There’s a reason that more people are setting up online businesses: there’s more demand. Sure, there’s a whole host of benefits that come hand in hand with operating on the web. You don’t have to worry about renting commercial property, overheads, hiring full-time staff, and protecting your wares from the wider public with CCTV and security. But at the end of the day, new startups sprout where the public has placed demand. So why are more people spending online? Besides the lower prices that can be offered as a result of online companies not having to worry about the aforementioned expenses, the main appeal of shopping online is that customers can shop from the comfort of their own home and have their goods delivered directly to their door. So you need to make sure that you offer and carry out this service impeccably to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction, recognition, recommendations, and increased sales. Here’s how to go about it!
Safe and Secure Packaging
Nowadays, the focus when it comes to packaging tends to be branding. People are trying extremely hard to offer their customers the best unboxing experiences possible. Sure this is a great novelty, but should this really be what we concentrate on? At the end of the day, your packaging can be as pretty as you please, but the customer will still be displeased and demand a refund if they open it and their item is damaged. So, prioritise the security of the contents of your parcel. Make sure that everything is sufficiently protected and, when possible, use natural and biodegradable options such as cardboard packaging nuts and Jiffy green bags.
Reasonable Standard Postage Costs
You need to get your goods from your warehouse or storage space to your customers without dipping into your profits. For small businesses, this means charging for postage. But you still want to keep costs as low as you can. The key to this is packaging your goods according to the guidelines given by your courier. They will have set prices for different sizes of the parcel, so try to keep things as compact as possible. Use online resources to calculate DIM weight and work out what it will cost you to ship each of your items. Set up a postage calculator on your site which will inform your customers of the cheapest standard postage option for their parcel size before they buy!
Have Multiple Shipping Options
While many customers will choose the cheapest delivery options available, it’s always good to have other options available should your client want their goods in a hurry or sent overseas. Sure, it might be more expensive, but people will be happy to pay it if they need their items for a special occasion. So, add next day delivery and international shipping to your list!
While shipping may seem like the endpoint of a transaction, you should bear in mind that it can determine whether a customer keeps the products you’ve sold and if they’ll recommend your company to their friends and family or return to buy again.
