10 Best Practices for Ecommerce Shipping in 2022

The Significance and Definition of E-commerce Shipping

The ecommerce shipping process starts as soon as an order is placed and ends when the order is packed and ready to be shipped to the customer. The ecommerce shipping process can be broken down into three stages.

• Stage one is when the order is received and then checked to make sure everything on the order is in stock.
• Stage 2 is processing the order. Making sure that all the information on the order is correct such as the address where it needs to ship too for example.
• The last stage is the fulfillment of the order. This is when the goods are packed and being prepared to ship to the customer.

It is a good idea to have a sound ecommerce shipping plan because there are many variables that can affect ecommerce shipping. A solid shipping strategy can be the difference between a company that thrives in the long run and one that struggles to keep its doors open. It can also make it much easier to meet your consumer demands.

10 Best Practices For Ecommerce shipping

This article will now look at and discuss 10 different best practices for ecommerce shipping that you could adopt in your own business in 2022.

Being upfront about shipping issues

The worst approach to take when dealing with challenges is to hope that they will go away on their own. If you're experiencing any problems with a customer's order, be upfront about the situation with your customer. Contact your clients and let them know what's happening right away if there are any problems and you think you won't be able to stick to the original delivery date for example. Be open and honest with them about the dilemma, and share the solution you're developing to remedy the problem.

Even though no one enjoys breaking bad news to consumers, being honest with them demonstrates your accountability and concern for their experience. If you're honest about the problem and offer a viable solution, it can make a difference in whether that consumer decides to do business with you again. This best practice might be one of the best ones to consider implementing in your own ecommerce business.

Have different shipping options

A lot of ecommerce businesses have adopted this best practice. Offering more than one option for ecommerce shipping. The three options you normally see is standard shipping, expedited shipping and even sometimes free shipping. Expedited and free shipping are good options to offer than just the normal standard ecommerce shipping. You could also consider looking at international shipping. Whatever shipping methods you offer, it’s a good idea to have more than just one option available to your customers.

Being open about shipping rates

Consider displaying the shipping rates openly and proudly on your ecommerce store, especially for expensive shipping methods. That is a much better idea than keeping it as a surprise for your customer to discover. That way your consumers know exactly what to expect when purchasing items from you.

They might not be very pleased about the shipping rates, but they know where they stand. Instead of hiding it and keeping it as a surprise for your customers and then ultimately damaging your relationship with that client. You always want a customer to return to your ecommerce store and being upfront about things such as shipping rates can get you closer to that goal.

Have a shipping strategy

The best practices involve creating a solid shipping strategy and if it works for your company, adhering to it rigorously. Look at many various variables, such as insurance charges, import/export fees, packaging expenses, etc. to design your shipping strategy that will work for your ecommerce site when selecting a strategy that meets your needs. Combining strategies might also be a good idea to consider, for example, offering free standard shipping and expedited shipping.

The idea of free shipping can pull customers in while some customers would rather pay for a faster shipping method so that they can receive their goods much quicker. It may also persuade a customer who first chose your ecommerce store because it offered free shipping, but later realizes that due to his need for speed, he would be better off paying for expedited shipping instead. When choosing the shipping strategy, you want to employ, be careful because it might be one of the factors that makes your business or breaks it.

Manage your shipping KPIs

Shipping KPIs are unquestionably a recommended best practice that should be put into use. KPIs are key performance indicators. Every business has KPIs, figure out what they are and manage them effectively. KPIs show you where problems can be and things that you can change that may possibly provide better results for your online ecommerce store. KPIs for shipping can be things such as the following:

• A high rate of lost goods may suggest reconsidering your insurance options and possibly including tracking with every order.
• A high percentage of abandoned shopping carts may indicate shipping problems, such as overly high shipping costs or lengthy shipping wait times.
• The quantity of returns may indicate that the customer received a product that was different to their expectations or that they made an impulsive purchase of the item since free delivery was being given.
• Damage of goods can suggest that you may require better packaging alternatives and also need to take a look at the insurance you presently have.

Make monitoring and managing your shipping KPIs a regular thing. Keep an eye on things you can control and adjust accordingly.

Lower shipping costs

Look for areas where you may reduce your ecommerce shipping expenses; for instance, you might want to renegotiate your carrier rates. Your goal is to maintain pleased consumers while not incurring excessive expenses. You can examine a few factors to determine whether you can reduce the shipping costs for your online ecommerce store.

Wherever you can, look for things that are smaller and lighter to sell instead of just having larger and heavier goods that cost more to ship. Consider investigating more cost-effective, favorable packing alternatives. Maybe think about taking the option of using the carrier's own packaging.

Have a dedicated team

Having good customer care should be a factor for every business. Keeping your clients happy means that you’re building a good relationship with them and that they will likely make purchases from you again in the future. That’s also why being transparent about shipping issues is so important. If your ecommerce company needs more than one employee, you should also have a committed team that shares the same values for providing excellent customer service.

The team should take great care to package the things appropriately while maintaining customer care as a high priority. They should be knowledgeable about the costs and price structures associated with ecommerce shipping. A team with strong performance characteristics is one that is committed and puts their best effort forward.

Offer order tracking to your customers

Order tracking is a best practice definitely worth taking a look at. Nobody enjoys making an online purchase and then having to wait for a parcel that never materializes due to a shipping error. Offering order tracking to your ecommerce customers is a good way to combat that.

Order monitoring helps you with your insurance for damaged and lost items and gives your clients more exact information about when to expect their delivery. Additionally, order tracking lessens the likelihood that customers may falsely claim to have received their orders. The client is pleased because they can track their order and are aware of the anticipated delivery time.

Free shipping could be an option

Who doesn't like free shipping? Free shipping can be a good way to pull customers into your ecommerce store. Offering free shipping to customers can be done in various different ways. One of the most popular methods of providing free shipping is to do it with a spending threshold. When the customer spends a certain amount the delivery is free.

Being upfront about expected delivery dates

Customers want to know exactly when they will receive their orders, so be upfront about anticipated delivery dates. The customer may be making a last-minute purchase of a present and needs an exact date to ensure that his product will arrive on time. Make sure the buyer is aware of the projected delivery dates for your ecommerce shipping by emphasizing them on your site.

In closing

Think about how you could use these shipping best practices in your ecommerce store. These shipping best practices improve the efficiency of your company, which in turn helps you establish relationships of trust with your clients.