7 Best e-commerce shipping strategies for all businesses

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E-commerce shipping is one of the most significant and most pressing business concerns for e-commerce retailers. Modern consumers are expecting prompt revert while shopping online. They expect the companies they support to send out their orders as quickly.

When it comes to customer loyalty, shipping speeds and costs are more important than ever.

Higher transportation costs hurt your margins, as well as they may push away potential clients who have a significant desire for internet shopping. A bad experience or a high cost could send them to your rivals.

So, what can you do to prevent this from happening? You need to analyze your company’s shipping strategies and find new ways to reduce the expenses. Here are seven best things need to consider:

Calculate dimensional weight

Before we go into all the different policies to reduce your shipping costs, you need to know the dimensional weight of your boxed items. Most of the shipping carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS are using dimensional weight for calculating the shipping rates.

Dimensional weight indicates the density of the package by comparing the volume (length x width x height) to the actual weight of the product package. After comparing the dimensional weight to the actual weight, the carrier charges for shipping are based on whichever is heavier.

Why need to calculate dimensional weight?

Continuously the past few years, shipping carriers charged based on the actual weight of the product package. Online retailers that sold large, lightweight items were not charged for the amount of space they occupied on the truck or plane.

When the carriers realized this was an issue they decided to implement dimensional weight to compensate for those types of items.

Learn more about dimensional and volumetric weight

1. Negotiate with your current carrier

Before you undertake a negotiation battle with your e-commerce shipping carrier, review and do your research. Get familiar with your previous shipping bills to figure out the primary drivers behind outrageous or extra fees.

Take benefit of the provisional lower shipping rates and put the money saved into marketing and sales to ensure you can retain the lower rates long-term.

2.Flat rate strategy

Many shipping agencies have the option to link a flat-rate shipping contract. You can offer flat rate shipping to customers based on item size, item weight, or the total number of items.

Normally, the merchant is charged a standardized fee, regardless of the delivery location and other factors that commonly affect shipping costs. Pay attention though, because some companies will label the flat rates by zones, localities or distance to be covered.

Therefore, you’ll need to study and test different carriers and methods to take benefits of all possible options.

3.Flat rate strategy

Most top shipping service carriers offer packaging equipment such as wrapping rolls, printers, and scales free of cost. Such offers can help you cut down on your packaging rates and make shipping cheaper for the customer.

4.Claim your refunds

Another way to save some extra money is in the on-time shipment guarantees provided by large carriers, including FedEx and Delhivery.

Delays on guaranteed deliveries entitle you to a refund on that delivery, but many such returns go unclaimed. That means businesses like yours are missing out on money they’re owed. Always claim your refund.

5.Get acquainted with your representative

Every major carrier, including FedEx and UPS, have representatives around the country, even in remote and rural areas. These reps are sales agents. They intend to get you to ship as much as possible. The job of these reps is to negotiate rates, answer questions and make the shipping process as comfortable as possible for entrepreneurs.

6.Shop according to your SKU’s

Generally, retails stores allocate a specific number to a product to identify the price, product options and manufacturer of the merchandise. This unique alphanumeric combination is called as Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). They are a valuable option in helping you maintain a profitable e-commerce retail business.

However, the strategies discussed should point you in the right direction and make you more competitive in your market. They’re the ideal begin to enable you to conceptualize approaches to enhance your client benefit and reduce both what you pay and the amount you charge your clients.

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