It’s the moment every Shopify merchant dreams of the launch of a new product. The months of planning and hard work have finally paid off, and you now have a new product. You’re confident it will be a hit with your customers.
But how can you create a sense of excitement and ensure that your launch is successful? One way is to offer preorders. Pre-orders will help you create anticipation that will have customers clamoring to get their hands on your product on launch day.
So if you’re looking to make your next product launch a success, read on to learn how preorders can help you achieve your goals.
What Are the Benefits of Pre-Orders?
A pre-order strategy allows customers to purchase a product before it is available on your Shopify store. Pre orders will benefit you in the following ways:
- Creating hype and buzz around your launch
- Giving you an indication of customer interest and demand
- Allowing you to gauge customer sentiment and get feedback early on
- Getting upfront revenue to help with product development
- Getting free marketing from customers who pre-order your product
However, you will only realize these benefits if you properly execute your pre-order strategy.
What Are the Best Practices for Launching a Pre-Order Campaign?
Your pre-order campaign will only go well if you have a well-executed plan and follow some best practices.
Here are some tips on how to set up and launch your pre-order campaign:
Choose a Payment Option
You will have different payment options that you can use to ensure customers who pre-order make their payments. One is the pay-now option, which requires customers to make payments upfront. Another option is to have customers make partial payments when pre-ordering and clear the balance when the product ships.
You can also use the pay-later option, allowing customers to make payments on launch day. This option means you won’t have funds upfront, but it assures customers that you won’t scam them.
Create a Marketing Plan
You want your marketing campaign to create excitement and anticipation for your product launch. The goal is to get as many people interested in your product as possible.
A few days before the launch, you can create social media posts that remind your followers about the launch date. You can vlog about the launch on the pre-order day and broadcast it on different platforms. You can display the live sales on your Shopify store to show potential customers that others are interested in your product.
Choose a Pre-Orders Automation Solution
You need an automated solution to handle the complexities that come with pre-orders. Shopify’s Preorderly Pre-order NOW app is designed to automate your pre-order process and make managing orders easier. With this app, you can limit the quantity available for pre-orders, set a cut-off date, and automatically show the pre-order button when you’re out of stock.
An alternative is Preorderly Pre-order Pro, designed to help you make more sales through better capabilities. For instance, you can use the app to tag orders to identify the ones related to pre-order products.
Manage Your Pre-Orders
If your pre-order campaign is successful, you’ll have a lot of orders to handle. You should be prepared to manage them efficiently to ensure customers are happy with their purchase experience.
Ensure your team is well-equipped to track incoming orders and follow up on their status. It would help to have a tool that integrates with Shopify and other systems to make it easier to track your pre-orders.
You should also create a system for managing inventory and fulfilling orders. This is important because you don’t want to oversell your products and end up disappointing customers who pre-ordered.
Use Pre Orders to Boost the Success of Your New Product Launch
Preorders are a great way to create hype around new product launches and increase sales. However, you should have a well-executed plan and use the right tools to ensure a successful pre-order campaign.
With Shopify’s Pre-Orders apps, you can automate your pre-order process and manage them more efficiently. Use these apps to improve your chances of making sales and delighting customers.
