For most retailers, the prospect of having a customer land on a product page, only to find that the item is out of stock is not a positive thing. That’s because most consumers will take one look at the out of stock notice on the page, and head elsewhere, most likely to a competitor, where they can find a similar product at a similar price. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You can retain those customers and not lose them, or the sales they represent. How do you go about doing that?

Tell Them

First and foremost, it is vital that you inform your customers that the item they want to purchase is currently out of stock. Be honest about it. Your reputation cannot take the damage that it would incur if you were not upfront here. If possible, explain why the item is out of stock, and give an expected date when you will be able to offer it again.

Let Your Customers Preorder

If you know for a fact that the item in question will eventually return to stock, and is not being discontinued by your supplier, then you can offer your customers the chance to preorder it ahead of time. This will require that you do a bit of tweaking behind the scenes, but that effort can pay off in both customer retention and improved profitability.

Sign Up

Another option to offer your customers is to let them sign up for an email notification when the item returns to stock. In addition to a notification that the item is now available, you could include coupons or special deals, and other perks. This can offer a number of other benefits that go well beyond retaining your customer. One of those is that you’re able to add another name to your opt-in email list. You also have at least one interest built in as well, which you can use to help personalize offers and other communications for that customer.

Sweeten the Deal

In some instances, you want to give your customers a treat to help encourage them to stick around, or to check out the rest of your product offerings. You can do this by sweetening the deal. Offer them a one-time discount due to the out of stock, or an email coupon that they can use at their discretion. You could even offer to slightly discount a more expensive product that is similar to the one they wanted to purchase to keep the customer and the sale. You’ll make a profit, the customer will be happy, and you’ll prevent a defection to your competitors.

Also Recommended

If you want to capitalize on your customer’s desire to purchase, and want to retain them for the long term, you can create a landing page that features “also recommended” products. These can be almost anything – go with a range of products with similar functions, features, or other qualities. Alternatively, you can offer related items that pair with the product they were initially interested in. Combine an also recommended landing page with a sign-up offer for notification when the product does come back into stock, and you have a winning one-two punch.

Ultimately, you can and should use a combination of all these tactics, plus savvy product sourcing so that you minimize out of stock items in the first place. By being proactive, actively trying to retain customers rather than helplessly watching them bounce to your competitors, and delivering alternatives that offer value to your customers, you can retain them and build profitability for your ecommerce operation.