If you run an online retail business, you know how important shipping is. However, many online retails seem to neglect e-commerce shipping during the holidays.
Shipping isn't just a byproduct of your company, it is a part of the overall online experience you provide and should be viewed as a part of your product.
There are a ton of resources online dedicated to helping e-commerce websites improve their shipping service, and we found five of the best tips for shaping up your shipping game this holiday season. Check them out!
Five E-Commerce Shipping Tips For The Holidays
These tips could seriously help you improve your customers' experience.
Offer Free Shipping
This can be hard for some businesses, and it just plain won't work for some. In order to offer free shipping, you'll have to make sure your margins can cover the cost of shipping.
If you're struggling to offer free shipping, consider restricting free shipping to a minimum value order. For example, if you offer free shipping on your website for orders $50 and up, customers may be more inclined to purchase more items.
Try Automated Shipping
What do you have to lose? Many quality automated shipping software companies will offer free trials for new clients. We do, you can try Shiptheory for free here.
Automated shipping is simply a service that provides flexible shipping rules, a one-stop spot for all of your e-commerce website's shipping labels, email integration, and efficiency when it comes to shipping products.
Consider Your Carriers
A wide selection of delivery services (UPS, Royal Mail, etc.) may be beneficial to your online business.
For example, some of your customers may have a preference or may have had a terrible experience with a particular carrier. This way, they can choose which carrier they'd like.
You can also negotiate prices with multiple carriers to be sure you're not overpaying for their services as well. Why not give it a try?
Verify The Final Dates
You're going to be wrapped up in all the other aspects of your online business during this hectic holiday season, but don't forget to verify final dates.
Confirm the final dates for all shipping options (regular, weekend, overnight) with your shipping provider(s).
Be sure to make it very clear on your sites what these dates are, and add in additional fulfillment time on your part as well. This way, you'll have a lot fewer angry customers.
Stock Up On Shipping Supplies
Be generous! This is the busiest time of year for your e-commerce site, and you'll be shipping out more products than you typically will the rest of the year.
Be sure to have all of the necessary shipping supplies before the craziness starts. By shipping supplies, we mean things like:
- Tape
- Shipping boxes
- Shipping labels
- Eggnog
Don't be afraid to overstock your supplies, the last thing you want to do is run out of boxes with fifteen orders left to fulfill.
Start Shipping!
Were these e-commerce shipping tips helpful for your business this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below!
