October 30, 2026 · 7 min read
Every online shop gets the same handful of questions, over and over. They usually come at the worst moment: right before someone decides to buy. Answer quickly and clearly, and the sale often goes through. Leave it, and the tab closes.
Here are the six kinds of questions we see most, and how to be ready for each one.
1. “Is it in stock?”
Sounds simple, but it hides other questions too: in my size? in this colour? will it still be there tomorrow?
How to be ready: keep stock up to date in WooCommerce, including for each variation. If you’re often out of a popular size, say on the product page when it’s expected back.
In the chat: WP Smart Bot answers stock questions from your synced store data, so the answer matches what your store actually has.
2. “Will it fit me?” and “Is it right for me?”
This is the question behind most returns. Shoppers want to know about fit, size, material, compatibility, or whether a product suits their skin or their device.
How to be ready:
- Add a size guide, and link to it from every product that needs one.
- Describe fit in plain words: “runs small, size up”, “relaxed fit”.
- Mention what the product works with and what it doesn’t.
A chatbot can only repeat what you’ve written, so the more honest your descriptions are, the better its answers will be.
3. “How much is delivery, and when will it arrive?”
Delivery cost and timing is often the last thing someone checks before paying. Surprises at checkout are a common reason people leave.
How to be ready: keep one clear Shipping page with costs, areas and typical delivery times. Avoid promising exact dates you can’t keep. Ranges like “2–4 working days” are safer and still useful.
4. “Can I return it?”
People are much more willing to buy when they know they can change their mind.
How to be ready: write your returns policy in plain language. Who pays for return shipping? How long do they have? How long does a refund take? Answer those three things and most questions go away.
5. “Do you have something cheaper / bigger / in blue?”
These are good questions. The shopper is already interested and just needs a nudge towards the right product.
In the chat: this is where product cards help. Instead of a list of links, WP Smart Bot shows matching products right in the conversation, with image, price and stock. For simple in-stock products there’s an Add to cart button, so the shopper never leaves the chat. Prices on the cards come from your store, never from the AI.
Similar items can appear under the card as “You may also like”, which is often how one item becomes two.
6. “Something isn’t working at checkout”
A postcode the form won’t accept. A coupon that doesn’t apply. A payment that fails. These are the most expensive questions, because the shopper has already decided to buy.
How to be ready: go through your own checkout every few weeks, on a phone, as a guest. You’ll be surprised what you find.
In the chat: with Proactive chat switched on, WP Smart Bot can offer help when checkout looks stuck, with a short message like: “If something isn’t working at checkout, tell me and I’ll help.” On phones it shows a small bubble instead of opening the chat, and if a shopper closes it, it stays quiet for 24 hours.
And the one that isn’t a question: “Can I talk to someone?”
Some shoppers simply want a person, especially for bigger orders or anything unusual. That’s fine, and you should make it easy.
With WP Smart Bot, “Talk to a human” sends the chat to your team’s inbox. While they wait, the AI keeps helping. When nobody is online, the bot collects their name, email and WhatsApp number, so you can pick it up in the morning instead of losing them.
Turning this into a simple checklist
You don’t need to do all of this at once. Start here:
- Shipping page: costs, areas, delivery times.
- Returns page: who pays, how long, how fast the refund is.
- Size or fit guide for the products that need one.
- Honest product descriptions: what it is, who it’s for, what it works with.
- A test checkout on your phone this week.
Once those exist, an AI assistant can answer from them at any hour, and you’ll spend your time on the conversations that really need you.
Want to see how it looks in a real store? Try the demo store or see the WooCommerce features.