Ecommerce shipping and delivery plays an essential role in the success of a business. After a customer has made an online order, they expect to receive the right products and on time. Improving your shipping experience increases customer satisfaction by getting products to customers safer and faster. In this article, we’ll highlight five tips to improve eCommerce shipping.
Provide an Estimated Date and Time of Arrival
Most online shoppers look for the estimated delivery date at checkout or, better yet, a guaranteed delivery date. While providing an estimated shipping date may seem obvious, it’s still a feature that is overlooked by many online stores.
Not including an estimated delivery date allows shoppers to shop elsewhere. Remember to list the date and time of arrival next to each shipping option on your website’s checkout page. The easiest way to do this is to display the number of days each method takes along with the fulfillment speed. This gives customers the best idea of how long it will take for the product to get to their destination.
Offer a Variety of Shipping Options
It is evident that all customers love choice, and no two clients are the same. For this reason, eCommerce logistics should offer multiple shipping options. While some people may want to receive their items as fast as possible regardless of the shipping cost, others are in no hurry. Retailers that provide a variety of delivery options attract many customers.
Being able to offer several shipping options means you can meet as many requests as possible. Fortunately, a reliable carrier service can meet these needs without causing unnecessary hitches to th
e business. Knowing the location of the customer is a vital part of the delivery process. Use software that calculates the estimated time/date of arrival before sending an automated email to your client.
Free Shipping
Free shipping is one of the most common delivery expectations from customers who shop online. Most eCommerce companies offer free shipping to customers who’ve spent over a certain amount of money. Free shipping boosts sales and increases traffic. So, provide free shipping to purchases that exceed your average order value.
Offer Order Tracking Options
Consumers are more patient when retailers provide tracking information after ordering. That is why customers should offer a variety of tracking options. Order tracking shows that the shipment is with the carrier, and customers can plan for their deliveries in advance. A customer can see the location of their package and follow the entire shipping process.
In case of any delays, the customer can see their package’s location without having to request a status update. Provide your customers with links to a tracking page. Remember to include details such as the estimated delivery date, customer care contacts, and other important information.
Delivery Notifications
Customers become impatient when they don’t know when they’ll receive their items. Not sending a shipping notification email may cause inconveniences. In addition to the notifications from retailers, as a logistics company, offer personal email notifications. It is better to double up on the messages than to fail to send one at all. Simply put, both the retailers and carriers should send emails to their customers.
Emails and SMS notifications can explain expected delivery dates and inform customers of the progress of their orders. It is a convenient, online business solution that reduces uncertainty and satisfies customers.
Contact PortCity
Shipping transparency is vital for an eCommerce business. Customers want to know where their items are every step of the way, so giving them ample information keeps them informed of how/when their product will reach them. If your business needs more tips to improve eCommerce shipping, contact our expert team and begin implementing new practices to your shipping and fulfillment today.