Understanding Your Shipping Options
Now, it seems to me that many businesses and online sellers tend to make one significant mistake when they think about shipping. I Suspect they approach it with an all or nothing attitude. And they sort of latch on to one method, one rate, and run with it across their entire business.
After all, isn’t it easier this way. I’m guilty of that too sometimes. I think if there’s one thing that’s quite important when it comes to sending packages, it’s understanding that you can have a couple of shipping options in place for your customers.
And that could mean standard shipping and express shipping. It could also mean courier or pickup at a nearby location and cash on delivery. You might want to offer scheduled delivery if you have the bandwidth to do so.
Then there are the really nitty-gritty things like tracking codes and insurance which can make all the difference for those expensive orders. I suppose there’s no reason why we can’t let our customers choose based on their preferences in each individual order. Especially if they’re paying for the delivery as well. But then there is potentially the question of profit margins and whether or not offering such a variety would impact your bottom line negatively or not.
It’s why brands like ASOS and Amazon have standardised shipping rates based on country so that shoppers don’t abandon their cart at checkout due to prohibitively high costs (they also offer free delivery if you meet a certain spend threshold). That’s definitely something I’ve noticed becoming more popular among smaller retailers too in recent years. There are a few ways around finding the perfect option for your business - you could try packaging your products together into bundles that are easier to ship or you could add a slightly higher handling fee to all orders so that you’re always in the green even if a customer chooses the most expensive option available to them (but goes with standard delivery most times). At the end of the day, we’re all after happy deliveries that result in five star reviews and repeat customers so I suppose it pays to stay ahead of things and adapt as we grow as businesses.
Streamlining Your Packing Process
For some reason, shipping a parcel to a customer is thought of as a really easy process. Maybe it’s because of all the cool videos on YouTube and Instagram showing people putting together an order for their online store. But, in reality, there’s lots going on behind the scenes before you send off your products to a customer - one of them being packaging. Most people are pretty unaware of how much goes into preparing your products for shipment.
It’s not just about wrapping things in paper, putting it into a box and then taping it shut. There’s plenty to consider before the actual packing starts. Like, what kind of packaging is best for my products. How do I make my parcels stand out.
Is eco-friendly the way to go or should I focus on functional packaging. More or less. Is there such a thing as overprotecting my products.
Do I need more than one type of packaging for all my products. The questions are seemingly endless and can sometimes be overwhelming. The way I see it, this is especially true if you’re just starting out with your online business or if you’re introducing new products to your store.
But streamlining your packing process does not have to be complicated - it can be really simple if you plan out everything in advance.
Utilizing Technology for Efficient Tracking
People think technology is a failsafe when it comes to parcels. Sort of. It’s not. A misconception is that someone can order from a website, get their tracking number and that’s the only thing one needs to do to make sure something reaches the final destination.
And, hopefully, this doesn’t come as a surprise, but parcel tracking is a shared responsibility between buyer and seller and shippers - even with all the high-tech in the world. Tracking shipments in real time is great. And yet - there are some customers who say their packages are lost even when they’ve reached their doorsteps (there’s security camera footage and everything.
). In such cases, companies rely on technology like live tracking data to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that an item was delivered where it should have been. It helps companies clarify any disputes with people who may not realise their package has already reached them or by securing proof of delivery for those that require it.
The way I see it, package theft is evidently becoming increasingly common and shippers now offer notifications for pickups, drop-offs and more so senders as well as recipients know exactly where an item is and when. Some companies allow customers to get their items delivered at convenient times rather than just showing up at 11 am on a Tuesday when everyone is away at work or school or wherever. Being present means no more lost packages because it just arrived after someone left for the day. Getting something shipped overseas.
Some things might get stuck at customs depending on the country of origin or destination, others might have delays because of strikes or natural disasters but tracking information lets everyone stay updated about whether a package will arrive late - which is infinitely better than wondering if it was lost forever at sea (or something).
Choosing the Right Carrier for Your Needs
It seems like a lot of people think picking the best carrier is about cost, but that's not entirely true. I Suppose sure, price matters. But there are many more considerations you have to make.
Sort of. And honestly, price sometimes feels like the last thing to check - after you've looked at all the rest. You'd be surprised how often people overlook location and frequency of delivery.
Where you are in Australia - or where your customers are - will directly impact how well a carrier can serve you. While most people focus on the benefits of having a carrier that does a daily pickup, I think it's also important to consider carriers who can work with the unique needs of your business and help solve problems. Some businesses might want to minimise their carbon footprint as much as possible, so opting for eco-friendly couriers like Sendle or CouriersPlease may be best for them.
If you're shipping high value items, security should be a priority, so stick to reputable carriers who offer tracking and insurance options on every order. And there's no perfect answer either. In my experience, choosing a carrier depends on your goals. Do you want speed.
Do you want reliability. Is sustainability important to you. Or do you just want peace of mind that your parcels will always arrive in one piece. I say pick what matters most to you and use that as your guide for choosing a carrier that fits those needs.
Tips for Reducing Shipping Costs
Most small businesses I know have mixed feelings about the shipping and returns process. Plenty of them hate it. Because, well, it can get expensive. And even if you’re able to bear the costs for a short period of time, they quickly add up and can seemingly end up eating into your margins.
You also don’t want to keep cutting costs because it might lead to lower quality or customer dissatisfaction. Instead, offer flat rate shipping or discounted shipping depending on how many products a customer purchases. Based on my observations, customers are happy to pay some sort of standard fee for delivery as long as there’s no minimum purchase clause attached to their orders.
In fact, giving them the autonomy of purchasing less without having to worry about an expensive delivery fee makes them want to come back more often. Now, let’s talk about the other side of it — from your vendor’s perspective. Most courier partners offer different rates and fees depending on your parcel dimensions and weight. By getting accurate measurements or fitting products in smaller boxes, you’ll reduce weight-related costs and packaging volume.
Here’s where the complexity comes in though — sometimes you’ll find yourself spending a little more on packaging but save on larger shipping fees in the long run because smaller parcels lead to cheaper rates with couriers. Eventually, it all comes down to what fits your business goals best but creating a transparent process with what you want vs what your customers would expect is a helpful place to start. If your budget can bear it, opt for free shipping when possible and use these other methods if not.
Enhancing Customer Communication During Delivery
Staying in touch with customers during the delivery process is a bit of a pickle. It seems like most people think that communicating thoroughly is always beneficial, but if you're not providing clear information or being transparent about the process, the impact of communication becomes fairly limited. It doesn't help anyone if they're left wondering exactly what's happening with their order because of an unclear or vague message. Customer communication boils down to three key elements - timing, method and content.
It's like trying to have a text conversation in person, but occasionally throwing in a random word every now and then - it's not going to be effective or efficient at all. Customers want communication that's clear-cut, straightforward and tells them exactly what they want to know. Sometimes this might be as simple as telling them there will be a delay due to bad weather or letting them know when their package has been successfully delivered.
This might sound complicated, and that's because it is. People tend to use technology to keep their customers up-to-date on deliveries, which is great - but only if you can keep up with it yourself. If you don't feel like you can stay on top of chats and emails, maybe opt for something simple like tracking links instead.
It's also important to keep other stakeholders in the loop too (like the recipient of the delivery or anyone else who needs to know). It's tempting to look at customer communication as another item on your list that you can complete using a piece of software, but that's not how it works. You can't automate every message or only send out ones when things go awry; it's crucial that you strike a balance between keeping the customer updated and allowing your delivery partner to do what they're so good at doing - delivering parcels.