As an eCommerce business owner, you may initially believe that your platform can handle everything, including logistics, on its own. However, as your business grows, you may encounter operational challenges such as delivery delays, inaccurate shipments, or damaged goods. So, how do you avoid such pitfalls? An all-in-one solution for end-to-end logistics is finding a strategic partner like a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. Such partnerships can also help you focus on other important aspects of your eCommerce operation.
In this article, we will introduce you to the different types of shipping services available and discuss how they can help solve eCommerce shipping bottlenecks.
Defining Shipping and its Role in eCommerce Industry
Shipping, in the traditional sense, is the movement of merchandise from one point to another – from the warehouse to the customer’s destination.
eCommerce shipping differs because of the additional value-added services that need to be included. Typically eCommerce shipping includes receiving and processing orders, collecting the orders from the warehouse, and printing shipping labels before finally shipping them. Although it sounds like a simple, step-by-step process of moving merchandise from point A to point B, it becomes complex because of the moving pieces across the warehouse. For example, day-to-day operations can become complex due to various factors, such as the different types and sizes of products, the specific delivery option for each product, and the chosen region and delivery speed.
Therefore, your business might benefit from outsourcing shipping services to streamline operations. So, let’s look at the various options available for eCommerce businesses to set up a shipping process.
Types of Shipping Services
Successful eCommerce businesses use a combination of shipping methods to ensure they have satisfied customers. Here are some standard shipping industry methods that you can use for your eCommerce platform:
- Standard Shipping: This is the most commonly used shipping option. You can plan to have customer orders delivered within a fixed number of days, like 3-5 days.
- Expedited Shipping: This is a kind of emergency shipping option since it guarantees delivery within 1-3 days. This could be offered at slightly higher prices over standard shipping costs.
- Same-day Shipping: This is one of the high-cost shipping options and should be offered as a premium service. It guarantees delivery on the same day as the day of the order.
- International Shipping: This shipping service can be offered if you have the processes in place, like compliance with international regulations and customs.
- Freight Shipping: This method is offered for large, heavy, or bulky products that require special handling and transportation.
Some non-conventional but experimental shipping strategies include the following:
- In-store pickup: This strategy works if you have outlets across the cities or a network with local business chains, allowing customers to do an in-store pickup.
- Same-day delivery: This strategy is one of the toughest as it needs businesses to deliver on tight deadlines. Such services are possible only with top-performing logistic processes in place. Merchants have found that next-day and two-day deliveries have also transformed their business. Their website ad efficiency is higher, and customer lifetime value and order size have also increased.
- Free shipping: This strategy leads to high customer conversion at checkout. However, the shipping costs have to be absorbed by your business, and your margins should be good enough to cover it.
- Flat rate shipping: This strategy is used to overcome the challenges of free shipping. In this method, you can charge a single shipping rate for all order types, products, and order values.
It should be noted that these innovative shipping methods will depend entirely on your market size and business type.
5 Ways in Which a Shipping Partner Can Transform an eCommerce Business
Partnering with a reliable shipping provider like Shiprocket can transform an eCommerce business in the following ways:
- Streamlined Shipping Process: A shipping partner can provide a streamlined shipping process, from order processing to delivery, that saves time and reduces errors. This helps in better efficiency, improved productivity, and a satisfied customer.
- Access to Multiple Shipping Services: There are multiple shipping services available for eCommerce businesses, such as standard, expedited, and same-day shipping, giving businesses the flexibility to choose the right service for their needs.
- Cost Savings: With the right shipping partner, businesses can become price competitive as shipping costs are at their lowest.
- Improved Shipping Visibility: A shipping partner can provide real-time tracking and shipping updates, enabling businesses to inform their customers about the status of their orders.
- International Shipping Expertise: A shipping partner can provide expertise in international shipping, ensuring compliance with customs regulations and minimising the risk of delays or damage to products.
Growing Your eCommerce Business with Shiprocket’s Shipping Services
Shiprocket is a leading shipping services provider that offers a range of services designed to meet the needs of eCommerce businesses. The advantages of partnering with Shiprocket are:
- Multiple Shipping Options: Shiprocket offers multiple shipping options, including standard, expedited, and same-day shipping, enabling businesses to choose the right service according to their needs.
- Global Reach: Shiprocket offers international shipping services to over 220 countries, giving businesses access to a global customer base.
- Affordable Shipping Rates: Shiprocket offers competitive shipping rates, enabling businesses to save money on shipping costs.
- End-to-end Integration: Shipping solutions by Shiprocket easily integrate with eCommerce marketplaces, be it Shopify or WooCommerce, ensuring businesses have uninterrupted shipping and logistics services as a single platform.
- Shipping Automation: Shiprocket provides shipping automation features that simplify the shipping process and reduce errors, saving businesses time and money.
Conclusion
Shipping is a critical component of any eCommerce business and comes with a lot of challenges. Partnering with reliable shipping providers can transform your shipping operations. By providing streamlined shipping processes, access to multiple shipping services, cost savings, improved shipping visibility, and international shipping expertise, a shipping partner like Shiprocket can help eCommerce businesses grow and succeed. Click here to learn more about Shiprocket’s shipping services.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
You can cut down on warehouse storage, labour costs, and transportation costs by partnering with a third-party shipping provider. This will help bring down the total cost for your business.
When selecting a shipping provider, look for reliability, affordability, flexibility, and expertise. Choose a provider that offers a range of shipping services, has a strong track record of on-time deliveries, and provides real-time tracking and shipping updates.
Yes, a shipping provider with international shipping expertise can help businesses navigate complex customs regulations and minimise the risk of delays or damage to products. Look for a provider with experience in shipping to your target countries.
