You decide on the products you want to sell online. The next step is to create an online store. You can choose to sell on a marketplace or create your own store from scratch. Once you do this, you decide your target audience and finally step into eCommerce. However, one last thing remains- choosing a courier company and forming a strategy on how to improve shipping process.
eCommerce shipping is one of the most essential elements of an online business. It can make or break your business. It is that part of your order fulfillment process which helps a business grow and create an impression with the customer.
Shipping is the process responsible for delivering your products to your customer’s doorstep. Until that happens, the journey of your eCommerce business lies incomplete. But merely partnering with a courier company to deliver your products isn’t enough. You need to dive into the nuances and figure out how to improve shipping process for your online business.
This is because, in today’s world, shipping is one of the biggest differentiators in the market. Brands are creating experiences with their customers, all with their shipping process. Moreover, customer expectations are evolving, pushing businesses to figure out ways on how to improve shipping process.
A Brief Case Study of Amazon
Take Amazon as an example. One of the critical strategies of the eCommerce giant has been to reach out to the customers through its shipping. Alternatively, the brand creates an experience for the customer through the eCommerce shipping process. It has a separate priority shipping facility that helps you receive the products in the least amount of time. Moreover, when it comes to groceries and essential suppliers, Amazon also offers two-hour deliveries to the customers.
While it might seem like an ordinary business task, it is, in fact, impacting the demands of the customer. Today, the customer expects a similar kind of experience from other businesses. Regardless of the business size, sellers have to be prepared to provide such a shipping experience.
As a result of this, online sellers have to form strategies around how to improve shipping process. They can no longer choose to suffice with week-long delivery options. In case they pay no attention to this, they will make their business suffer and find no chance to compete with eCommerce giants.
But it isn’t as difficult as it seems. With 3PL logistics companies helping out small sellers, the task has become a tad easier. We’ll talk about this in the later sections, so hold on until then! However, if you’re still not convinced by the fact that shipping can have an impact on your business, take a look below.
Why Pay Attention to Shipping?
In simple terms, shipping can make or break your business. It can take you from where you are to where you want to be with your customers. For this reason, it is crucial to figure out ways on how to improve shipping process for your online business.
Maximize Your Reach
Shipping helps an online business maximize its reach to the customers. You can reach out to far off places with your products if your shipping provider is willing to deliver to those locations. This way, you don’t have to put effort into physically taking your business anywhere. Just partner with a shipping provider like Dash101 and reach out to customers over 26000+ Pin codes.
Create the First Impression
Creating the first impression is fundamental for growing your business. And shipping helps you do that. Remember that the customer doesn’t get to see your products physically when they purchase from your store. However, when they receive it at their doorsteps, it creates an experience. The look and feel of the package can say a lot about your brand. Therefore focus on how to improve the shipping process.
Create an Experience
Creating an experience for your customer helps you turn them into loyal fanbase for your brand. With shipping, you can do so. Shipping can help you make an experience with your customer that they remember for a long. Always remember that word of mouth is the most popular form of marketing and enables you to gain a competitive edge. It helps you earn a reputation in the market as well. When you provide your customers with expedited delivery and securely packaged products, you create ane experience with them.
Represent Your Brand
Ultimately, shipping represents your brand. If you are one of those sellers who promises their customers fast delivery but delivers the products a month later, you might earn a bad reputation. Alternatively, if you say that you’ll provide in days and actually make the product reach your customer’s doorstep in 2, it creates a positive reputation for your brand. For this reason, you must pay attention to your shipping partner that can help you with ways on how to improve shipping process.
Improving Your Shipping Process
Improving your shipping process can be one of the best ways to improve your overall business. If you were still stuck on the question of how to improve your shipping process, your wait is finally over. Check out some fantastic tips and strategies below-
Partner with a Trusted Courier Platform
A courier platform can make all the difference to your eCommerce business. It can help you improve on all the factors we discussed previously. Right from helping you maximize your reach to providing your customers with an experience and more. The right shipping platform can help you sort your woes on how to improve your shipping process.
Additionally, it can also help you gain deeper insights into your business and figure out the areas of improvement in your shipping. Dash101 is a complete shipping solution that enables you to achieve all of this at the closest costs. It optimizes your sipping process and helps you create an experience at the lowest rates ever.
Provide Options for Faster Delivery
Providing options for faster delivery is yet another way of improving your shipping process. Customers these days want their products to be delivered at lightning-fast speeds. And while it’s no fault of yours, you still have to compete in the market. Therefore, provide your customers with expedited shipping options such as one-day delivery.
You may charge your customers extra or incorporate the cost of your product. This entirely depends upon the strategy you’re adopting. Make sure you make this a highlight of your store. This is because customers will be instantly attracted to this feature. Alternatively, tie-up with a shipping partner that helps you deliver faster at the lowest speeds.
Clearly Mention Your Shipping Costs
Shipping costs can have a massive impact on your online business. Most customers abandon their carts because they meet unexpected shipping costs during the checkout. This creates a negative experience for your customers. As a result of this, they leave their carts and move onto your competitor. To avoid such issues, you must mention your shipping costs clearly. Here are the two strategies you can adopt-
Incorporate shipping costs in the products
You can choose to incorporate the shipping costs in your products. This depends on your profit margins ad product costs. Break down your product rates into multiple segments and add shipping costs if it doesn’t create much difference to the pricing. But, make sure that you keep a check on your customer’s pricing as well.
Mention them on your product page
If you can’t add shipping costs to your products, mention them on your product page. This way, the customers will come to know that you are charging a certain amount for shipping at an early stage of tier purchase. Moreover, you can keep a threshold of order, after which shipping is free for the customer. It all depends on your business model.
Pay Attention to the Delivery Timeframe
The delivery timeframe must be paid attention to in your online business. You can’t promise 2-day shipping for your customers all over the nation. This would raise your customers’ expectations and put your business in a difficult situation. Understand how long does it take for your courier partner to deliver to different locations across the country.
Based on these, create a delivery timeframe. Most courier partners provide a timeframe based on the zone of delivery. Therefore, ask your customers to enter their pin code before you suggest them with a delivery timeframe. This is a good strategy on how to improve the shipping process. Remember, it is always good to be realistic before your customer.
Provide Tracking Information
Once the customer places the order, they want to know about the status of their product. Most customers love to track the movement of their products. It keeps them in check of their order. As a business, you must make sure to provide your customers with tracking information. If possible, integrate your delivery partner’s API on your sales platform. This way, your customer will be able to track the product from your store. Alternatively, you can ask your delivery partner to drop an SMS to the customer with the details of the tracking information.
Conclusion
eCommerce shipping can help you take off with your business in several ways. It can fulfill your dream of a successful online business with a good reputation. But, instead of worrying about how to improve the shipping process, you must start taking action. Begin by partnering with a logistics platform like Dash 101 that will put an end to your shipping woes. Moreover, you get to ship at the lowest costs starting at RS 23 per 500 grams with 7+ courier partners. Let us know in the comments section below if you’re looking forward to creating an outstanding experience with your shipping.
