Once you’ve completed the technical steps to build and launch your online store, you’ll have a few questions:

How will I collect payments?

Where will I store products? How will I ship them? And how will I handle returns?

Customer service: what approach and strategy should you take?

In this article, we’ll answer these questions in detail.

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First: How will I collect payments in my online store?

في عالم E-commerceThere are two payment methods:

-الأولى: Cash on delivery Cash On Delivery: The courier delivering the shipment (goods) collects payment from the customer.

In this case, it seems like a win-win: customers can feel reassured that they won’t pay until they’ve actually received the product they want (which suits the traditional customer).

more), and the store owner, who receives immediate cash flow without having to go through lengthy banking procedures.

However, this process is handled manually. Manual processing can increase the likelihood of errors compared with electronic automation.

-الثانية: Online payment Online Payment: The customer pays by credit card or another payment method suitable for online transactions.

There is more than one way to enable online payments:

-البنك المحلي: A bank based in the country where you live that offers its own online payment gateway, through which the payment can be completed.

-Online bank: There are many online banks today that can handle payments for you, such as PayPal and 2Checkout.

In the Arab world, you’ll also find solutions such as PayFort and PayTabs. An online bank accepts payments from around the world and

transfers the funds to you for a small fee.

Using these banks gives you greater convenience and security than handling the process yourself. They also offer businesses a range of capabilities

Growing, just like your business.

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Second: Managing inventory, shipping, and returns for your online store — Inventory, Shipping and Refund

One of the most pressing challenges facing e-commerce businesses is inventory management. Of course, I’m talking about stores that sell physical products

Physical Products; the following doesn’t apply to digital products.

To grasp the scale of the problem, imagine a business that needs space to store new products arriving from the factory (or

port/airport), organize them in a specific system so they’re easy to find, and retrieve items in a particular order, as well as inspect each one and make sure it’s in good condition

—especially if it’s food or fragile—then package and prepare it for shipping. And all of this is handled by a large team of specialized workers.

Professionals (higher salaries). It’s certainly not easy.

Then there’s shipping: delivering products to the customer on time and as specified (the customer might ask for the item to be gift-wrapped), while protecting the products from

damage or breakage. Who will handle shipping—your company or a third-party provider? Don’t forget returns and all the details involved in your return policy.

If the project is well funded, it may be best to handle storage, shipping, and returns yourself. But if you’re starting on a relatively small scale,

it may be better to outsource this to a third party. Major shipping companies such as Aramex and FedEx offer special discounts to online stores, or

for customers who regularly request its services. If your store is small and just starting out, you could try newer services like Solasa, or arrange a special partnership with

a local shipping company that serves the areas where your customers are located. You’ll find a solution that suits you and your budget as you get started.

As for returns, your return policy should be clearly accessible from the homepage through a prominent link for users to read. It should also be a requirement for completing

a purchase, with a checkbox during checkout.

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Third: Customer service in e-commerce — Customer Care Service

Customer service gives customers peace of mind and is one of the most important factors in completing a purchase. In fact, some customers test customer service before they even

start shopping. What’s the point of buying a product if I call customer service and no one answers?

In this section, we’ll discuss just two of its most important elements: the how and the strategy.

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Customer service in e-commerce — How it works

How will you communicate with your customers? Email is one option, but it can be slow—especially for an angry or impatient customer. However, it’s one of the best ways to handle

and document customer issues. In fact, there are entire software systems designed to handle customer interactions through email: Trouble Ticket Systems.

What about phone support? It’s ideal for customers, but it’s limited to specific hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m., for example). In addition, heavy

call volumes can turn phone support from an advantage into a drawback. Customers may not get answers to their questions, leaving them frustrated and with a

bad impression. At the same time, responding to all these customers requires hiring more staff to cover different shifts, which adds to the cost of

شركة ناشئة.

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Live chat on the web is the ideal solution for both parties—provided it’s available around the clock, 24/7.

Live chat costs customers nothing, unlike a phone call, and they get a response right away, unlike email, where they may have to wait. In addition,

an agent using live chat can handle multiple customers at once, unlike on the phone. Agents also

have a library of written templates for common or anticipated issues that customers frequently encounter. They can copy and paste the relevant text or link to the customer,

saving agents a great deal of time and giving them capacity to help more customers.

So I suggest ranking customer communication channels by reliability and effectiveness as follows: live chat, then email, and finally

phone support.

Many well-known companies offer good solutions to challenges like this, such as ZenDesk, Desk.com, and FreshDesk. Their prices are more than

reasonable. For example, ZenDesk plans start at $5 per agent account per month. That’s in addition to a two-week free trial.

Customer service in e-commerce — Strategy

Customer service should work both ways: for the customer and the employee.

Yes, the customer is always right—but to what extent? Should employees be worn down by a flood of unreasonable requests, all because of a rule that may be wrong?

Billionaire entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, says:

“Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers.”

Many startup founders devote a great deal of attention and care to customers, believing they are the source of the company’s revenue and success, while overlooking the well-being and comfort of

the employees who work with those customers and help generate those profits for the company.

Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers. This approach requires you to set a certain threshold for customer satisfaction (including how much a customer’s anger can be tolerated

to a certain extent). After that, employees should be able to look after their own well-being and composure by using ready-made scripts to end interactions with customers politely but firmly.

Remember, not every customer is considerate, understanding, or polite. Yes, customer comfort is essential, but not at the expense of employee well-being. If money is

the fuel that powers a company’s vehicle, employees are the oil that keeps it moving smoothly—or brings it to a permanent stop.

In the next article, we’ll talk about the standards that will make your online store stand out and look professional, as well as the tips no one tells you about—the ones that are always hidden between the lines.

all the time.