You aspired to set up an eCommerce store, you have a great product line-up, and you succeeded without any hassle. Great! But wait, have you finalized your shipping strategy yet? Because that’s what powers your business, improves branding and most importantly, doubles the profit margins. Being a new-age eCommerce seller, you can’t get away with anything mediocre if you want to gratify your clients. You have to make sure that your logistics game is on point, always.
So whether you are a beginner or an experienced eCommerce seller, you will find this article helpful in growing your online business. Here’s presenting an ultimate guide to eCommerce Shipping. Read on:
Understand The Customer’s Mindset
As a matter of fact, setting up an eCommerce store is relatively easy, the real struggle starts when you realize that the product needs to reach your customer on time. We are living in the era of instant gratification, where customers have plenty of options to shop and get their products delivered a day after placing the order. Hence, as an online retailer, you should first aim to establish your shipping process and make sure the strategy that you are making is customer-centric.
A fool-proof shipping strategy includes choosing the best carrier partners, proper packaging and right division of shipping cost between the customer and the courier company. Above all, you need to make a policy guide and post it on your website, so that a potential client can go through your company’s shipping norms smoothly.
Determine a Customer-Friendly Shipping Policy
About 80% of online buyers focus upon shipping charges, free delivery benefits and delivery time before considering any shopping site. Ideal shipping policy is one that fits into the requirement of the company and its customers. Thus, whenever you start drafting your policy, ask these important questions to yourself:
Shipping Cost — Will it be beneficial if you offer to ship on a flat rate or a variable fee or completely Free? Well, as per industry trends, most sellers promote free shipping or flat rate threshold. It benefits their business and keeps the customer’s mind sorted. In case the cost of shipping varies from product to product, the customer will only be able to see the actual price after the checkout process.
Delivery Timeline — One thing that makes a customer step back from an eCommerce platform, is the delay in order delivery. So while creating the policy, decide how long will it take for your customers to get their packages. Will you be offering the next day, same day or any other express delivery option? Remember, timely delivery impacts your business positively, and you should take it into consideration while creating the shipping policy. Also, in case your company sells perishable products, it’s essential that you deliver them on time.
Courier Partners & International Shipping Facility — It is essential to choose the right courier partner for your eCommerce business. With plenty of options available in the market, you can first figure out the pros and cons of each service provider and then decide which one is best for your business. On the other hand, it will be highly beneficial for your eCommerce business if you provide international shipping facility to your customers. It will eventually drive more potential leads to your website.
Get Everything On App — To grow your business to next level, you can’t overlook the importance of a well-structured mobile application. We are living in an era where everything is just a swipe away. Mobile apps are no less than our rescuers, whenever we need to act immediately upon something. Hence, getting every detail of your product and its shipping on a mobile app will help your customer track their orders on-the-go. You can also opt for regular SMS, emails and push notification services to keep the momentum of your business going.
Packaging & Material — It is necessary to choose the right packaging for your products so that the item arrives in perfect condition to one’s doorstep. The material used in packaging plays an important role. Using a sturdy material (padded envelopes & poly mailers) elevates your product’s packaging, helping you get some brownie points from your customer.
Happy Selling, Happier Shipping!
