What does Apple do when launching a new phone? Or how does Sony generate hype and demand for its games? They allowed eager shoppers to place pre-orders on products they aspire to have.According to Scalefast, pre-order campaigns can get brands 28% of the total sales on the first day of the launch. And 50% of pre-order shoppers are new visitors to sites.There’s no doubt about the success of pre-order strategies. Especially for high-ticket items such as electronics. But with so much competition in the electronics market, pre-orders not done right, could mean a waste of precious resources.So, the question is: how can electronics stores use pre-order campaigns to ensure sales on high-ticket items?You’ll learn that in this blog.

When can electronics businesses set up pre-order in Shopify stores?

Pre-order campaigns are good for electronics stores. But it’s important to be selective when to use it.Consumers love excitement. And if you offer pre-orders too often, it will come across as something regular. Their enthusiasm will wear off.Here’s when we recommend setting up pre-orders on your electronics store:

1. To launch a new product

In 2013, when Sony offered Playstation 4 - their then-new console - for pre-orders, they secured over 1.5 million pre-orders worldwide.We know Sony is a big brand and this achievement must’ve been easier for them. But smaller brands and Shopify stores can run pre-order campaigns, too, to launch a new product.Here’s how, and some points to consider:

• When you’re launching an exciting, innovative new electronics product, plan a pre-order strategy
• Add a pre-order button on your Shopify store product page much before the launch
• Time your launch date strategically
• Make sure the release date is not too far away because shoppers might not want to wait for too long
• Conversely, if the release date is too close, shoppers might just wait it out till the product is available on the site and buy it then

Pro tip: Make your new product worth pre-ordering. No one’s going to be excited about a regular product. Also, time your release date strategically - for example, around a festival, etc. to make the most of it.Here’s an example from Apple:

2. To promote limited edition or special edition electronics items

Just like when launching a new product, if you’re going to offer a limited edition or special edition item on your Shopify store, it’s a good time to bring in pre-orders.Microsoft has recently launched pre-orders for a limited edition Halo Infinite X Box Series X. And we’re talking about it because there are many takeaways from their pre-order strategy.Takeaways:

• The launch celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Halo series
• The brand created hype around the game before its launch
• And they made it worth the wait by launching a product that matches its hype

Consumers love novelty. They also love exclusivity. And so, if your Shopify store is going to bring a rare, niche item, you can use the opportunity to appeal to consumers’ psychology.Some tips to go about pre-orders for limited edition items:

• Plan the pre-order campaign much in advance so that you can build anticipation
• Let customers know, through marketing campaigns, the demand for the item, how exclusive it is because only a few people will have it
• Let shoppers know that they might not get another chance to buy this item once the editions get sold out
• Create hype around the item and tell shoppers why it’s a must have product

3. To launch a big promotion or discount on an existing electronics item

Electronics items are high-ticket in nature. They’re pretty expensive. Consumers will not purchase every item that electronics brands produce. They spend cautiously because they want the best. At times, they might not have the budget to buy an expensive electronic product.But what if you offer a discount?It’s a fantastic opportunity for you to run pre-order campaigns.Here’s what to do:

• Choose one or a few high-value items to offer at discount
• Make use of the data collected from the product pages - which shoppers browsed it, which shoppers abandoned the item in their carts, and which shoppers showed high purchase intent. Plan personalized marketing strategies to target these shoppers
• Add FOMO to your promotions and discounts by making the deal time-sensitive or for a limited number of customers only. For example, the first 20 customers get 20% off

4. To update a sold-out product

What if a high-value item gets sold out on your Shopify store? Should you let go off the sales opportunity because it stocked out?Not at all!If you know that you’re going to restock an item that is selling out fast or an item which is limited stock, you can add the pre-order button on that product page.You can use a Shopify pre-order app to automate this process. The app will bring up the pre-order button in real-time, as soon as the item gets sold out.By automating the pre-order feature on your Shopify store, you can:

• Retain high-purchase intent shoppers who would have otherwise left your site without making a purchase
• Assess the demand of the stocked-out item and accordingly restock it

5. To launch a new electronics business into the market

Starting a new business or entering a new market is not a walk in the park. There’s a lot of anxiety, doubts, what-ifs and should I or should I not, that make business decisions tough.And so, when you’re about to launch a new electronics Shopify store, you can test the waters with the help of a pre-order campaign.Use the pre-order strategy to:

• Understand consumers’ interest in your store/products
• Anticipate popularity before the actual launch
• Get a sense of the need and demand for your business/products
• Create interest and hype

Here’s how a pre-order strategy can help you understand all the above:When you allow shoppers to pre-order, you can assess all the above, based on the number of pre-orders that you receive. If the pre-orders are not as expected, you could change your strategy or products accordingly.Let’s say, for example, a few products on your store do not receive any pre-orders, it would be best for you to exclude those from your Shopify store. Instead, focus on products that are promising based on the number of pre-orders.Now that we know when you should use pre-orders for your Shopify store, let’s look at how you can make pre-orders bring results.

How to make pre-order campaigns a success for your Shopify store?

Now, just because you have a pre-order app and a pre-order button on your Shopify store, it doesn’t mean shoppers will come thronging to place orders. You’ll have to make pre-orders interesting and enticing enough for visitors to convert.

1. Add offers to pre-orders and make them irresistible

Whether you’re targeting new shoppers or old customers, make the pre-orders exciting for them. You can do so by making offers that they might find value in and cannot resist. Let’s say you give them an extra discount, a gift or other rewards (credit points to your existing customers).Here’s an example:

2. Add FOMO

Bring emotions into play. Bring in FOMO (fear of missing out). When something’s good and scarce, we humans fear missing out on it. You can add these emotions to your pre-orders for high-value electronics. Make them available for a limited time only or offer only a limited number.

3. Promote pre-orders across channels

Your pre-order feature may be available only on your Shopify store. However, you can promote it on your other channels - social media, paid online ads, web push notifications, SMS, etc. 54% of social media users say that social media ads have a huge impact on their buying behavior. You can reach potential customers for your high-value items through paid social media ads.

4. Run email campaigns to promote Shopify pre-orders

If you already have an established business, you might have an email list and data from your past customers. You can create an email campaign especially for your pre-order strategy. Let your shoppers know about the item available for pre-order via emails. Create hype and a story around your product to nudge shoppers to buy.

5. Focus on the build-up

As mentioned earlier, nearly 30% of the sales for pre-orders happen on day one of the launches of the products. But there’s a lot that has to be done that leads to a successful launch day.

• Create a plan for your pre-order strategy
• Involve all your teams in the pre-order campaign
• Add the necessary pre-order tools and apps to your Shopify store
• Train the relevant teams and provide them access to the necessary data
• Create pre-order marketing plans and campaigns
• Stay agile and flexible, monitor the performance and make necessary changes

Should you have a pre-order app in your Shopify electronics store?

With so much competition in the electronics market, running a pre-order campaign can be a blessing. It can help you assess the demand for your high-value items, secure sales before a product is launched in the market, and much more.So yes, you must definitely have a Shopify pre-order app in your store. It can help you automate your campaigns so you can focus on other strategic aspects of your business. But remember, the competition is high and so you’ll have to put in efforts to make your pre-order strategies stand out. Time to get creative!