Amazon’s New Push to Lower Its Returns Rate

Amazon’s revamped policy shifts the buyer-seller dynamic somewhat in favor of the seller. After all, returns represent a financial and logistical burden for merchants and retailers. From their standpoint, any roadblocks in the customer’s access to easy returns are probably welcome.

But the issue goes deeper than that. If Amazon’s “frequently returned” warning has its intended effect, then more and more customers will be perusing product information (as well as reviews) on the page. This puts a premium on product pages whose presentation is not only visually appealing, but also straightforward enough for potential customers to easily understand what they might be buying.

Points of potential customer confusion or dissatisfaction should be anticipated and addressed in product descriptions, bullets, images, and below-the-fold content. This includes accurate visual representations of the product (including alternate angles if helpful), points of differentiation, product features and benefits, etc. The stronger the images, the less likely customers are to have unmet expectations.

To put this in statistical perspective, 81% of consumers conduct online research, including reading customer reviews, before making an eCommerce purchase³. Furthermore, 22% of returns are made not because the customer received the wrong item or a damaged item, but because the product differed in appearance from what was advertised⁴.

The conclusion is simple. As the pendulum swings away from hassle-free Amazon returns, quality content will continue to occupy a place of importance—and not just on Amazon, but across the eCommerce landscape.