Businesses usually put a lot of effort into making the ultimate customer experience remarkable. Ecommerce shipping sounds like a simple term, but it requires a lot of backend tasks to accomplish. A good shipping strategy is a vital part of your business. In this process, a customer experiences your products personally. No wonder smooth shipping solutions for ecommerce represent a significant expense for a company. This article will walk you through comprehensive shipping solutions for ecommerce you should know for your business.
Knowing Ecommerce Shipping
Speaking of ecommerce, it’s the process of purchasing products online. The customer purchases products online from any retail store. A product is then delivered to the customer’s destination. This whole process is known as an ecommerce business.
The latter process of delivering goods to the ultimate destination is known as ecommerce shipping. Shipping encompasses all the services related to the product’s transport, packaging, and insurance.
This process is not simple, but it passes through different phases to deliver the order. Using the right tools or systems could make shipping manageable and fast.
Ecommerce Shipping: Flourishing Than Ever Before
Online shopping has become a norm in our lives. Even businesses are shifting their brick and mortar to online retail stores. The world of ecommerce has risen, and fierce competition has taken place on a global scale. Millions of brands are launching every year to stay ahead of the competition. With more shopping choices, the expectations of the shoppers also grew. To meet the expectation of the customers, businesses are finding ways to make their customers happy every time. This is why ecommerce is shaping up as the next big industry in the business world.
Moreover, supply chain issues like delayed shipments and port congestions have increased carrier costs. This issue has caused major trouble in the ecommerce world. To meet the customers’ demand, businesses are partnering with reliable sources to cope with this ongoing issue.
Best Shipping Solutions for Ecommerce You Should Use in 2023
Choosing the right ecommerce shipping tool is not a complex method. You need to read the review and testimonials to get a clear idea about the tool. The right shipping tools ensure access to the best carriers and great discounts.
Easyship
This shipping tool is one of the best choices for overall shipping solutions for ecommerce. It offers the best user interface and ships from all the major platforms. It integrates well with all inventory platforms. Offers branded tracking options. Also, with affordable services, this tool is a frequent choice for the businesses.
ShipStation
If you want to go premium with your shipping solutions, ShipStation is a tool. It integrates well with all the carriers and makes getting quotes quickly. It is a powerful tool as large shipping carriers offer big discounts which sounds great. Also the quote features are super quick. If your business has a volume, this tool is for you. It offers different plans and it starts from $9.99.
ShipBob
This tool is amazing if you want hassle free shipping for your business. It handles all your shipment solutions till the order is fulfilled. ShipBob enables online store retailers to ship their products in bulk to ShipBob’s warehouse. It covers all the operations from picking, packing, routing and even managing returns.
ShipWorks
If your business has a volume and manages a large number of shipments every month, ShipWorks really works! This tool simplifies yet streamline all your shipping processes. It best works for large ecommerce businesses. That’s why they are a costly shipping solution on the list .
Best Shipping Methods
There are no specific strategies that fit all the shipping solutions for ecommerce. Every shipping strategy is determined based on the customer’s need, product, budget and other factors. Though offering fast and affordable shipping options attracts shoppers. This move also minimizes cart abandonment. Less cart abandonment means attracting more conversions and leads. Here are the three best ecommerce shipping strategies you should use for your business.
Two-Day Shipping
This strategy of offering two-day shipping has satisfied millions of online shoppers. It is one of the highly demanded shipping solutions for ecommerce at the moment. This strategy has first implemented by Amazon Prime and became a significant part of online shopping. Big heads usually offer this shipping in ecommerce; who can afford this. However, there are opportunities for other businesses to apply this in their business model.
Same Day Delivery
This type of delivery comes with a pricey tag. This shipping guarantees to deliver products on the same day. There is a group of customers who are willing to pay more for express delivery. To deliver the product on time, businesses use proper resources, partners and technology.
Overnight Shipping
This ecommerce shipping ensures that a customer will receive their order on the next working day.
Eco-Friendly Shipping
During and even after the pandemic, people’s preferences for receiving orders has shifted. People want to receive their orders which are eco-friendly and packed in biodegradable packaging. Or the packaging could be used for other purposes too.
Ecommerce Shipping Costs
Calculating shipping costs depends on various factors. It includes the product’s value, destination, shipping type, carrier, weight & dimensions. With the proper planning and strategy, you can make your shipping solutions cost-effective.
Weight & Dimensions
Almost every shipping carrier sets shipping prices using the DIM technique. This technique calculates the shipping cost according to the package size. Size is determined by measuring the weight and dimensions of the package. Shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS and others calculate on whichever is higher.
Handling Costs
Handling cost is a part of the overall shipping cost. These costs cover labor, inventory movements, loading, labeling and all other fulfillment operations.
Shipping Zones
Shipping zones are a common term used for ecommerce shipping solutions. These zones measure the distance between the product’s origin to its destination. Carriers use shipping zones to evaluate the costs.
Packaging and Marketing
Gone are the days when it was a matter of only receiving products after online shopping. People used to feel excited about receiving the parcel on time, which was enough for them. Now, as the world of ecommerce has grown exponentially, so have customers’ expectations too. Now people want more than just to receive a parcel; they want to experience their buying journey.
For businesses, it’s now more than just selling and delivering. To deliver the product to the ultimate customer, brands are going beyond to impress customers. They are not just providing the product but the experience.
The presentation speaks loud about your brand and how you value your customers. It’s an impressive way to attract customers as well as retain them. Some brands attach a ‘Thank You note on the packaging, while some make the unboxing experience great. In the world of social media, people usually post unboxing videos. Businesses must consider this to offer customized or impressive packaging. Though such packaging is pricey, businesses are good at accommodating prices differently.
Insurance
Insurance and tracking are reasonably affordable. Most ecommerce shipping businesses offer protection/recourse if one of your products is lost or damaged. Insurance acts as a shield no matter what you sell or your product’s value. Some shipping service providers offer complimentary coverage on a certain amount of shipping.
Ecommerce Shipping Best Practices
Some best practices your business needs to use to amplify your shipping solutions for ecommerce.
- Make an offer. In that offer, put a purchase limit to avail free shipping. For instance, for every $50 spent, get free delivery on your order.
- Offer different shipping methods and options. It will reduce cart abandonment and streamline the shipping process.
- For businesses who want to expand their customer base, offer international shipping.
- Offer free shipping in off-peak seasons to attract customers. Peak season comes with shipping challenges. It is better to avoid taking the risk of free shipping during peak season.
- Use multi-carrier shipping software. It will save delivery costs and provide additional alternatives to your consumers.
Make Your Business Outstand Shipping Solutions
Meeting customer’s expectations is not more than a challenge for the business. How to ship products is an important aspect of an ecommerce business. Your shipping solutions for ecommerce should not only satisfy your business needs but your customer’s too. Offering tracking facility, insurance and different shipping options will give customers ease of mind.
Featured Image: Cloudways
