Business owners consider shipping as something that either makes or breaks the customer’s order. If they see that the shipping fee is too expensive for them, it drives them to abandon their orders at once. However, if they see options which include their preferred shipping method, then they will check out their orders. Read on and learn about the top 5 eCommerce shipping options that you need to know about.

Sellers find ways to prevent their customers from abandoning their carts. One of those includes improving the strategies they implement when it comes to shipping. Most sellers incorporate extensions, add-ons that aid in the expansion of their business. It may feature additional shipping methods, payment options, and even express or standard shipping.

What are the best eCommerce shipping options available?

In order for your eCommerce business to continue flourishing, some of those include local pick-ups, bulk shipping, or even same-day shipping. To understand more, here are some of the best shipping options for your eCommerce business.

Free shipping or total cart abandonment?

Nowadays, you will see free shipping in almost all of the online stores that you see. Most customers prefer that the online stores they visit offer free shipping. Else, this leads to total cart abandonment and they may never return again.

Does your online store offer free shipping? How do you plan on incorporating free shipping in your business? What could be the best way to ship eCommerce products?

The majority of customers are more than willing to pay for shipping as long as their orders are handled safely and securely. Moreover, if you inform them about expedited shipping, they might explicitly express their interest in availing that option hence, it will be alright with them to spend their money. Considering this option, you’ll generate more leads and these will possibly convert to sales.

However, do remember you’re running a business. You will lose profit if you continue on offering free shipping without including higher margins on your prices. Make sure that your items are correctly priced to offset the cost incurred.

Be definite about the shipping options

Keeping customers informed is important. When you include various shipping options in your business, you need to make sure that you inform them about these options. Show how much it will cost them if they choose this shipping method and how long they will wait before they get their orders. Do know that when you ship their orders faster, your customers will feel that you value them and you provide them with the best service possible.

On the other hand, free shipping may mean longer waiting periods for the customers. Remember that you inform them of this as well. Leave no details behind. When you mention that free shipping will mean that the waiting period will be around 5 to 7 business days, customers may get enticed to choose the paid or express shipping.

Know where to ship the products

If your business has been in the industry for so long, know that part of the best ways to ship eCommerce products lies in knowing the delivery address. Sellers give estimates for the cost and duration of shipping.

As business owners, you need to consider different options especially if you cater to different provinces or cities in the same state. You may negotiate with shipping companies in order to get the best rate for your case.

Incorporate a system in your online store that will let your customers put in their location data. Then, your customers will be able to get estimates accurately depending on the area they placed. Some sellers use third party fulfillment services and this will be one of the main things you need to ponder.

Weight

Before packaging the products, you determine the weight and dimensions of the item. When the majority of the packages you will ship weigh below 2 kg, then you will find it easy to obtain rates better than a parcel that weighs around 200 kg.

Remember to document your products with the details that describe the product weight, from the lightest to heaviest. Now, if the majority of your products possess uniform weight and dimensions, you may speak with the shipping partner if they could offer you a flat rate. Therefore, you adjust the costs depending on where your customers are.

Modify your packaging

In order to continuously captivate your customers, you need to mix it up a little especially when it comes to your packaging. These days, more and more people support sustainability and more environment-friendly products and packaging. This differentiates you from the sellers who have not started using eco-friendly packaging in their business. Hence, it’s another item among the list of eCommerce shipping options you need to know about.

Adapting to what your customers want paves the way for customer loyalty and retention. It sparks curiosity among your customers. Some of the ideas that you can incorporate into this would be subscription boxes. Your customers will feel energized when they see something peculiar in their mailboxes.

Competition never goes away when it comes to business. Sellers need to innovate and think of other ways to gain the edge from their competitors; that is the key to your success!

Conclusion

A lot of sellers think of ways on how they will be able to gain competitive advantage in their niche. Customer retention begins when customers place an order on your store. However, some sellers fail to reinforce their strategies to retain the customers after the sale. That includes thinking about eCommerce shipping options.

For first time sellers, don’t be afraid of arranging shipping policies or partnering with courier companies. When sellers fail to see the importance of shipping arrangements, they fail their customers too. Hence, your competitors will be more aggressive with their tactics.

Be mindful of how your customers react to your shop. Check if your shipping process is easy to understand and the customers won’t be encountering so many steps. If you’re unsure with the best eCommerce shipping options, give us an email or call us!