Present out-of-stock products in a positive light to drive pre-order purchases.
Reframe inventory issues from “backorder” to “pre-order” to lift conversions.
Be careful with your words on the product page, especially when it comes to shortages.
When in doubt, keep it positive.
One of our wellness brands sells a high-tech health product that’s VERY popular on social media. It sells out quickly.
Before, their product page had general backorder copy that presented vague timelines for the out-of-stock item:
“This item is currently on backorder. It is expected to ship by the end of March for early April arrival.”
Instead, we reframed this inventory shortage in a positive light by including pre-order timelines (without a mention of backorder). This language shift increased conversions by 19.4%.
General rule: Avoid presenting any issues to your customer.
Backorder means out-of-stock, which carries a negative weight. But a preorder presents the same lack of inventory in a positive light, with timeline specifics for the next batch. Now, it’s the customer’s move – not your issue to fix.
Communicate exactly when buyers can pre-order or join a waitlist, and when they will get their purchase.
