You might have the most sophisticated system in the world to generate a sale, increase the production of your goods, market your product, etc. but it all comes down to a big pile of orders to label and ship. For this, you need shipping software solutions to get those orders labeled and out of your inventory. Different companies have different needs for their shipping procedure, so there’s no single shipping solution that is objectively better than the others. Let’s breakdown this toll i.e. Shipping software and understanding the 6 considerations for your eCommerce business.
What is shipping software?
Shipping programs are software solutions that amalgamates your E-commerce platform to provide real and reliable shipping calculations for your products. In addition to that, they also let you purchase and print shipping labels through your computer.
They are typically available as subscriptions, wherein you will have to pay a monthly fee to make use of the software.
Why should you use shipping software?
Shipping software that will make the fulfillment process seamless for any business is a must. Using an e-commerce shipping software essential as it lets you manage the entire process- from order entry to tracking the delivery of packages. Good internet-based shipping software is not only convenient to use but also streamlines your fulfillment procedure.
Accurate real-time shipping rates
Shipping solutions partner up with popular and trustworthy carriers to provide accurate shipping calculations. The rates generated by them are based on specific variables like product weight, dimensions, and the address of the customer.
Find shipping options
These softwares don’t just calculate shipping costs. In addition to that, they present a wide range of shipping options that you can choose from. These options may range from different speeds, different carriers, different priorities.
Discounted shipping rates
Most shipping solutions have established relationships with large carriers. Quite often, they make arrangements with these carriers to offer reduced shipping rates.
Buying and printing Shipping labels
You can save yourself the trouble of waiting in line at the post office. Shipping software lets you purchase and print shipping labels from your computer itself.
How to find a good shipping software?
Now that you’re well aware of why you need shipping software. Next, you need to know what to look for while choosing software for your e-commerce business. An ideal shipping software meets your needs and makes shipping easier. As you’re looking for a shipping solution, look out for these key features:
Integrations
Find a shipping software that has a robust list of integrations to several platforms so your operations will be well-oiled and connected to the machine
Vast Printing Options
Check if you can print hundreds of shipping labels and packing slips with just one link. If you manually print a single-digit number of packing slips or shipping labels, then the shipping Solution does not meet the needs of your business.
Tempting Shipping Discounts
We are already well aware of the discounts available from the right shipping solution. Find the most palatable discount offers that will act as an added bonus for your business
Ability to Customize Labels according to your needs
A good shipping solution should offer the liberty to customize labels. You can add your company’s logo and contact information or details about the package to the label.
Return shipments
Returns continue to remain a thorny area for sellers. Finding a web-based shipping software that can print return shipping labels and process returns in general, this will be a great benefit to your business.
Reporting Tools
Check if they have an option anywhere you can view the summary of your shipments to check the insights and patterns that you follow. With this, you can find out where you ship the most and how much your shipments precisely cost.
List of a few Shipping software
Shippo
It is quite easy to set up and use. It offers features and functionalities that most small businesses are always looking for in a web-based shipping platform. However, the best highlight of Shippo is its pay-as-you-go pricing model. This allows merchants to ship up to 200 orders and avoid paying monthly fees.
Shippo is integrated with companies like USPS and DHL. They also offer discounted shipping rates.
Shipping Easy
Living up to its name ShippingEasy provides a user-friendly, web-based shipping solution. It is the perfect shipping solution for small to medium-sized businesses. It is free if you ship less than 50 orders per month. Automated labeling and tracking are included. If you’re looking to save money, substantial USPS discounts are included.
Ordoro
Since Ordoro is web-based, it does not require any sort of installation. Their interface is quite minimalistic and very easy to navigate. It gives it’s users advanced analytics and reporting features. It is a suitable option for small to large scale businesses, especially those who ship a high volume of orders. Ordoro is the best choice for merchants who favor drop-shipping and inventory management.
ShipStation
Compared to the other shipping solutions, Shipstation is competitively priced, that is fairly convenient to use. ShipStation has a lot of great features like- automated tagging and shipping rules, custom view. Like other shipping solutions. ShipStation also offers USPS discounts. It is integrated with most platforms, and for the one’s it is not already linked to, they have a custom integration option.
Now that you have understood the importance of this tool; it’s important to know that there are a lot of additional benefits to incorporating a shipping solution into your current fulfillment service.
Your one-stop shipping solution is Dash101, a Shop101 product. The logistics aggregator cater to every kind of shipping need. Whether small or large businesses, Dash101 covers it all. It ships across 27000+ pin codes across India with 8+ courier integrations and other high-end features for a cost-effective solution. When you sign up with Dash101, you are charged with no added commitment fee. So, easily integrate Dash101 with your eCommerce website and ship hassle-free. Shipping starts at Rs.23/500 gms.
