Order information is displayed in a similar fashion across most shop solutions. As you can see in the screenshot below, each row represents an individual order with the related ‘order information’ shown in columns.
The order can be displayed in two views: a short version with basic order info for quick reference or an expanded view with full order details such as products ordered, postage costs, payment method, order status and delivery address.
It is important that you regularly check the status of your orders and process them accurately and quickly. Many ecommerce solutions will automatically send you an email when a new order is received and some will even text or fax you. You can then view the full order and begin to process it on behalf of the customer. Most online shop solutions will allow you to mark an order with a variety of tags so you can track the current order status, like: Incomplete, Saved, Pending, Paid, Shipped, Backorder, Pre-order, Dropshipped, Complete, Cancelled.
ORDER MESSAGES
Shopping carts produce a number of automated messages when a customer places an order and these can be personalised to improve your customer service. The messages are used to reassure customers about some of the more complex aspects of buying online such as payment, security and delivery information.
The most powerful of these messages is the email auto-response generated when an order is placed. This message immediately confirms to the customer that an order has been placed successfully and gives important information on delivery or querying the order (if need be). Remember, the customer will now be focused on when they are going to receive their goods, so give them the information and the thanks they deserve.
Order messages can often be a bit hidden away in some solutions, so a good check is to actually buy some items off your own site and see what messages are generated. You will then know exactly what messages you need to track down and customise. In the example below you can see that the standard order message is setup in the ecommerce solution's Secure Payments configuration area.
