Preorder Checklist: Your Guide to Never Miss a Sale

Every Shopify merchant needs a trusty map for launching their ecommerce journey. Whether it’s a new Shopify store or a new collection on an existing eCom brand, launches of any type take time, effort and require deep focus. Successful merchants know that the key to a smooth, profitable launch lies in detailed and well constructed preparation. 

This is where a comprehensive preorder checklist becomes an invaluable tool. It serves as a roadmap and guides you through each step of the preorder strategy process, from building preorder pages that convert, to managing inventory and customer communication. 

A well structured pre order checklist will help you catch those easy-to-miss details, streamline your launch process and make sure you are on the right track by following a clear action plan from your strategy. Your pre order checklist maximizes your opportunity to catch a sale even before you have inventory, and make sure your launch is successful before it goes live. 

Let’s get into the steps you need to get the most out of your preorder sales strategy.

Start by knowing your target customer inside out. This isn’t just about demographics – it’s about understanding their needs and behaviors. Identify the key platforms where your audience is most active, because these are the platforms that you want to focus your efforts on. 

The success of a preorder campaign is based on getting your campaign in front of the right people in a short period of time. Doing the market research involves researching the platforms where your audience is spending most of the time. Is it Instagram, TikTok or Google? By doing this you will be able to capture all the important steps for your preorder strategy and adapt it to the targeted audience.

In preorders, timing is crucial. The critical factor is to set and stick to a realistic timeline. Start by mapping out your entire production process, from manufacturing to quality checks. Now, here’s the important part: add some buffer time. Unexpected hiccups happen to the best of us, whether it’s a delay in sourcing materials or a surprise setback in production.

Be transparent about these timelines with your customers. This honesty builds trust and keeps your audience engaged throughout the waiting period. Remember, it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.

Your email list is a direct line to interested customers. Unlike social media followers, subscribers have actively chosen to hear from you. 

It’s time to get creative. Grow this list by providing the customer the sign up form for your mailing list where you can – offer a special discount on first order, host giveaways, pre-launch landing pages, guest post on relevant publications with the link to your mailing list, partner with experts in your industry to promote your mailing list and more.

Each new email is a potential customer and early adopter, and by focusing on growing your email list you are fostering a strong community of highly engaged customers. Plus, your growing list gives you insights into product demand, helping with inventory planning.

In the preorder game, a little scarcity can go a long way. It’s all about creating that irresistible fear of missing out (FOMO). Consider setting up a waiting list for your product, offer invite-only access to make your early customers feel like VIPs, highlighting the sold out moments and next launching date. 

The key is to make your customers feel like they’re part of something exclusive and time-sensitive. This approach boosts sales and creates a community of enthusiastic supporters.

Set up a “Notify Me” button on your product pages for items that aren’t available yet. This feature allows eager customers to stay up to date about new launches when they are not ready to place a pre-order. It is a win-win situation. Instead of losing a customer when an item’s out of stock, you’re giving them a reason to come back.

Make sure the process is smooth and that you have a plan to follow up with these potential buyers when your product launches.

Read more about how these back in stock alerts are a winning formula to retain sales and what’s the secret tool to make it work successfully.

Customers expect brands to be proactive with their customer service and be available to answer any concerns and queries when they are considering placing a pre-order. 

Integrating a live chat feature into your store provides immediate answers, and potentially boosting conversions. Train your team to handle common preorder queries and to provide clear information about timelines, pricing, and product details. This personal touch can make a big difference in turning browsers into buyers.

Your pricing strategy can make or break your preorder success. Ask yourself is your pricing competitive but still profitable? Are you offering any early bird discounts?

Think about tiered pricing structures or bundle deals to increase average order value. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure it’s clear, fair, and aligns with your brand’s overall pricing strategy.

Martina Schwarz, founder of Blackmarket: “Psychological pricing plays a big role, so offer more than just one product, and create different packages to appeal to different price points,” she says. “For us, this meant selling linen hand towels with our hand wash, as well as bundles of products.”

Consider providing options like paying the full amount upfront, a partial payment now with the balance due later, or full payment upon shipping. 

Each of these have their own pros and cons. They are pretty much self explanatory. However, if you are an eComm just starting out, consider paying the full amount later/partial payment method – until you have built trust and established your brand among customers. On the other side, receiving a full amount upfront will fuel your manufacturing and give you the financial boost before the launch.

Nothing frustrates a customer more than a glitchy checkout. A hassle-free checkout experience can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates. And did you know that 22% of customers abandon their card because the checkout process was too long and complicated? (Baymard Source).

So make sure you test your checkout flow thoroughly, looking for any friction points or confusion. Few things on our list to double-check are: your payment gateway is working correctly, you have enabled guests checkout for quicker purchases, your shipping options are accurately priced. Also, don’t forget to ensure that your preorder terms are clearly stated, and you have covered the refund and return policy.

Your product page is your virtual showroom during a preorder campaign. It’s where the magic happens – or doesn’t. So, how do you make sure it’s working overtime for you?

10% of website visitors do not proceed with the purchase due to lack of information. 13% have problems with navigation or usability, and 8% can’t find enough product information. Yep, that too is a usability issue. (AgConsult Source)

To make your product page work for you and start converting sales, you need to address these points and make sure you do as much as you can to demonstrate what they’re going to get in advance. Let’s see on what you should focus on:

Describing your product is the key to lock in the sale. Your customers can’t touch or feel the product, and your product description needs to do the heavy lifting. Cover all the features and benefits that your product offers.

But note, Don’t just list features – tell a story. Go beyond and explain why you created the product, and how it will make your customer’s life better. The goal is to create a vivid picture in your customer’s mind with your enticing product description.

High-quality images are non-negotiable. Show your product from every angle, in use, and in context. Use lifestyle shots to help customers envision the product in their lives, and detailed close-ups to highlight key features and quality.

Nothing beats seeing a product in action. It’s the next best thing to having the product in hand. Consider including unboxing experiences, tutorials, or customer testimonials to add depth to your product story.

Share behind-the-scenes content of your product development. This builds trust and gets customers invested in your journey. It’s not just a product – it’s a story they’re a part of.

Introduce your team, or share the inspiration behind your product to create a deeper connection with your audience. Even consider doing a video with your founder and share their story live.

Include detailed specifications, size charts, and any other relevant technical info. The more questions you answer upfront, the fewer doubts your customers will have.

Make this information easy to find and understand, using clear language and helpful graphics where appropriate. This will help your customers choose the perfect fit and size, which will increase customer satisfaction.

If your product has variants, make sure your selector is intuitive and easy to use. Clear options mean fewer abandoned carts.

A rock-solid logistics strategy is the backbone of any successful preorder campaign. Let’s break down the key elements to ensure your launch doesn’t just take off – it soars.

Nothing kills the buzz of a successful preorder like running out of stock. It isn’t just a setback – it can turn your preorder hype into a major disappointment. So, before you start your preorder campaign, you want to make sure that your inventory game is on point. 

Have you crunched the numbers and set realistic stock levels based on your data and market trends? Crunching those numbers is crucial for setting realistic stock levels. With solid data and market insights, you’ll be ready to meet demand without overextending your resources. Implement a robust inventory management system that gives you real-time updates.

Map out your fulfillment process from A to Z. Who’s packing the orders? How are they being shipped? What’s your plan for handling returns? Having a clear, efficient fulfillment strategy means happy customers and fewer logistical headaches for you.

Make sure your suppliers are not just ready, but pumped to meet the potential rush. Keep those lines of communication wide open. Regular check-ins with your supply chain during the pre order period will help you stay agile.

What’s your Plan B if sales go through the roof? Maybe it’s a backup supplier, or a clever way to keep customers happy while they wait. This could involve prioritizing orders, offering alternatives, or providing incentives for customers willing to wait.

Let’s take a lesson from a big-league fumble. Remember Sony’s PS5 launch? It was set to be a gaming revolution, but it turned into a logistical headache that left gamers frustrated. Sony hyped up the PS5 with a massive pre-launch campaign. But they dropped the ball on two crucial fronts. 

First, they seriously underestimated just how many people wanted to get their hands on the console. Second, they forgot to mention the pre-order start time during their launch event. The result? When pre-orders opened, it was chaos. Stock vanished in seconds, leaving a mountain of unfulfilled orders and a lot of unhappy customers. This was a full-blown logistics meltdown.

Keep an eagle eye on your stock forecasts and fine-tune your logistics game plan. Because when the orders start rolling in, you want to be ready to deliver – literally.

Building hype on social media around your pre order strategy is half the battle in driving sales. Now, when customers are more connected to brands through social media channels, developing a marketing strategy to promote your preorder sales on social media is almost expected. 

From building anticipation with teasers and countdowns, to announcing your preorder and starting collaboration with niche influencers, you want to develop a marketing strategy for social media that covers it all. 

Check out our Step-by-step guide to run a preorder campaign on social media.

On the road to launching your preorder, you sure need a strong ally. To take preorders on the next level, check out the Timesact Shopify App with Preorder and Notify Me solutions. 

The app will help you to boost your Shopify store’s revenue with a preorder strategy and recover lost sales by replacing out of stock buttons with back in stock notifications.

Feeling more prepared now? With this checklist in hand, you’re well on your way to a successful pre-order campaign. Remember, preparation is key. 

So go ahead, put this checklist into action, and watch those preorders roll in.