BigCommerce's Customer-Completed Orders Feature Overview

This simple feature could represent an additional $600,000 in sales (given a $20M yearly turnover).

Potential customers are easily frustrated. Every time you release changes to production, there is a (potentially even high) probability that something in the customer journey will break.

BigCommerce's SaaS approach significantly reduces the number of touch points. Out of the box, this could be seen as 1000 to 0. While the end product's touch points will be more than 0, the same increase can be said for Adobe Commerce.

In the long term, BigCommerce is more stable. The likely effects are not only conversion rate increases but also a significant ongoing reduction in maintenance costs.

Understanding Customer Completed Orders

In the world of BigCommerce, what Adobe Commerce refers to as customer completed orders are referred to as draft orders. At its core, a draft order is an incomplete order, often initiated by an admin, a customer service representative, or a salesperson. These orders typically arise during interactions with customers via phone calls, chats, or emails.

Imagine a scenario where a customer contacts your business seeking assistance with their order. They might have questions about which products to purchase, request a discount, or simply need guidance in assembling their purchase. In these cases, draft orders prove invaluable to not only boosting conversions, but creating a better customer experience.

The Process of Creating Draft Orders

Creating draft orders in BigCommerce is a fairly intuitive process. Let's look at a brief overview of these steps:

1. Access the Admin Panel: To begin, log into your BigCommerce admin panel.
2. Initiate a New Order: Create a new order, much like you would with a regular purchase. Input the customer's details, including their name and shipping address.
3. Product Selection: Select the products the customer wishes to purchase. BigCommerce provides a user-friendly autocomplete feature, simplifying the process.
4. Apply Discounts: If necessary, apply discounts or coupons to the order. This flexibility is particularly useful in B2B scenarios where negotiations might be common.
5. Billing and Shipping: Input billing and shipping information, allowing you to provide multiple shipping options.
6. Review and Comments: Review the order details and add any internal comments or notes for the customer.
7. Payment Options: This is where the magic happens. Instead of immediately processing the order, you have the option to create a draft order. This generates a unique link that is then sent to the customer.
8. Send the Link: Share the draft order link with the customer.
9. Customer Checkout: When the customer opens the link, they'll find a pre-configured shopping cart with the selected products and discounts already applied. They can then complete the purchase using their preferred payment method.

Benefits of Draft Orders

The power of draft orders lies in their ability to streamline the sales process. This functionality is especially beneficial in scenarios involving frequent customer service interactions. Some of the key advantages include:

• Security & Efficiency: Draft orders eliminate the need to collect credit card information over the phone or through chat, ensuring a secure and efficient checkout process.
• Customer Convenience: Customers receive a link to a pre-configured cart, simplifying their purchase and reducing friction.
• Enhanced Sales: The ability to create and send draft orders can result in increased conversions, ultimately contributing to the platform's ROI.
• Native Functionality: Unlike some platforms that require custom development for similar functionality, draft orders are a native feature of BigCommerce, ready to be used from day one.

The concept of draft orders in BigCommerce offers a streamlined, efficient, and secure way to handle customer interactions and incomplete orders. This native feature can significantly contribute to increased conversion rates and customer satisfaction, making it a compelling reason to consider BigCommerce as your preferred ecommerce platform.

In the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce, understanding such features can help you make informed decisions that benefit your business and your customers. Whether you're migrating from Adobe Commerce or exploring ecommerce platforms for the first time, draft order functionality can be a total game-changer for your business.