The right shipping option or method can make or break your online business. In most cases, eCommerce businesses tend to lose out on valuable customers if the purchase is too costly or even not sent by a preferred carrier. There are many instances where an undue shipping cost is one of the main reasons why customers abandon their shopping cart. By implementing the right kind of add-ons and extensions, online retail businesses can expand the product delivery options for their customers.
Here are some advanced eCommerce shipping solutions and options that you can implement on your online store that will help you sell more and ultimately add to your revenue:
Utilize the Right Add-on Shipping Solutions
In order to woo the right target audience, you can utilize a wide range of add-on solutions in order to streamline different stages of the shipping process. Some of them are:
Shipping Providers: If you are able to choose the right courier providers for your eCommerce store, it can be really helpful. You can perform real-time courier rate calculation according to the weight and customer location.
Process Automation: There are advanced plugins and logistics services that help you to handle various shipping processes automatically, such as email notifications, pick up and drop notifications and others.
Third Party Sync: It is possible to sync with third-party providers in order to manage shipments or customer communication.
Make Fee Calculations According to the Location, Weight and Order Size
Once you have added the plugins, you now would need to calculate the fees related to the shipping of the customer’s orders. The plugins and API help to provide real-time estimates so that you will be able to calculate the additional shipping fees. The following are different ways to calculate shipping rates:
Table Rate Shipping: It is possible to set different shipping rates according to location, the size of shipment, and weight. In this way, it is possible to have the flexibility for configuring the shipping options. Here, it is possible to set up the zones of different shipping locations.
Flat Rate Shipping: In the case of flat rate shipping, the shipping calculation is based according to the cartons that are required. The fees are calculated as per the weight and height of the boxes and cartons.
Per Product Shipping: In this case, the shipping fee is charged for specific items. This is a quite convenient process for eCommerce businesses as you can set up extra fees for some products that need special care.
Add or Remove Shipping Service During Checkout
In order to provide customers with a better online shopping experience, you should provide clear details about the availability and the options of the shipping services to their locations. For example, some products may be restricted to certain nations or regions for delivery, you should mention that clearly so people don’t buy something that can’t be delivered to their destination. may be shipped to multiple nations. Also, there could be instances where customers want to split their order for multiple locations. These services add value to the customer’s buying experience.
These are the ways to manage the situational shipping options on your online store:
Conditional Shipping: In the case of conditional shipping, restrict the selling of products based on a customer’s location, region, or country that are restricted from shipping.
Multiple Address Shipping: In this case, the customer will be allowed to split the order into multiple products/items, so can these can be to different destinations as per the customer’s choice.
Have a Printout of Invoices and Packing Slips
Printed invoices and packing slips are important in order to keep track of the shipments, shipping calculations, and also to maintain transparency. These invoices and shipping labels help you to keep track of the payments and received orders.
Allow Customers for Store Pickup
This is one of the best ways to skip the whole process of shipping. Customers are allowed with the option to pick their order from the local store or any other destination of their choice. However, businesses that offer such services need to have multiple warehouses. These local pickups also reduce the shipment cost for online sellers.
Let Customers Manage their Shipping Options
A great way to woo customers is to let them manage or change their preferred shipping option. Whether they wish to pick it up themselves from the nearest store or warehouse, or they prefer courier shipment, businesses need to cater to the preferences of their buyers.
