12 questions every online store should answer before customers ask

Run an online store for a month and you’ll notice that customers ask the same things. Every unanswered question costs you twice: once in your team’s time, and once when a shopper leaves instead of waiting for a reply.

Here are the twelve questions worth answering on your site today, grouped the way customers think about them, each with a tip for a good answer.

Orders and shipping

1. Where’s my order? Explain where to find tracking, and what “processing” and “shipped” mean in days.
2. How long does shipping take? Give a range for each region you ship to, in business days, plus your order cut-off time.
3. Do you ship to my country? List the countries you ship to, and say plainly where you don’t.
4. Can I change my address or order? Say how long the window is (for example, one hour after ordering) and how to ask.

Returns and problems

5. What’s your returns policy? Give the number of days, the condition items must be in, and who pays for return shipping.
6. Can I return something I’ve used or opened? This one causes the most back-and-forth. Answer it directly.
7. My item arrived damaged. What now? Say what you need (a photo, the order number) and what you’ll do (a replacement or a refund).
8. When will I get my refund? State how long refunds take to show up, and that banks can add a few days.

Products

9. Which size should I get? Link a size guide with measurements, and say whether items run large or small.
10. What is it made of? List materials and care instructions, and flag allergens if they’re relevant.
11. Is it back in stock soon? Explain whether you restock, and offer a back-in-stock email if you can.

Payment

12. Why isn’t my discount code working? List the common reasons (expired, minimum spend, excluded items) and the code’s terms.

Put the answers where people (and AI) can find them

A single, well-organised FAQ or help page works best: one question per heading, answer first, real numbers. If you use an AI agent like Numbat AI, point it at that page and it will answer these twelve questions around the clock. It hands the damaged deliveries and the unusual cases to your team.

Then check which questions still come in. They’re the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth items for your list.