Useful Ecommerce Shipping Tips From the Experts

Online shopping is more popular than ever. As the ecommerce industry continues to boom, it’s essential to know how to ship your products effectively. Once you grasp where your packages are in this delivery process, develop a plan to keep track of progress along the way. This will give you an overview of whether your company provides satisfactory service or if improvements need to be made.

For Ecommerce businesses, putting an effective e-commerce shipping strategy in place is one of the most critical steps of any online business. There are many facets to creating a comprehensive shipping strategy, but these tips from experts will give you an excellent head start.

Ecommerce Shipping Best Practices

Ecommerce shipping tips are essential for successful ecommerce businesses. Learn about the best practices for ecommerce shipping, how to choose suitable options and what should be considered when utilizing an outsourced provider.

1. Streamline Your Order Handling Processes

Make use of technology to streamline the ecommerce shipping process and save time and money. If you have a cardboard box erector on site this can be a money saver, but if you don’t have one, then outsource this process. A method that works well for many retailers is to provide customers with a pre-paid shippingto drop off their boxes and packing materials at the local shipping company’s facility.

Also, make sure you have a sound inventory system in place to make sure your shipments go out quickly and correctly. An inventory management system lets you see what’s in stock, how many orders are waiting to be shipped, and which items need to be re-stocked. With this information at your fingertips, you’ll get an accurate picture of where your company is losing money through shipping delays or mishandled packages that lead to returns or dissatisfied customers.

2. Know Your Shippers and Choose Wisely

While you might not insist that your customers use a particular shipping service, it is in your best interest to make sure you work with the best carriers and the most cost-effective services available to meet your customer’s needs. Start by identifying which shipper offers the best solution for each product category (i.e., ground vs. two-day air, residential vs. commercial). And remember, sometimes offering customers an additional option can drive sales without increasing costs, such as expanding from standard ground delivery methods into expedited shipping options like next day air or three-day.

3. Track Your Packages: Keep Customers Informed

A critical component of an effective ecommerce shipping strategy is tracking packages from receipt until it reaches their destination safely each step along the way so customers can know where their package is and how soon it will arrive. Customers can decide to shop with a company quickly, but they need to understand that they will be delivered as promised.

Moreover, a customer’s shipping experience should not end when they place their order; it should continue throughout delivery with quick and accurate updates on where their package is in the process. Therefore, your ecommerce platform must offer immediate access to each carrier’s tracking systems so you can provide accurate information while keeping your customer informed every step of the way.

4. Have a Good Return Policy: Keep Your Customers Happy

No matter how well you package and ship your products, mistakes happen. You can’t control if it gets damaged or misplaced by the carrier. If the appearance of your product is somehow compromised (i.e., dented, crushed), then even if it functions as it should, some customers will return their purchase for a new one that looks new. Having an excellent ecommerce shipping strategy means making returns easy for your customers; otherwise, they may shop somewhere else next time around where replacing a product with a similar-looking one isn’t much trouble.

Did you know that as much as 30% of online orders are returned? So it’s essential to make sure you have a robust and consistent return policy in place. This is best established on your website, not through email or phone conversations with customers; those may result in contradictory and confusing information for both parties involved (and ultimately hurt your customer service). And remember: if your company provides free shipping on returns, be ready for this increase in volume – and be aware of the associated costs.

5. Ship in Eco-Friendly Packaging

Your customers will appreciate it – and your ecommerce platform needs to make it easy for them to do so. There are different packaging materials but offering eco-friendly shipping options means letting customers choose from a wide variety of products, colors, and sizes – not limiting their choices because the only box that fits their item is made from non-biodegradable or toxic materials.

If you want your business to succeed in the long run, consider what kind of packaging you’re using; alternatively, look into how many resources went into creating your company’s packages (i.e., how much energy was used during the creation process). You’ll probably find that having 100% biodegradable or recyclable packaging is likely the better choice in the long run.

6. Insure Your Shipments

If you haven’t already, consider purchasing shipping insurance for each of your packages – mainly if it contains items that can easily break or get damaged (such as food and glassware). And make sure to charge customers the appropriate amount depending on their order value; it’s not fair to expect them to pay an extra $5 for insurance if their purchase is only $30. Also, remember that depending on where you ship your items, you may need additional endorsements such as “Merchandise Insurance Not Available,” — so keep this in mind when insuring your shipments.

By ecommerce shipping insurance, you’ll have a little extra financial security if your company is liable for damage or loss – or if customers refuse packages due to undisclosed damage.

The bottom line is that the easiest way to improve your shipping process and customer service while reducing costs is through a comprehensive ecommerce platform. By choosing one with an integrated solution for multiple carriers and customizable options specific to your business needs, you will ensure a streamlined delivery process from start to finish.