Being an owner and manager of any type of business usually means long hours, stress and a lot of hard work to achieve what you have put in front of yourself as a goal. This is truer if you are an eCommerce business owner and the biggest reason for headaches you will have will be shipping issues.
Now every business is specific and no one is the seam, but when it comes to eCommerce the bulk of problems will fall into the shipping department. You can make a great site, you can offer a plethora of goods and services, you can even have great discounts and store visitations but if you do not out in line your shipping it will all fall through very fast.
Since we are in the age of tech and since we can pretty much order anything and have it arrived at our doorstep, we have to think about this aspect of business as the most important one and we have to treat it like that. For all you new or ventured eCommerce business men and women to escape these issues we have put this article that will tell you what are the most common eCommerce shipping problems and we will try to put in advice on how you can avoid or remedy it. To do just that you should also check out fulfillbot.com and see if it is the answer to your problems.
In business, the best thing to do is avoid issues if you can because making them right after they have appeared means you will suffer losses and eventually your business will suffer as well.
1. Shipping companies
One of the biggest issues you will tackle here is which company to choose when it comes to shipping your goods. There is more than one option to choose from and all of them differ in certain cases – price, shipping time, shipping area and many others. This is a particular minefield that you have to navigate very smartly and you have to make the best decision you can. It is always advised to do the research and to ask around, especially with shipping companies or options you have lined out. Always know what they can and can’t do, where they can and can’t deliver and if we might add always have more than one option when it comes to this. It will often be a problem or unavailability with a certain company and it is a good thing to have others as a backup just in case. This way your business goes fluently and you don’t have to suffer a backlash from your customers.
2. The cost of shipping
Another thing that may damage your reputation and lead to cancelled orders is the cost of shipping. We love to buy stuff and if we can get them for low prices, we love that even more. What an average customer hates is buying a trinket for, let’s say $10, and having to pay $5 for shipping. That is absurd and most of your customers will opt to not proceed with the order. We know that shipping prices can be a nuance especially if you are just starting out and if you are very limited with who is shipping your goods. To negate any cancelled orders or to be as transparent as possible, always familiarize your customers with the shipping prices. Have them displayed all the time and let them see what they are paying for. If you can’t try and get them to order more things by having bulk shipping with lower prices if that is possible. We believe that it will levitate a lot your job and their pain for a bit higher shipping expense.
3. Overseas shipping
This is a segment that torments many eCommerce business owners. If your goods and products are good and if your store operates well it is a very likely thing that you will be seen and heard about round the world. This means that you have to deal with shipping outside your area or your country and potentially ship something to the other side of the globe. This is a logistical nightmare that will both be difficult to pull and will cost a lot. The best way to negate any bad things that might come from this is to hire a reputable shipping company that has a lot of experience with these and that has some sort of security or insurance and have them deliver. You will also have to regulate the price of shipping accordingly or you can take on yourself, to some extent if it is possible, to have your customers remain satisfied and loyal.
4. Free shipping
If there is anything customers love more than a free product it is a free shipping service. Now, this might sound intimidating, especially to those that are just starting their eCommerce business, but if you have the option or at least a bit overhead on the price of your product try to offer free shipping on certain things. Most that want to get on their customer’s good sides offer free shipping for several products and with this move fall into a financial pitfall. It is not always financially feasible to do this but there are certainly some products or goods in your inventory that your margin will allow to lower for you to ship that for free.
5. Tracking systems
Another thing that has taken over the entire customer base is knowing where your shipment is at any point in time. This is a neat feature that can increase your professionalism and make you seem like a real business that has its customers in mind. These features are easy to integrate and they come as either a standard or add-on feature with most companies. The only thing you will have to do is watch out for the price because sometimes package tracking has to be paid sometimes it is free. It all depends on you and the shipping company. The best advice here, that we can give you if you can integrate package tracking, but if you have to charge for it have it be visible because there is nothing customers hate more is a hidden expense, they weren’t aware of.
