A lot of ecommerce brands get a bit too obsessed with the chase. Meaning that they focus on getting the click, getting the add to basket, getting the checkout completed, getting the sale, and then sitting back like the job is done, everyone can relax now. Well, that and just making sure their ecommerce can pop and sizzle every time.

And okay, fair enough, getting someone to buy from an online store isn't exactly effortless these days. People are suspicious, distracted, comparing prices in five other tabs, and half-ready to abandon the whole thing because a delivery charge is even a few cents extra than anticipated. 

So yes, getting the order matters. But this is also where a lot of brands start congratulating themselves far too early, because the customer doesn't properly decide how they feel about the business while they’re still in that little checkout blur. Well, they do, but on top of that, that extra opinion starts forming properly after the payment goes through, after the excitement dies down a touch, and after the customer starts asking the question that sits behind basically every online order now, which is: Is this brand actually going to handle this properly?

That’s the bit people remember, and most ecommerce businesses need to keep their current customers, well, returning customers, in order to stay alive, not the new ones. 

The Order Confirmation is the First Real Chance 

Now this sounds dull, and that’s exactly why so many brands treat it like it doesn’t matter very much. It’s just the confirmation email, right? All it is is just a quick little receipt, a bit of admin, no one’s deeply emotionally attached to it. Like, it's not a big deal at all. Well, except that’s not really how this goes. Well, put yourself in the customer's shoes, if you buy something, theres no confirmation, no order number, just nothing, that screams alarm bells, right? You're questioning if someone just stole your money or if your credit card info just got stolen. 

But it’s true, though, because the second someone places an order, there’s often this tiny shift in mood. Like the dopamine hit is gone, and so before checkout, it’s excitement, curiosity, maybe a bit of impulse. After checkout, it can turn into that slightly cursed little feeling. Basically, the point here is that immediately getting a confirmation email just makes people feel calmer, like things are just more settled, that's all. 

How Long is the Delivery After the Order? 

Maybe as a customer, you might be wondering these things too. But overall here, this is where a lot of ecommerce businesses get themselves into trouble, because they assume customers are only impressed by speed. Which, speed matters, sure, because people have been absolutely spoiled by big retailers, and now most people expect that. Honestly, some people act appalled if it doesn't come by the next day. Which is annoying, and unfair, and no, you’re not Amazon, you don’t do Prime, but like, there’s this stupid expectation though. 

Now, not all customers expect it the next day, especially if it's super apparent it's a small business. However, they do expect the delivery to be competent, though, meaning clear dispatch timing, realistic expectations, proper tracking, sensible packaging, and no weird little surprises halfway through. If a brand promises one thing and then delivers another, or if the shipping process is just horrible with tracking, well, good luck ever getting a second order. 

So, how is your backend looking? Not computer-wise, but dispatch and shipping-wise? If a growing brand just can’t keep the delivery side looking organized, then it starts undoing its own hard work. Which you really don’t want. So you might even want to consider outsourcing to a fulfillment center here, since they can at least keep the customer experience from sliding backwards.

Customers Get Nervous During Gaps 

Well, that gap after paying, getting the confirmation email, and getting the product is because between getting the confirmation email and product, there should be communication, emphasis on “should,” but it doesn’t immediately guarantee it, though. Meaning theres no helpful update, no dispatch timing, no useful reassurance, no sign of life apart from the original confirmation, and now the customer is left sitting there trying to remember what the delivery estimate actually was and if it said business days or working days or some other wording designed to make everything feel less concrete. 

But it feels a little uncomfortable here, though.  Therefore, this could lead to regret, trying to cancel the order, or just trying to do something because they now might be worried they got scammed. But it makes sense, though, because nowadays online shopping is easier, yet so much harder here too. It's hard to be relaxed. Like too many weird websites, too many delayed parcels, too many shops that looked lovely until the tracking link started acting as though the parcel had fallen into another dimension. 

Which, jokes aside here, it's all uncomfortable, and shoppers don't want that. You can’t get returning customers that way; therefore, there needs to be better communication here. 

Packaging Can’t Look Careless Either 

You’re not Amazon, so don’t pack like them (and people hate how they pack, too). But overall here,  this one gets misunderstood a lot, because the second packaging comes up, it goes two ways: no effort, or a lot of effort. Meaning some people start picturing some absurd unboxing performance with layers of tissue paper, branded confetti, thank-you cards, and a ribbon tying it all together. Which, sure, that works wonderfully for some brands, but in general, a parcel shouldn’t be overdressed or underdressed. 

How Does Your Business Handle Problems?

And last, but not least, this is where the real test happens, because almost any brand can look decent when everything goes perfectly. Lovely. Wonderful. Gold star. But of course, that’s not exactly the hardest situation to manage. Now, the real question here is when issues arise. How? Well, it could be a delayed parcel, a damaged item, the wrong variant, a tracking issue, an address problem, any of those little annoyances that pop up in ecommerce no matter how organized a brand tries to be. 

And sure, every normal customer knows mistakes happen, usually, they’re forgiving, but they’re not going to be forgiven if theres little effort on your part, though. So, if support replies that feel cold, defensive, dismissive, or weirdly slow, well, all of that can kill a second purchase faster than almost anything else. Seriously, why should anyone spend their hard-earned money on a business that disrespects them?