Beginner’s Guide for eCommerce Shipping

Taking chances in the world of eCommerce requires some serious work, especially if you and your team are starting from the ground up with nothing but patience, determination, and self-education as your only arsenal in this thriving business.

From thinking of a catchy business name to selecting shipping logistics that resolves your pain points, knowing the twists and turns of the industry is among the recipe for success as you work your way to the top.

Without any hesitations, let’s now begin the walkthrough. Shall we?

Important shipping pointers to familiarize:

Mind your packaging!

Mistakes are unavoidable for newbies in online selling, and it often happens when packing your items for pickup or delivery.

However, repetitive errors in your preparation will lead to unscanned shipments, affecting the presupposed ETA. This will likely result in an unsatisfactory experience for your customers due to delays that could’ve been prevented.

Take note of the following shipping musts when prepping your packages:

• Use a sturdy box with the right size for your items.
• Always use a shipment label with the standard size of 4” x 6”.
• Whether it’s a box, kraft mail, or polybag, put internal cushions inside the packaging to minimize further damage while in transit. This is especially applicable when shipping fragile items.
• When using poly bags and kraft mails for small, lightweight items, make sure to place the shipment label correctly and without covering it with tape.
• Stick the shipment label in the largest and flattest part of your package instead of placing it between creases.

If you want detailed information on Stallion’s shipping tricks, you can visit our Foolproof Ways to Prepare Your Packages: A Comprehensive Guide blog post for more. Another helpful resource is the Stallion FAQ for international shipments’ dimensions and weight limits.

Research on prohibited items for the country you’d like to ship to

What else could be a letdown than items that cannot be delivered to the country you’d want to send them to? 

Avoid this by looking for carriers that ship within your target country and their checklist of prohibited items to avoid possible mishaps. Then it’s the only time to assess your factors for consideration such as the estimated delivery dates, costs, and their offered postage types to get this done smoothly.

Visit APC Postal Logistics, PostNL, and our U.S. partner carriers’ list as your quick reference guide for prohibited goods.

Return service is your friend for wrong orders

Another case of unexpected mishaps happens when you ship the wrong goods in exchange for what your customers expect for their orders. Of course, that can be frustrating for both you and the buyer.

Good thing, the easiest way to turn the situation around is through returns service. You’ll retain your buyer’s trust with the U.S. and Canada Returns as you replace the item with false specifications with the correct ones, just as your customers expect it.

Consider integration for your online store

Integrating your eCommerce store with your reliable shipping platform not only saves you time but also increases your efficiency. 

We provide a store integration feature for eCommerce marketplaces used by Canadian online sellers. Before you jumpstart into importing your shipments, here are the following online store integrations we can accommodate for your Stallion account:

• Amazon
• eBay
• Etsy
• Shopify

Experience seamless connection and receive low rates as you manage and customize shipments by having all the tools you need within your account.

Safeguard your shipments

Breaks, bumps, dents—you name it. There are times when, unfortunately, the packages are either damaged or worse, get completely lost in transit. While this uneventful case is usually out of our control, a wise eCommerce seller is one step ahead among their fellow merchants by securing shipments with an add-on to cover a specific amount of expenses spent on packages. Thus, making shipment insurance is not to be underestimated for its purpose.

In contrast to what some of you might assume, an in-house shipment coverage like Stallion Protection starts at $0.39 for domestic and U.S. shipping, while your $0.99 can already cover a hundred-dollar package for international packages, with both services offering a maximum of $300 threshold. That’s a total deal, isn’t it?

Check out our Stallion Protection at a Glance blog post for extra resources on how our team commits to providing full coverage protection for Canadian eCommerce sellers. 

Know the supplies at hand

Identifying which packing supplies will be mostly used for your goods is something every eCommerce seller should pay attention to—not only for cost-efficiency purposes but also due to the lasting impression you provide to your customers as they receive their most-awaited parcel.

It’s a huge factor for your customers to acknowledge how you take time to prep items with care and your sense of urgency to have the shipments delivered as early as possible. That’s just among the few aspects where customer loyalty comes in and as an online seller, it’s something you have to consistently establish for your buyers. 

However, running out of supplies is a different story. Anticipate day or week-long promos by stocking up shipping supplies to not run out of some essentials. Most importantly, choose a shipping service that accommodates your supply needs.

If you don’t know where to start, you can learn through a video tutorial how to place your supplies order or simply seek customer support whenever you need assistance. 

Save time and $$$ by knowing the estimated rates

It’s inevitable for your customers to ask how much shipping rates cost for the delivered package. Good thing, you can easily help them determine the total estimated price using a shipping calculator. 

You simply need to know the country of destination and zip code, weight, package type, and shipment dimensions if needed along with the shipping origin. 

But if you’ve already signed up as a Stallion user, you can also get shipping estimates on the New Shipment tab located at the right side of your dashboard. The steps are closely similar with the ones above as you’ll have to input the personal details of the recipient including the address, item description, and dimensions.

A friendly Stallion tip: Declare the correct shipment value and description to avoid the pitfalls of your Stallion account’s immediate suspension or being penalized by the U.S. customs.

However, please note that shown rates are subject to price adjustments once reassessed by our partner carriers. Additional details on this topic can be found right at this Stallion FAQ page. 

Increase on shipping rates & VAT, customs, and postage adjustments

Stay on top of VAT increases and shipping price surge updates of your chosen carrier to prevent transaction issues.

Let’s just say you’re selling to international countries, particularly in Europe. Take into consideration that complying with the EU’s VAT implementation will result in a smoother and more simplified tax and customer transaction journey. But if you’d rather opt out to collect VAT for your buyer, be sure to inform them of the process so they won’t be surprised by any unexpected fees upon the receipt of their shipment.

In terms of customs, you’ll need to secure proper documentation that you can get straight from the postal office if you’re shipping outside Canada. Going through this procedure will prevent shipping delays as your package falls under the customs’ hands.

Lastly, postage adjustments are implemented by the shipping carrier themselves as it guarantees a far more accurate calculation through re-weighing and re-measuring your shipments. Steer clear of the hitch by entering the dimensional weight correctly instead of just the package’s actual weight. 

Refer to this Stallion FAQs on postage adjustments and other carrier fees to get more insight. 

Conclusion

When it comes to the logistics aspect of your enterprise, partner with a trusted shipping service that offers a range of low-cost, premium rates that likely matches your budget while still keeping up with the expected delivery times.

Stallion Express guarantees a complete shipping solution and streamlined service in just one platform. No wonder start-up online businesses owners continuously choose us in forgoing high-priced shipping charges and slow delivery times by switching with us.

Reach out to our customer support team at [email protected] or call our toll-free line at 877-863-7447 for assistance before signing up for a free account.

Diana Zheng

Diana leads the growth marketing initiatives at Stallion Express. As a personal trainer turned digital marketer, Diana is obsessed with equipping eCommerce entrepreneurs with everything they need to scale their online businesses. You can catch her doing yoga or hitting the tennis courts in her spare time.