E-Commerce Shipping Solutions You Need to Know About As A Business Owner
From 2017-2018, e-commerce sales increased 15 percent and e-commerce require shipping to deliver the right goods, to the right customers, in the right time frame.
What is the ideal time frame? To meet the demands of our impatient world, that typically means the same day.
Choosing the right e-commerce shipping solutions is important to maintain customers loyalty and brand quality. Read on to learn more about how to choose the right e-commerce shipping solution for you.
Choosing the Right E-Commerce Shipping Solution.
Choosing the right e-commerce shipping solutions comes down to choosing one with the right features (shipping processes), support (best e-commerce packaging or warehousing), and pricing to fit the needs of your unique business.
A word on pricing, the earlier you engage an e-commerce shipping company in your brand development the better you are in the long run. Shipping costs can be significant and should be factored into your overall pricing strategy.
With the right shipping company, you can also create a tiered shipping strategy. You can use less expensive product lines to convert to higher-end product lines. Shipping strategies can also help to expand your target market if applied smartly. In essence, are your shipping costs part of the cost of goods sold or a marketing expense, or both?
Shipping options and costs are one of the most often cited reasons for cart abandonment.
Shipping Processes
Regardless of your company size, you should focus as much on your e-commerce shipping solutions you do on all other aspects of your brand.
You should define your processes and policies, up front so both employees and customers know what to expect and what happens when there is a glitch. A high-quality e-commerce shipping company can help you to establish the right processes and policies you.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your E-Commerce Shipping Needs:
- Are you shipping to individuals or retail business accounts? Is there an in-store pickup option in your shipping strategy?
- From where are you shipping?
- To where are you shipping?
- Are packages delivered on a regularly scheduled or delivered on an “on demand” basis?
- What is the size of your product and what is required to deliver it? Shipping to residences can take place via car, SUV or Mini Van, Cargo Van, 24ft Truck, and in some places a bike. Shipping to a business may involve trains, boats, or large shipping trucks.
- Package size and weight influence shipping rates and a small weight or size difference can have a big financial impact.
- Don’t forget to consider your packaging materials. Are your products fragile? Are your customers eco-conscience and prefer less or more environmentally friendly packaging?
- Does the value of your product require insurance?
- What will your shipping label look like and who will print it? Hint: your e-commerce shipping provider can help you with that.
- Do your customers desire tracking? How will you communicate that tracking information, via email, call, or text?
- Do you need support with customs declarations and forms?
- Although everyone focuses on fast delivery, do you require fast delivery using Air Freight?
Is your business unique and require other services? Most shipping companies can handle these needs as well.
Best E-Commerce Packaging
Current trends for small and start-up e-commerce companies is to give their customers a great experience and make them feel part of the brand.
If you are looking to set your brand apart, you might want to consider using concierge or in the shipping industry a “last mile delivery” option. Although free shipping may sound great and is easy to absorb into operating costs it may be better to share the cost of shipping with your customers and provide a higher quality product.
In today’s fast past world, everyone focuses on speed, but what if you need a signature. Would your customers prefer a delivery agent that not only obtains the signature but also has the customer open the package to ensure the package is what was ordered and arrived undamaged?
If your company delivers large packages, would you like delivery to the appropriate room within the house versus the front door? Some e-commerce shipping companies will also remove and dispose of the shipping packaging for the client.
Keep in mind, part of your brand experience is the packaging and the opening of that packaging. Just Google unboxing videos to see the response to good and poor packaging. For a small price, you can brand packages, filler, and closure systems. The cost may be worth it depending on your brand and customer base.
Warehousing
How are you going to handle your inventory? Some e-commerce shipping solutions provide short and long term storage. These companies are also equipped to handle seasonal merchandise handling, just in time inventory, and barcode tracking.
If you are shipping internationally or moving from large pallets to smaller delivery boxes, they can also help with re-packaging at the warehouse and support the necessary record storage.
Be sure to determine if these services are needed to support your shipping needs.
Ready To Conquer All of Your E-Commerce Shipping Needs?
Not all e-commerce shipping solutions are the same and most vary not only by price but also by types and level of services. Be sure to do your homework and compare apples to apples to ensure you get the right solution for your business.
Contact us for an instant quote. If you and your business are mobile, we also offer a mobile app for both apple and android. This allows you to manage all your shipping needs while on the go.
For more detail about our warehousing services go to our site.
