10 Actionable Practices for Successful E-Commerce Shipping
If you run a business through e-commerce services, shipping is likely one of your biggest concerns. Unlike offline transactions, shipping in online sales is so important that it can’t be emphasized enough. If your brand sells products through a D2C model rather than an online open market site, you need an even sharper strategy to stay competitive. Let’s look at a few concrete practices that can help you reduce shipping costs as much as possible while still keeping customers satisfied.
Source: glamour
If you run a business through e-commerce services, shipping is likely one of your biggest concerns. Unlike offline transactions, the importance of shipping in online sales can’t be emphasized enough. If your brand sells products through a D2C model rather than an online open market site, you need an even sharper strategy to stay competitive. Let’s look at a few concrete practices that can help you reduce shipping costs as much as possible while still keeping customers satisfied.
What Is the Hot ‘D2C’ Marketing Approach These Days?
The Importance of ‘Shipping’ in E-Commerce
Source: thedieline
Why is shipping important for online sellers? Simply because customers care about shipping! Great products, low prices, and convenient service are all important factors in a purchase decision, but what ultimately gets the product into the customer’s hands is shipping.
It’s important to think about the purchase process from the customer’s perspective. Online shoppers are extremely sensitive to shipping fees. According to a survey, 45% of consumers have added products they genuinely wanted to their cart but abandoned the purchase because free shipping wasn’t available. Another 52% said they have added items to their cart just to meet the free-shipping threshold, and 56% said they were willing to pay shipping fees if the total was still lower than elsewhere even after adding shipping.
Since shipping has such a major influence on purchase decisions, sellers need to establish a careful strategy so the customer experience remains satisfying all the way through.
For Safe, High-Quality Parcel Delivery
How to Succeed with Product Shipping in Online Sales
From the warehouse to the customer’s home, from the moment they start considering a purchase to the moment they actually unbox it, we’ve gathered only the tips you can put into practice right away to keep expectations and satisfaction from dropping.
1. Use the Right Packaging Materials
Source: thedieline
Using a sturdy, high-quality box is essential. Above all, it’s important to consider what kind of product is being shipped. If the item is relatively prone to deformation or damage, use cushioning materials such as bubble wrap to protect it safely. No matter how good the product is, if it arrives damaged, the customer won’t have a satisfying buying experience.
The Relationship Between Packaging and Conversion Rate
How Should Products for Parcel Delivery Be Packaged?
2. Apply Labels Accurately and Neatly
Source: creativemarket
It’s important to attach labels and invoices with the sender’s and recipient’s addresses and other information filled out accurately. To address concerns about customer privacy, the packaging should also make it easy to remove address information when the box is discarded. But during the shipping process, labels must be firmly and neatly attached so they never get lost or damaged under any circumstances.
3. Offer a Variety of Shipping Options
Source: wix
It’s best to let customers choose a shipping method based on their needs. Basic options, expanded options, and international shipping can all be part of the menu. If customers can select shipping themselves, they can choose the option that fits their situation best and feel more convenience. This also ties into brand satisfaction.
How Should You Start International Shipping?
4. Use Shipping Tracking Services
Source: shippingeasy
Most shipping companies now offer real-time tracking, but there are slight differences between providers. We recommend choosing a company that offers the kind of tracking service that makes it easiest for customers to check where their products are.
5. Communicate Directly with Customers
Source: xross-connect
There are countless ways to communicate with customers online. You can use the bulletin board on your website or sales page, a KakaoTalk channel, or even a dedicated messenger service set up separately on your website. Email and phone are still good options too. In general, it’s best to keep as many contact channels open as possible, and especially for shipping, help customers resolve questions in real time whenever you can. Unexplained shipping delays can become a major source of frustration and stress.
6. Provide Clear and Fast Exchanges and Refunds
Source: airlines
Exchange and refund policies should be established as clearly as possible in advance so there’s no room for misunderstanding. In particular, when exchange and refund procedures are quick and easy, customer satisfaction and trust in the seller rise significantly. So set up the most efficient exchange/refund process you can.
7. Continuously Gather Feedback on Shipping Procedures
Source: showbie
Regularly check whether the shipping process on your website is running smoothly. And if needed, identify improvements and keep refining it. It can also help to ask purchasing customers for feedback through surveys about the product and the overall shipping experience. Just as delivering items in a safe package matters, so does delivering them quickly.
8. Get Shipping Insurance
Source: zajo.net
No matter how careful you are, unexpected situations can happen. It’s a good idea to take out shipping insurance in advance to prepare for those cases. It can help prevent major business losses if products are lost or damaged.
9. Offer Free Shipping
Source: thedieline
This may be a somewhat bold move. But consider that some consumers filter products by “free shipping” only when searching. Offering free shipping can capture consumer attention and greatly reduce the time customers spend hesitating during the online purchase process.
10. Use Custom Packaging
thedieline
Using custom packaging tailored to your product and brand can have a much more positive effect than shipping in standard boxes. Customers will feel as if they’ve received a pleasant gift when the parcel arrives, and that feeling also influences their satisfaction with the product itself. A custom box using the right size and materials is also excellent for protecting the contents.
The Real Benefits of Custom Packaging
If You’re Tired of Overthinking Every Detail
There are practically endless things to consider when it comes to shipping. In particular, how to package a product and what kind of box to put it in can feel like a highly specialized field. From package design to production, discover a variety of options suitable not only for domestic shipping but also international shipping at Packative.