Your return policy is one of your best marketing assets.

It's important to note that the return policies in these examples are worth highlighting because they are customer focused. If your policy is not focused on creating a best in class customer experience, we recommend starting with - building a returns policy your customers will love.

4 ways to turn your return policy into a marketing asset

1. Maximize on-site visibility

Using homepage banners is a tactic that you have likely seen before to highlight free shipping. The tactic is also a fantastic way to showcase your return policy, especially if you are offering free returns or exchanges.

It’s important to know that 67% of shoppers check the returns page before making a purchase. Shoppers are giving you their money to buy something they’ve never seen before. What if they don’t like it? They are checking the page because they want to know what happens if the product doesn't work for them.This additional knowledge reduces the perceived risk of making the purchase, even more so if they are making their first purchase.

Increasing your policies visibility is easy:

1. Add it to your footer. Don’t hide your policy under multiple subsections. Make it easy for customers to find. A direct link in the footer does the trick.

2. Showcase it on your homepage. If you have a customer-friendly return policy, tell the world. It’ll make shoppers more comfortable making a purchase.

3. Highlight your policy under your “add to cart” button. This is where the final decision to purchase is made before they get to the checkout. Placing your policy here gives your customers the info they need at the point of conversion.

These brands know just how important it is to let shoppers know what happens if they end up with the wrong product. They have each done an amazing job highlighting their policy across their site to reduce perceived risks and drive up conversions.

2. Inspire positive reviews

If you want to maximize the number of reviews you get referencing your support team and return process, you have to make returns easy. Easy for customers to complete, but also automated and easy for your support team. The less time they spend processing a return, the more time they can spend making a customer's day.

91% of consumers are influenced to purchase because of those positive reviews. 

That's where a tool like Loop can help. We can take a support representative who spends 10 minutes with a return and completely automate that process for them. With the time they get back, the team can gather more 5 star reviews like the ones above.

Knix and Oats Overnight demonstrate how a great return policy and stellar customer support can manifest itself in the types of reviews you see.

3. Highlight your policy in your ads

How do you promote an upcoming sale or product launch? A great return policy deserves the same treatment. 

That’s why Allbirds highlights their return policy in ad campaigns. They know that showing the customer how long they can try the shoes drives conversion. Their return policy becomes a bridge between effective customer acquisition and an amazing customer retention play.

You can work your return policy creative into an existing ad strategy and bring your policy to life with eye-catching images, videos, or GIFs.

4. Weave your policy into your email marketing 

We also recommend highlighting your return policy in certain emails. Specifically:

• Abandoned cart emails. If someone is on the fence about a purchase, you want to give them the confidence to complete the transaction. The best way to do this? Reiterate your policy so that customers have a lower perceived risk about their decision.

• Order confirmation emails. Receiving this email is an exciting moment for your customer! They’ll constantly refer back to it to check the status of their shipment. They can also use it to find your returns portal if they need to send something back.

Your return policy is a marketing asset

It’s time to stop thinking of your return policy as just a legal resource. Approached creatively, it’s an effective marketing tool to help you get more eyes on your brand while also fostering deeper relationships. Check out our previous post on building a customer focused policy, it will help you create a policy worth talking about.

We would love to help you craft a return policy that’s worthy of being marketed. Get in touch with our team.