What should you Do If your Product gets Out of Stock?
First, DO NOT PANIC! Obviously, if your product is getting out of stock, your business is absolutely flourishing, and dealing with out of stock items on your official website can be done with multiple methods and strategies.
But look, the best way out can only be decided once the nature of the business is clear. Like, business selling items to a general audience, can afford simply displaying an ‘out of stock’ sign but a luxurious and popular business brand where the clients are expecting always a premium shopping experience MUST find a more decent and friendly way to communicate effectively with the clients about the absence of a specific product or else there is a way to not show the product page at all.
Here are the three most commonly carried out mistakes. Give a read and let us know if it has benefitted you or not!
Be cautious of the SEO Repercussions
The easiest task you can do to avoid any sort of SEO repercussions is to NEVER remove the item completely.
The greatest challenge regarding the management of out of stock items is to handle the SEO of the relevant product pages. In case of completely removing the product, there is a probability that Google will remove them from the search list for FOREVER, from the SCRATCH. Result? The website would be investing in SEO all again.
Want to discontinue or replace the product? Then you can permanently remove it.
Act Transparent regarding product Availability
Do you think, it will not give a good reputation of your company on showing ‘out of stock label? But it is the opposite! Lesser focus on online catalog management usually leads to an underprivileged customer experience leaving a poor impression and then what will happen, you already know! The customers would start preferring the competition.
Redirecting visitors to another item page
In the same way, if you think redirecting the users to the new, replaced or any alternative page will save the reputation, you are MISTAKEN! In a few cases, it can be a good escape but usually, it is considered dishonesty. Try avoiding using this poor marketing practice.
When it will be sensible to use Redirection Methods?
In case the product is unavailable for a temporary time and the website will be continuing it wanting google to rank it STILL, you can go for multiple strategies that also include redirecting the users to an alternative source page.
Never use 404 Not Found pages because the product being temporarily unavailable means it will be back soon.
You cannot use 301 Permanent Redirect if the product has been replaced with a newer, fresh alternative.
If you hold the pretty identical item in your inventory, you can use 302 Temporary Redirect. But, beware as it may be recognized as an act of deceitfulness.
Ways to Handle the Internal Search
- Enable clients to Filter out all Temporarily Out of Stock items
- De-Priorities Out of Stock products
