Hello, I would like to seek advice from those who have experience in managing online shops regarding what actions should be taken when a product is temporarily out of stock.
The dilemma is that if we indicate "Out of stock" on the product page, potential customers who came through a search engine might close the page without browsing further, and those who came through the online store might not bother checking the product page. This could negatively impact the website's performance as well as reduce the number of views and time spent on the website.

On the other hand, if we don't indicate that the product is out of stock, customers may place an order only to be told later that the product is unavailable. This often leads to negative reviews and discussions on social networks. Are there any alternative solutions to this problem? Thank you in advance for your response.

You almost suggested a solution yourself: instead of simply stating that the product is out of stock, provide the customer with alternative options without involving a manager. This tactic is commonly used for older products when there is still traffic to the webpage.

By offering similar products immediately after indicating that the desired product is unavailable, customers are more likely to consider an alternative. If the alternative products are also priced more attractively, then customers may be even more interested. It may be useful to list the prices of the alternative products alongside one another to capture the customer's attention, but that is a separate matter.

you can sign for goods that are "out of stock" that they are "not enough, find out from the manager", and the manager already informs him that the last one was taken away 15 minutes ago, but there are such and such analogues. Also, in the card, under "little" you can add "related products" or "analogues". In this case, you somehow warned that the product may not be available when ordering.

Great job on the outlet, take a look at the bottom of this page: https://hard.rozetka.com.ua/ua/hdd/c80084/21753=red/. This approach was explained somewhere and has proven effective - creating an email database. It's also a valuable method for understanding product demand.

Instead of stating "Out of stock," we can indicate "Price to be determined." If a visitor requires the product, they can call, and the manager can either suggest an alternative or order the product specifically for them. This method works particularly well for scarce products.