attention to your color palette in particular; images that include a pop of the brand color(s) you’re working with blend far more seamlessly into the rest of your design than images that introduce conflicting colors.

5. Assess your fonts and font styles

Are you choosing fonts that are readable and lovely without being distracting? Now is a good time to make sure. Be extra wary of fonts that feel fancy or “clever”—scripted text or novelty fonts rarely work for anything other than the simplest banner or logo text. For your headers and especially body text, focus on cleanliness and readability. Use different font sizes and styles for your H1s, H2s, body text, etc. to establish a clear hierarchy and flow of information.

6. Add trust icons

Trust icons quickly communicate key value propositions and benefits in a visual way, allowing the user to absorb the core benefits of your brand in an instant. Choose four of your top benefits—certified organic, money-back guarantee, above-and-beyond customer service, USA-made, etc.—and for each one, pair a simple icon or graphic with a brief sentence describing the differentiator.

Take advantage of another visual trust booster by adding the logos of companies you partner with or listing publications that have featured your website. Users will subconsciously connect the imagery of the brands and publications they trust with your own brand.

7. Partner with design experts

Working with a trusted partner can make all the difference. Our partnership with Marketing360 ensures that our clients receive expert marketing and design services tailored to their specific needs. From creating visually stunning layouts to implementing cutting-edge features, Marketing360 helps businesses elevate their online presence and drive results. Together, we ensure your website is not only beautiful but also optimized for performance and growth.

8. Schedule a free website checkup

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, having a modern, attractive online store is crucial to capturing your customers' attention. Here at Volusion, we offer a free website checkup where we'll evaluate every aspect of your website. See how you stack up against competitors and get a truly personalized, in-depth look into your website - not generic recommendations.

In Conclusion

Web design refreshes are a great way to keep your website aligned with current trends, intriguing your audience and boosting trust. Best of all, it’s often the simplest changes that make the biggest difference. If you’re hitting a revenue plateau or your competitive landscape is growing crowded, consider a design refresh today.

Volusion has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2024 honor by The Austin American-Statesman Top Workplaces. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner, Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few. 

“We’re incredibly honored to receive this award, which we feel represents the dedication and satisfaction of our team,” says Troy Pike, CEO of Volusion. “Our culture code is foundational to who we are, and it’s inspiring to see the lasting, positive impact it brings to Volusion.”

At Volusion, the culture code is rooted in the idea that a supportive and dynamic workplace fosters both exceptional products and a thriving business. The company promotes values like transparency, collaboration, and ownership, empowering employees to live these principles each day.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

ABOUT VOLUSION

At Volusion, our dedicated team of developers, marketers, designers, and technical support experts are passionate about helping merchants operate and grow their online storefronts, whether startup or established. Since our founding in 1999, Volusion has enabled 250,000+ entrepreneurs and small-medium businesses around the world build better stores. If you're a creative professional who loves working with teams, has a passion for driving positive change and wants to better the world with your ideas, visit our careers page at https://www.volusion.com/careers. 

ABOUT ENERGAGE

Making the world a better place to work together.™ Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 18 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations,  Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

The biggest shopping weekend of the year is almost here, which means it’s time for ecommerce businesses to prepare for increased traffic and—hopefully—sales. 2024’s lineup sees Black Friday falling on November 29th, with Small Business Saturday taking place on November 30th and Cyber Monday following on December 2nd.

Recent online shopping growth trends—combined with a years-long upward trajectory in Black Friday ecommerce activity—means that online sales this holiday sales weekend are bound to shatter records. Online store owners can maximize their profits by planning their sales strategy in advance, however, when it comes down to the wire, implementing last minute strategies before the big shopping weekend can prove to be beneficial as well. Below, we walk through four last minute tips to ensure that your ecommerce business enjoys a successful Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

1. Plan Sales & Discounts Strategically

While it’s tempting to implement blanket discounts at high rates to attract as many shoppers as possible, it’s far more advantageous to plan your discounts with purpose. Consider setting up a separate discount strategy for each of these holidays to differentiate them from one another. For example, Black Friday could feature hourly discount codes valid for the first 10 buyers, Saturday could feature bundled discounts, and Cyber Monday could feature tiered discounts based on the dollar amount spent. You could also offer a separate perk available across the entire sales weekend to unify it, such as free shipping over a certain dollar amount.

Offering a variety of discount types spaced across the entire weekend will bring shoppers back again and again as they become excited about the variety of savings opportunities. It will also give you an opportunity to analyze each sales strategy’s effectiveness separately so you can easily see which types of sales should be reused in the future, and which should be retired or reworked.

2. Obtain Marketing Email Permissions

The more qualified visitors you can attract to your website leading up to Black Friday, the larger the audience you can target with your customized Black Friday and Cyber Monday content during peak times.

The increased traffic to your site, driven by people searching for the best deals, inevitably leads to a higher number of abandoned shopping carts. Securing permission to market to these potential customers in advance, through incentivized sign-ups on your website and social media platforms, positions you to recover abandoned sales. This involves using targeted emails to encourage those who left items in their carts to return to your site.

All it takes is offering them a compelling reason to provide their email address, making them reachable throughout the Black Friday period. You can entice sign-ups by offering valuable giveaways, trial subscriptions, exclusive content, and more. These serve as lead magnets that users receive in exchange for their email address and consent to receive marketing emails.

3. Notify Shoppers That You’re Participating

Holding a sales event is a futile endeavor if shoppers aren’t aware that it’s happening. Make sure you announce that you are participating in these sales events across as many of your available channels as possible. Social media campaigns and email campaigns are the easiest ways to get information about your sales out to fans and existing customers.

To attract online shoppers who aren’t already familiar with your store, ramp up your SEO strategy and implement pay-per click ads in the weeks preceding the sales. As a final touch, place a countdown widget on your online store so that site visitors who happen upon it leading up to the holiday weekend have an incentive to return.

4. Tell Customers What To Buy

While some shoppers prefer to search an online store for an item they already have in mind, others will want suggestions for what to purchase during your sales event. To help them hone in on the perfect products, create a Gift Guide ahead of time that highlights items that are among your most popular, seem most relevant to the season, or will be featured in your sales.

Additionally, if you don’t have it set up already, create a prominent “Suggested Items” category or carousel in your online store that includes the types of products mentioned above. This will give site visitors who have not previously viewed your Gift Guide a pool of relevant products to choose from, and will help site visitors who have already viewed your Gift Guide find featured items more quickly.

In Conclusion

By taking the time to implement these last minute strategies, your store has a greater chance of exceeding your sales holiday goals. Happy selling!

Every successful business owner understands the importance of consistency and routine. While the paths to success vary, certain habits are shared by business leaders across industries. These routines not only drive business growth but also support personal well-being, focus, and resilience. Here’s a look at routines that top business owners maintain to keep their businesses thriving.

1. Early Planning and Morning Routine

• Why It Matters: Mornings set the tone for the day. Many successful business owners start their day early, using quiet morning hours to plan.
• Routine Tips: Establish a morning routine that includes quiet time for personal growth (like meditation or reading), light exercise, and a strategic review of daily goals.
• How to Apply: Business owners can start small, even dedicating 10-15 minutes to prioritize high-value tasks before distractions kick in.

2. Goal Setting and Reflection

• Why It Matters: Setting both long-term and short-term goals helps maintain focus. Daily reflection on these goals reinforces a sense of purpose.
• Routine Tips: Use tools like a planner or goal-setting app to track progress, and take a few moments each day to review what’s working and what could be adjusted.
• How to Apply: Break larger goals into actionable steps for each week or month, keeping the team aligned and motivated.

3. Consistent Customer Engagement

• Why It Matters: Customers drive business growth, and building strong relationships with them is crucial.
• Routine Tips: Block out time daily to interact with customers, whether it’s through social media, email follow-ups, or gathering feedback.
• How to Apply: Automate parts of customer engagement (like post-purchase emails) but add personal touches to maintain authenticity.

4. Networking and Mentorship

• Why It Matters: Staying connected to a network and learning from mentors broadens perspectives and opens opportunities.
• Routine Tips: Schedule regular meetings with industry peers and consider joining online forums or local meetups to build a support network.
• How to Apply: Dedicate a portion of each month to connecting with new contacts, attending events, or collaborating with mentors for guidance.

5. Work-Life Balance and Self-Care

• Why It Matters: Preventing burnout is essential for sustainable growth.
• Routine Tips: Set boundaries for work hours, take breaks, and prioritize activities that replenish energy, such as family time, exercise, or hobbies.
• How to Apply: Encourage the team to adopt these routines, building a culture of well-being that supports productivity.

6. Constant Learning and Adaptability

• Why It Matters: Industries and customer preferences evolve quickly. Business owners who stay adaptable can better serve their market.
• Routine Tips: Commit to regular learning, whether by reading industry news, taking online courses, or experimenting with new strategies.
• How to Apply: Make learning part of the company culture by sharing insights or hosting discussions that encourage team growth.

Adopting consistent routines can propel business owners toward sustainable success. By cultivating these habits, entrepreneurs can not only enhance their business operations but also ensure their well-being and growth in a fast-paced world.

The holiday season is a time of year when e-commerce businesses see a significant surge in sales. But with increased sales comes the challenge of providing excellent customer service during one of the busiest times of the year. As an e-commerce business owner, keeping your customers satisfied amidst the holiday rush can be a game-changer. Here’s how you can prepare and deliver outstanding customer service during the holiday season.

1. Anticipate the Holiday Rush

During the holiday season, the volume of customer inquiries skyrockets. From questions about products to shipping updates and return policies, the demand on your customer service team will likely be at its peak. The key is to anticipate and prepare.

• Action Step: Start by staffing up early. Whether it’s hiring seasonal employees or redistributing tasks among your existing team, ensure you have enough hands on deck to handle the influx of inquiries. Consider training your team specifically on holiday promotions, FAQs, and policies to ensure quick, accurate responses.

2. Implement Live Chat and Chatbots for Quick Responses

Consumers expect fast, convenient answers—especially during the holiday season. Offering live chat or automated chatbots can address common queries instantly, improving the customer experience while reducing the pressure on your customer service team.

• Action Step: Implement a live chat feature on your website for real-time assistance. For round-the-clock support, consider a chatbot that can answer common questions about order tracking, shipping, and return policies, while escalating complex issues to a human agent.

3. Optimize Your FAQ and Help Section

Many customers prefer to find answers on their own rather than wait for a customer service response. Having a well-organized, up-to-date FAQ or help center can be a game-changer during busy periods.

• Action Step: Update your FAQ page with all relevant holiday information, such as shipping deadlines, return policies, gift-wrapping options, and order tracking instructions. Make sure this section is easy to navigate and accessible from multiple areas of your website.

4. Communicate Shipping Deadlines and Policies Clearly

One of the most frequent concerns for holiday shoppers is shipping. Late deliveries can lead to dissatisfied customers and lost business, so it’s crucial to communicate clearly and manage expectations from the start.

• Action Step: Clearly display shipping deadlines, especially for last-minute shoppers. Make sure these deadlines are visible on product pages, in the checkout process, and in your email campaigns. Transparency about processing times and delays will help reduce customer frustration.

5. Extend Your Customer Support Hours

Many shoppers are active during non-business hours, particularly during the holiday season. To accommodate these customers, consider extending your support hours.

• Action Step: Assess peak customer activity times and adjust your customer service hours accordingly. If offering 24/7 support isn’t feasible, extended evening or weekend hours can still make a big difference.

6. Offer Hassle-Free Returns and Exchanges

The holidays bring an influx of gift purchases, which means you’ll also see an increase in returns and exchanges. A simple, transparent return process can reduce customer frustration and increase their likelihood of returning in the future.

Action Step: Make your return and exchange policies clear and easy to find. Utilize Volusion's Free Return Policy Generator to instantly generate a custom return policy template for your business. A prepaid return label or flexible return windows can create a more seamless experience for your customers and help set your brand apart from competitors.

7. Personalize Customer Interactions

In a sea of holiday deals and promotions, personalization can make your brand stand out. Customers appreciate when businesses take the time to understand their needs and offer tailored solutions.

• Action Step: Personalize customer communications where possible. Whether it’s using their name in emails or offering tailored product recommendations based on past purchases, a personal touch can go a long way in fostering customer loyalty during the busy season.

8. Use Social Media as a Customer Service Channel

Many customers take to social media for quick answers or to voice concerns. If you’re not actively monitoring these channels during the holidays, you could miss out on opportunities to solve problems and engage with customers in real time.

• Action Step: Stay active on your social media accounts, especially during the holiday season. Monitor mentions, comments, and direct messages to address customer concerns quickly. Having a dedicated team member or tool for social media support can ensure that no customer is left waiting.

9. Encourage and Respond to Customer Feedback

Customer feedback during the holidays can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement in your business. Encouraging feedback and showing responsiveness can also enhance customer loyalty.

• Action Step: Send post-purchase surveys to gather feedback and understand areas where your business can improve. Respond to reviews and comments—both positive and negative—demonstrating that you value your customers' input.

10. Keep a Positive Attitude—Even When It Gets Busy

The holiday season can be stressful for both customers and business owners. But no matter how hectic things get, maintaining a positive, helpful attitude can make all the difference in creating a lasting, positive impression on your customers.

• Action Step: Encourage your team to stay patient and professional, even when handling tough situations. Consider offering small incentives or taking regular breaks to keep morale high and prevent burnout during the busy season.

Conclusion

Customer service can make or break your e-commerce business during the holiday season. By preparing in advance, offering quick and convenient support, and maintaining clear communication, you can ensure a smooth experience for your customers. Not only will this reduce the stress of the holiday rush, but it will also build customer loyalty and set your business up for long-term success.

As the leaves turn and the air gets crisper, Halloween approaches, bringing a unique opportunity for e-commerce businesses to boost sales and engage customers. With creative promotions and engaging marketing strategies, you can make this spooky season a frightfully profitable one. Here’s how to conjure up some sales magic for your Halloween promotions.

1. Create a Themed Campaign

Haunted Landing Page

Design a Halloween-themed landing page that captures the spirit of the season. Use spooky graphics, playful fonts, and a color palette featuring oranges, blacks, and purples. Highlight your promotions and any seasonal products you have.

Email Marketing with a Twist

Send out a Halloween-themed newsletter that includes special offers, tips for Halloween preparation, or even a spooky story related to your brand. Encourage customers to engage with your content, perhaps by asking them to share their Halloween plans or costumes.

2. Offer Irresistible Discounts

Flash Sales

Host flash sales leading up to Halloween. Limited-time offers create a sense of urgency that can drive quick purchases. For example, a "24-Hour Monster Deal" with deep discounts on selected items can entice customers to act fast.

Boo-tiful Bundles

Create product bundles related to Halloween. For instance, if you sell party supplies, offer a “Halloween Party Pack” at a discounted rate. This not only increases the average order value but also simplifies shopping for customers.

3. Engage Customers with Fun Contests

Costume Contest

Encourage your customers to share their Halloween costumes on social media, tagging your brand for a chance to win a prize. This boosts engagement and creates buzz around your brand. Promote the contest heavily through your social media channels and newsletters.

Pumpkin Carving Challenge

Host a pumpkin carving contest where participants can submit photos of their creations. Offer gift cards or product discounts as prizes, further motivating customers to participate and share their entries.

4. Utilize Social Media

Spooky Countdown

Create a countdown to Halloween on your social media platforms, featuring daily deals or promotions. This builds anticipation and keeps your brand top-of-mind as the holiday approaches.

User-Generated Content

Encourage customers to share their Halloween-themed purchases from your store. Showcase their posts on your social media, giving your brand authentic exposure while building a community feel.

5. Optimize Your Store for Seasonal Shopping

SEO for Halloween

Optimize your website for Halloween-related keywords. Incorporate halloween or fall related phrases into your product descriptions and blog posts to improve your search visibility.

Mobile-Friendly Experience

Ensure your e-commerce site is mobile-friendly. Many shoppers will browse on their phones while planning their Halloween festivities, so a seamless mobile experience can significantly impact your sales.

6. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Clear Communication Channels

Ensure that customers can easily reach you with questions or concerns. Utilize multiple channels—such as email, social media, and phone support—to provide quick and effective responses. A responsive customer service team can significantly enhance the shopping experience and build trust.

Engaging FAQ Section

Create a Halloween-specific FAQ section on your website addressing common inquiries about shipping, returns, and product availability. This can help customers find answers quickly and reduce the need for direct support, making the shopping process smoother.

7. Create Urgency with Last-Minute Deals

Last-Minute Shopping Reminders

As Halloween approaches, remind customers of last-minute deals and shopping opportunities. Highlight items that are perfect for last-minute costumes or party supplies, and encourage them to buy before time runs out.

Free Shipping Offers

Consider offering free shipping for orders over a certain amount, particularly close to Halloween. This can be a strong incentive for customers who are hesitant to pay for shipping.

Conclusion

With a little creativity and strategic planning, your Halloween sale promotions can draw in customers and boost your e-commerce sales. By embracing the festive spirit and providing engaging content and compelling offers, you can turn the spooky season into a profitable one for your business. So, grab your broomstick and get ready to soar this Halloween!

In recent years, the e-commerce landscape has witnessed a transformative trend: the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options. This innovative financing model is reshaping how consumers shop online and how retailers approach sales. In this blog post, we’ll explore what BNPL is, its benefits and challenges, and its impact on the e-commerce ecosystem.

What is Buy Now, Pay Later?

Buy Now, Pay Later is a payment solution that allows consumers to make purchases and defer payments over a specified period. Typically, BNPL options break down the total cost into manageable installments, often without interest if paid on time. Popular platforms like Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm have made BNPL a household term, offering seamless integration with e-commerce platforms.

The Benefits of BNPL for Consumers

1. Affordability: BNPL enables consumers to manage their cash flow better. Instead of paying the full amount upfront, shoppers can spread the cost over weeks or months, making it easier to afford larger purchases.
2. Convenience: The BNPL process is usually quick and straightforward. Consumers can complete their transactions in just a few clicks, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
3. No Hidden Fees: Many BNPL services are transparent about fees. As long as consumers adhere to the payment schedule, they can avoid interest and other charges, which can be particularly appealing.
4. Increased Access: BNPL opens doors for consumers who might not have access to traditional credit options. This is especially beneficial for younger shoppers or those with limited credit histories.

The Advantages for Retailers

1. Increased Conversion Rates: Offering BNPL can significantly boost conversion rates. When consumers see the option to pay in installments, they’re more likely to complete their purchases, reducing cart abandonment rates.
2. Higher Average Order Values: BNPL encourages shoppers to spend more. Knowing they can spread payments over time can lead to larger purchases, benefiting retailers with increased sales.
3. Customer Loyalty: Providing flexible payment options can enhance customer satisfaction. Shoppers are more likely to return to retailers that offer BNPL, fostering long-term relationships.
4. Competitive Edge: As BNPL becomes more common, offering it can differentiate a retailer from competitors who may not provide this option.

Challenges of BNPL

1. Consumer Debt: While BNPL can facilitate shopping, it can also lead to overspending and increased debt for some consumers. It’s crucial for retailers to promote responsible use of these services.
2. Fees and Penalties: While many BNPL services advertise no interest if payments are made on time, missed payments can result in fees and interest charges, which may deter future use.
3. Regulatory Scrutiny: As BNPL grows in popularity, it faces increasing scrutiny from regulators. Retailers need to stay informed about evolving regulations to ensure compliance and protect their customers.

The Future of BNPL in E-Commerce

The BNPL trend shows no signs of slowing down. With advancements in technology and consumer behavior shifting toward more flexible payment options, BNPL is likely to become a staple in e-commerce. Retailers should consider integrating BNPL solutions into their payment offerings to stay competitive.

Conclusion

Buy Now, Pay Later is revolutionizing the way consumers shop online and how retailers approach their sales strategies. By understanding the benefits and challenges of this payment model, both consumers and businesses can make informed decisions that align with their financial goals. As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, embracing flexible payment options like BNPL will be key to staying relevant and meeting the demands of today’s consumers. Learn more about BNPL options for Volusion merchants by visiting our website.

Tired of copy-and-pasting when it comes time to ship your orders? ShipStation can help! Watch our webinar replay to learn how ShipStation can change the way you ship through automation and cost savings.

About ShipStation

Automatically import your orders from Volusion and create shipping labels easily and efficiently. No matter how you ship, ShipStation can create labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post, and more. With features like branded email and packing slip templates, easy returns management, and powerful automation, ShipStation can save you hours of time, loads of money.

The busiest time of year typically brings more robust shopping carts for ecommerce stores—as well as its own set of headaches. With multiple traditional (and shopping) holidays on the horizon, online businesses have much to gain from preparing early. Luckily, we’re here to assist you in putting together a detailed holiday strategy that will help you come out ahead.

Scroll down for a list of major shopping holidays and holiday milestones that are coming up soon, as well as to-do checklists for your brand to consider leading up to, during, and after the holiday season. As you get started on your holiday planning journey, keep these quick holiday planning tips in mind:

• Plan as far ahead as you can to maximize your holiday shopping season potential
• Start making changes early so you have time to work through any issues
• Be prepared to spend a little money to make more money back

Major Shopping Holidays & Milestones [2024]

Black Friday [2024: Friday, November 29]

This is the first major shopping day of the holiday season, so make sure you have as much holiday preparation in order as you can before this date. Traditionally, shoppers look for major deals, so make sure you hold a promotion or two to compete with mega brands—and market them heavily beforehand. Lots of big-box stores start their Black Friday deals a day early on Thanksgiving Day—now also known as “Gray Thursday”—so consider starting deals a bit earlier to take advantage of the influx of early bird shoppers.

Small Business Saturday [2024: Saturday, November 30]

Recognized the day after Black Friday annually, Small Business Saturday is an American holiday created to encourage shoppers to support small and local businesses. If you have a small- to medium-sized business, this is a great opportunity to promote your brand as an alternative to behemoths like Amazon. Participate in and engage with any Small Business Saturday campaigns you can find across social media and offer specials for customers who purchase on this day.

Cyber Monday [2024: Monday, December 2]

Arguably the biggest shopping holiday for ecommerce businesses each year, Cyber Monday is another day during which shoppers expect major deals and discounts on items they love—or would love to gift. Try to offer more exciting and interactive deals than you offered on Black Friday—for example, consider running deals on specific items only for specific timeframes (similar to Amazon’s “lightning deals”) or hosting giveaways on your storefront to keep shoppers coming back throughout the day.

Giving Tuesday [2024: Tuesday, December 3]

Giving back is a great way to show your appreciation for increased revenues during the holiday months, and Giving Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to do so. Consider getting involved by implementing a giving campaign with a realistic goal that won’t hurt your checkbook, and select a charity to contribute the proceeds to that relates to your industry or aligns with your brand’s values. Don’t forget to let your customers know by again participating in and engaging with #GivingTuesday campaigns across social media. Showing customers that you care about more than profits will go a long way toward increasing brand appreciation and loyalty.

Green Monday [2024: Monday, December 9]

This is not specifically a holiday to be advertised—Green Monday is typically the best sales day of the holiday shopping season (the December portion, at least) because shoppers know that they need to place orders by around this date to ensure delivery by Christmas. This is a great time to prominently remind customers that there are only a few weeks until Christmas, and that the time to purchase is now. Increase ad spending around this day to get more online shoppers to your site so they’ll pick you for their holiday gifting needs.

Christmas Day [2024: Wednesday, December 25]

This milestone is the day most consumers will be aiming for when doing their holiday shopping. In the last few days leading up to Christmas, it’s a good idea to promote electronic gift cards as a last-minute gifting option for those who are running behind on their shopping or may need to purchase items for extended family members, coworkers/employees, neighbors, etc. If you have a physical storefront in addition to your online store, you can also push in-store pickup for orders placed online leading up to the holiday.

Boxing Day [2024: Thursday, December 26]

Mostly celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, the day after Christmas is typically when return requests begin to appear; however, it has also morphed into its own shopping holiday. Use Boxing Day to finish the year strong and push holiday-centered products that you may not sell for another 11 months. You can also begin targeting gift card recipients through email marketing and drive them to a landing page with products segmented by price range.

New Year’s Day [2025: Wednesday, January 1]

With the holiday shopping season behind you, you can reflect on the successes of the past year and your plans for the upcoming year. This is a good chance to let your customer base get to know your brand a little better. Build excitement and prompt customers to be on the lookout by teasing new products you plan to launch throughout the year. Engage with your community through social media and learn their new year’s resolutions, and support their resolutions by highlighting resolution-related products. Finally, look at your holiday ad campaigns and make sure to pause/change any holiday-related ads.

Ecommerce Holiday Checklist: Before Black Friday

• Forecast based on last year’s data: Look back at how your store did last year in terms of sales, inventory, and marketing. Determine what worked and what didn’t so that you know what things to avoid or to try again for this year.
• Familiarize yourself with upcoming holiday dates: You can reference the list above and/or create your own calendar with additional dates so that you’re always on top of what’s coming up next.
• Set holiday goals for your business: Consider what you want to achieve this year—a specific sales goal? A more streamlined process?—and keep it in mind throughout the holiday season.
• Prepare your holiday fulfillment plan: What should you make sure to stock up on to fulfill orders faster? How will your packaging and shipping process change? Figure this out ahead of time, and make a plan for emergencies and delays.
• Make a holiday promotion calendar: What promotions, sales, and deals would you like to offer this year? Which holidays do you want to center them around? Make a calendar that lets you visualize your planned promotions and dates easily.
• Make a holiday marketing calendar: Once you’ve determined your promotions, plan when and what marketing materials will need to go out for each one, and plan additional marketing around other products and campaigns you intend to highlight.
• Get your ecommerce website in shape: Repair broken links, fill out empty categories, and review your navigation and checkout processes for friction. Create a holiday category page so shoppers can find items quickly.
• Optimize your SEO for the holiday season: Use keyword research to determine what trendy and holiday-specific keywords you should update your pages to speak to. Consider building a static landing page for each holiday that you can update every year.
• Prepare your PPC campaigns: PPC advertising is a great way to pull in holiday shoppers who are searching for gifts online. Set up specific campaigns for the holiday season to ensure that your ads are in line with what customers will be searching for.
• Plan your Shopping Feeds for the holidays: Review Google’s policies to make sure your products and information comply so that your products are not suddenly pulled during the most important time of year.
• Ensure customer service needs can be met: Consider the previous year and your growth since then. Should you hire seasonal workers so that your customers will encounter a more positive and responsive experience with your brand?
• Compile a holiday design plan: Consider what holiday flair you want to include for this year’s campaigns. Do you want a more uniform look through the entire season, or a different look for each holiday or promotion?
• Ready your email marketing initiatives: Have you planned out and scheduled email campaigns related to holidays and sales? Put together a calendar ahead of time and let shoppers know early.
• Prepare your social media accounts for the holidays: Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and that any ads you plan to run are good to go, and consider adding some holiday flair to your profile and cover images.

Ecommerce Holiday Checklist: Before Christmas

• Monitor your online performance: As the season progresses, continuously monitor your website, SEO, Ads, Shopping Feeds, social media, promotions, and sales and make adjustments as needed.
• Know and communicate your “ship by” deadlines: Check with your preferred shipping carrier so you know when the last day you can ship for delivery before Christmas Day is. Monitor their site as well in case anything changes.
• Enhance your return process: As customers begin receiving Black Friday and Cyber Monday orders, this is a good opportunity to audit your return process and consider what needs improvement for the future.

Ecommerce Holiday Checklist: Post-Holiday Season

• Remove all holiday-related marketing: End any holiday paid campaigns that are still running, and remove all holiday-related design and extraneous content from your online presence.
• Consider your metrics: It’s never too early to start planning for next year! Look at your metrics—including what worked well and what didn’t work at all—and take notes to make your planning process next year easier.
• Keep shoppers coming back after the holidays: We’ve all heard of the post-holiday sales slump. Consider what unique marketing tactics you can use to maintain customer attention (and get them to use their gift cards!).

Final Thoughts

Looking for even more in-depth holiday planning information? Check out our latest Webinar with for more helpful insights and suggestions around holiday readiness. If you need some help setting up your ecommerce store for success this holiday season, be sure to check out Marketing 360®, Volusion’s marketing and design partner, for assistance with ecommerce holiday design, PPC, SEO, and more.

Online reviews of your business and its products are great tools for generating trust in your business. Consider these statistics: 93% of consumers say that reading online reviews had an influence on their purchase decisions, and customers are willing to spend 31% more on a business that has excellent customer reviews. Whether they appear on your website itself, your social media pages, on other sites where your products are sold, on popular review sites like the BBB or Google My Business, the importance of good (and recent) customer reviews cannot be overstated.

The difficulty comes when trying to source reviews for your business or products—only the most passionate people leave reviews unprompted, and most passionate reviews occur after a poor experience. Getting positive reviews for your business, then, should be a priority for online business owners trying to stay ahead of their competition. Read on to learn the best ways to generate reviews for your business as a part of your reputation management strategy.

Ways to Increase Ecommerce Reviews Directly

Getting those first new reviews under your belt can be a challenge; however, once you’ve experimented a bit to see what works, you’ll have an easy time finding ways to streamline the process. Here are a few ways to start sourcing reviews directly.

1. Ask friends & family to leave positive reviews

If you are just starting out and haven’t had any customers yet who can leave reviews, try asking friends and family for assistance. We don’t suggest asking them to write glowing reviews without having tried your products—some review platforms penalize for fake reviews, and some fake reviews are easy for customers to spot anyway. Have a few people close to you go through the entire purchase process—order from your site, have the item delivered, and use the item—and then write an informative review about their experience. This is also a great way to work out any issues in your process early on. When responding to their review, acknowledge the connection as well—it could go a long way towards showing how “real” your brand is.

2. Email customers soon after every purchase

Once your customer has received their order, you should plan to follow up within a specified amount of time to inquire about their experience. This is also a great time to ask them to review their purchase. Countless Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools exist that can help you automate this process, and your ecommerce provider may even integrate with a few or have capabilities built in that can handle this process for you. Keep in mind the amount of time it may take for customers to use your product and form an opinion about its value—an item that can be tested immediately upon receipt may benefit from a review request email sooner than an item that takes a month before results can be seen.

3. Encourage customer service to ask happy customers for reviews

Asking for reviews when there is already a line of communication established is the easiest and most effective way to generate reviews for your business. Let your Customer Service team know that driving online reviews are a priority for the company. After every interaction that ends with a positive result, have your representatives ask the customer to leave a review for your business or product. This personal, one-on-one approach is guaranteed to drive more reviews than any impersonal method. You can even incentivize your team to get customers to post reviews with cash rewards for each review a team member achieves or by holding monthly competitions for who can drive the most.

4. Use third-party User-Generated Content (UGC) software

Another great way to increase reviews is by using third party providers, such as Bazaarvoice, Reevoo, or PowerRatings. Some of these sites allow you to send your products to a pool of reviewers for the specific purpose of writing an unbiased review about their experience. The results generated by these third parties are reliable, authenticated reviews made by actual customers who have purchased products or services from the site—increasing your number of reviews directly.

5. Hire social influencers to review your products

Social media has allowed people to not only connect with one another from anywhere in the world, but also become their own profitable online brands. While influencers themselves greatly profit from the arrangement, they also expose their followers to brands and products that they support (or that pay for their support). While we suggest going for the big names since they can provide the most exposure, smaller influencers can also be beneficial. You may get much more traction and effort from someone with a lesser known name—think tens of thousands of followers rather than hundreds of thousands or millions. However, if you’re going big, be prepared to make the process as simple and seamless as possible, as the time of more popular influencers is worth more money.

Ways to Increase Ecommerce Reviews Indirectly

If you feel like you don’t have the time to focus on direct methods to gain ecommerce reviews, here are a few steps you can take to increase your reviews in a less direct way that may tie in to much of your existing strategy already.

1. Maintain an accurate online presence

First, make sure your business and products are listed accurately across all appropriate platforms. For your business, this means making sure that you can be found on the BBB, Google My Business, any social media platforms frequented by your target audience, and any industry-specific directories where your audience may be looking for products like yours. Once you have a presence established on each, ensure that your information on those sites is accurate, and that reviews are enabled when possible. In terms of your products, make sure that all third-party sites you sell your products on have accurate information and that reviews are enabled (if possible) as well. With these actions undertaken, any customers who come across your listings will see reviews enabled and may be inspired to share their experience.

2. Provide exceptional quality & service

Since passionate customers are the most likely to leave reviews, make sure your customers are passionate about you—in a positive way. To achieve this, maintain a high product quality, and package your orders with extra flair to boost excitement when buyers receive packages from you. Also make sure that you are able to provide outstanding customer service with an overall goal of complete customer satisfaction. If customers see that you are willing to go above and beyond for them, they will be more willing to tell people about their positive experience.

3. Delight loyal customers with special brand initiatives

Impressing customers to the point of leaving positive reviews is a noble goal; however, some customers are not impressed often—and some can’t be impressed at all. Consider the 80/20 Rule: 80% of your business most likely comes from 20% of your customers. This gives you a much smaller—and more manageable—pool of people to impress who will be more likely to advocate for your business online. Focus on rewarding your most loyal customers with special deals, giveaways, and other initiatives that make them feel valued and keep them coming back for more. The more positive experiences like this that they have with your brand, the more likely they will be to recommend it to others.

4. Engage with customers on social media

The immense popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and others have made them ideal platforms with which you can connect with your customers. Your online customers are more likely to leave product or service feedback on these channels instead of your ecommerce site because they are already signed in and using them, so the barrier to entry is much lower. By demonstrating regular engagement with your followers on these pages, you encourage even more engagement from them—which can oftentimes be in the form of reviews or feedback.

Ways to Increase the Likelihood of Follow-Through

Some customers may initially seem open to writing reviews, but may forget or lose interest before actually doing so. Here are a few ways to encourage follow-through by making the process easy and beneficial for the customer.

1. Suggest multiple review page options

If you ask a customer to write a review on your Facebook page but they do not have an account with Facebook, you will never get a review. If, however, you ask them for a review and list a few different options for where to post it—such as Facebook, Google, or your website—there is a higher likelihood that one (or more) of those options will be more accessible to them. Providing different options increases the likelihood that the customer can leave a review, naturally increasing the number of customers who follow through with doing so.

2. Provide direct links to review pages

When asking customers for a review via email, chat, or any other digital messaging system, provide direct links to the review forms you are hoping they will fill out to make the process as seamless as possible for them. Making customers jump through hoops to find the correct listing is a complicated, drawn-out, and overall poor experience that will result in no reviews at all. You are asking your customers for a favor—the least you can do is make sure it is easy to fulfill.

3. Offer incentives for reviews (carefully)

Offering a freebie or discount for reviews can definitely generate more interest in doing so; however, it is generally considered a bad practice. Many review sites penalize businesses that incentivize reviews—not to mention it’s a huge trust-killer for your customers to learn that the reviews they are reading are likely biased. However, you can still reward customers who have left you great reviews by surprising them with a “thank you” after the review has been posted. This in turn can inspire them to tell their friends to leave positive reviews as well—at the very least, it will boost that customer’s perception of your brand, which can go a long way.

In Conclusion

Soliciting ecommerce reviews can seem daunting. However, there are strategies with varying levels of involvement that can increase your likelihood of generating more reviews for your business or products. The more time you invest in a review strategy, the more ROI you are likely to see overall.

In ecommerce, integrating a reliable payment solution is crucial for completing sales. While this is straightforward for most online stores, those in high-risk industries often face challenges finding suitable payment processors.

At Volusion, we simplify this process by partnering with Fort Point Payments, a specialized payment solution for high-risk sectors such as CBD, firearms, and furniture.

Understanding High-Risk Processing

Major payment companies like Stripe and Square categorize businesses as high-risk based on several factors:

• Transaction size: Large transactions can lead to concerns about chargebacks
• Future delivery: Businesses with extended delivery times, such as furniture or cruise lines, may worry banks
• Reputational risk: Banks may avoid associations with certain industries like adult content or payday lending
• Industry compliance: Sectors like CBD and firearms require strict adherence to regulations

Fort Point Payments: Your Partner in High-Risk Solutions

Fort Point Payments avoids labeling businesses as high-risk, preferring the term "harder-to-place." They specialize in industries such as:

• Adult
• Beer / Wine / Liquor
• CBD / Hemp / Cannabis
• Firearms / Ammo / Weapons
• Online Pharma / CNP Pharma
• Tobacco / Cigars
• Vape / e-Cigarettes
• Weight Loss Products

Benefits of Choosing Fort Point Payments

If your business is classified as high-risk by other processors, Fort Point Payments offers personalized attention and swift application processing:

• Specialized review: Their team understands the nuances of various merchant categories
• Quick setup: Integration with your Volusion site can be completed in as little as two business days
• Flexibility: They work with multiple banks, ensuring minimal disruption if one bank discontinues services to high-risk industries

Getting Started with Fort Point Payments

Adding Fort Point Payments to your Volusion ecommerce site is simple and straightforward:

1. Application submission: Submit your application (0-1 business days)
2. Underwriting review: Review process (1-3 business days)
3. Approval and setup: Gateway setup (0-1 business days)
4. Integration: Add to your Volusion website (0-1 business days)

For more information on how Fort Point Payments can benefit your business, fill out our inquiry form or visit their application page.

Partner with Volusion and Fort Point Payments Today

Volusion and Fort Point Payments ensure that even high-risk industries can efficiently process payments without unnecessary complications. Sign up for our 14 day free trial to start your ecommerce journey today!

Email marketing is an essential part of owning and operating any business. The most effective email marketing strategies inspire purchase behavior, inform customers of important happenings, and keep loyal fans engaged with a brand. However, once entrepreneurs have successfully captured email leads for their business, many struggle to determine what content they should send their customers via email. Below, we explore some of the most common types of emails that successful ecommerce businesses use in their email marketing strategy.

1. Welcome Emails

A Welcome Email is the first piece of e-correspondence your customers will receive from your business. These emails are sent when a customer joins your email list, whether from a sign-up form on your website or from creating an account while placing an order. Welcome emails demonstrate your appreciation and excitement about a customer joining your list, making them feel valued.

2. Abandonment Emails

Abandonment Emails are sent when your customer instigates purchase-related actions, but ultimately clicks off of your site.

• Browse Abandonment Emails are triggered when a customer looks through a few category or product pages on your store, but doesn’t add anything to their cart.
• Abandoned Cart Emails are triggered when a customer does add items to their cart, but clicks off of your site without completing a purchase.

In both cases, triggering an email reminds your customer about the great products they saw on your site, giving them a gentle nudge to convert into a paying customer.

3. Confirmation Emails

Confirmation Emails are sent after a specific action has been completed by a customer on your site, usually related to an order that has been placed.

• Purchase Confirmation Emails are triggered when a customer has completed the checkout process, and your store has received their order request.
• Shipping Confirmation Emails are triggered when you have completed the customer’s order request, and their product(s) are in the mail.
• Delivery Confirmation Emails, while not critical, add an extra level of customer service by notifying the customer that the carrier has dropped off their product.

These types of emails keep customers informed of the state of their order every step of the way so that they remain engaged in the process and excited for their product(s) to arrive.

4. Feedback & Review Emails

These types of emails are typically sent a certain amount of time after an order has been completed to solicit important information about your products and services.

• Feedback Emails encourage customers to comment privately on the quality of your products or your fulfillment process so you can identify needed improvements.
• Review Emails encourage customers to leave a review of a product on your store’s site or a review of your business on an external review site.

Sending these types of emails shows that you care about making your business and its products the best they can be, which will strengthen your brand’s reputation.

5. Replenishment Emails

Replenishment Emails remind customers who have purchased a consumable product to purchase it again if they are running low. This type of email is not relevant for every type of business, but for those who sell products that need to be constantly repurchased, it can provide a significant bump in repeat sales. Plus, less-organized customers will appreciate the reminder before they have run out of product so they don’t have to go without for very long.

6. Promotional Emails

Promotional Emails inform customers who are looking for a deal or way to save that they can purchase items from you at a discounted rate.

• Seasonal Promotion Emails are sent when your business holds sales during a specific time of year, such as a holiday or event (like Back-to-School).
• Subscriber-only Promotion Emails are exclusive deals that are only available to customers on your email list, instilling them with a sense of importance and value.
• Sale Emails are sent when specific items are on sale or when your business holds a sitewide sale that is not seasonal.

Because of the savings associated, these types of emails tend to lead to the most conversions, boosting overall sales volume even if it’s at a lower rate of profit per item.

7. Product-Based Emails

Product-Based Emails inform customers about the different types of products available to purchase from your business.

• New Arrival Emails let customers know what products you have recently started carrying that they may not have seen the last time they visited your site.
• Back in Stock Emails inform customers when a previously out-of-stock item that is popular or that they have viewed before is available to purchase.
• Cross-sell/Upsell Emails are personalized emails that examine a customer’s past purchases and recommend products that complement or improve upon them.

Customers who receive these emails will have a good idea of what your business carries so that when they are ready to purchase—whether now or in the future—your store will be top of mind.

8. Informational Emails

Informational Emails educate your customer base about concepts outside of your product offerings, but still relevant to your business.

• Company Announcement Emails inform customers when your business experiences a noteworthy change—for example, new shipping rates or expanding product types.
• Educational Resource Emails give customers insight into how to best use your products and information about your specific industry.
• Company Newsletters give customers an amalgamation of resources weekly or monthly with informational articles, announcements, sales, and more.

These emails keep your customers engaged with your business and position you as an expert in your industry that they can trust.

9. Re-engagement Emails

Re-engagement, or Win-Back, Emails are sent when a customer has not purchased from your business in quite some time. These emails usually include some sort of incentive—like a small percent off—to encourage customers to purchase from you again. Whether the customer forgot about your business completely or had a less-than-stellar experience, these emails provide an opportunity for the customer to give you a second chance or recall their initial excitement about your brand.

In Conclusion

In email marketing, one size doesn’t fit all, so pay attention to your email metrics after specific emails are sent. If your open, click-through, or conversion metrics for a particular email aren’t great, consider whether it needs some adjustments—or whether your audience just isn’t interested in that type of email. Overall, however, incorporating these types of emails into your email marketing strategy will allow your ecommerce store to cultivate a loyal client base that is enthusiastic about and engaged in your brand.