How to ship eCommerce products is an essential aspect of your business. Not only is it how you get your product in the hands of your customers, but it also impacts your bottom line. Read more for helpful tips.
How to Ship eCommerce Products | FlagShip Canada
How to Ship eCommerce Products | FlagShip Canada
You have the product. You have the website. You have the customers too. But you don’t have your shipping process down.
Your eCommerce shipping solution needs to get to your customers in the way that works for them, at a cost that works for your profit margins. It is what makes developing a shipping strategy so essential.
Building an eCommerce shipping strategy
If you are starting an eCommerce business, you have made many strategic decisions. You have built a business plan, a marketing strategy, and sourced products. Shipping is the same. It is essential to create a system to move from order to fulfillment as smoothly as possible.
From the shipping rate to the packaging to the carrier, these are some building blocks for your shipping strategy.
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Setting up shipping rates
What are you going to charge for shipping? Will you cover some of the cost or pass it on to your customers? How about a flat rate? There are so many questions when it comes to your shipping rate.
It is essential to find the right balance for your product and target demographic. Customers will leave if the sticker shock for shipping is too great. Almost 50% of abandoned carts are because extra costs like shipping are too high.
Finding the right balance depends on your profit margins. If there is a threshold where you can offer free shipping, it is effective in helping reduce abandoned carts. Though not all online sellers can afford to eat the shipping cost, you can make the process easier by offering real-time shipping rates.
Your customers can compare the rates of the major carriers right in your online checkout, much as they would for an online travel site to find a discount vacation. Our eCommerce integration in your online store gives your customers a range of shipping options based on your choice of real-time rates or flat rate prices. You give your customers instant access to the most accurate rates by adding real-time functionality, encouraging them to “buy now.”
Packaging for your eCommerce products
Like every decision you make, your packaging depends on your target demographic. Do they expect an experience from the product and are willing to pay a little more for it? Or are they a discount shopper, out for a deal without the bells and whistles? You know the answer better than we do, and it should play a factor in the packaging you choose.
No matter what route you choose, the priority is packaging that allows for safe shipping. Poly mailers are a popular option. They’re lightweight, come in various sizes, and keep the contents protected from the elements. You can even get custom-branded packaging to add that touch of wow factor.
Some shipping carriers offer free shipping supplies if you want to save on costs. For example, UPS Canada offers free supplies, including packaging, pouches, and labels. For small businesses with tight margins, this service can help reduce your costs and is one less expense you have to pass on to your customers.
Adding shipping labels
Don’t forget about the shipping labels. Many small eCommerce businesses handwrite their shipping labels. It’s a time-consuming process, and it’s also unnecessary.
With our eCommerce shipping solutions, you get automatically generated shipping labels that help get your orders out the door faster. No more handwriting—your wrist will thank you.
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Adding shipping insurance to your shipment
If you are consistently selling orders over $100, shipping insurance offers an extra level of protection to the buying process. It is inexpensive and can cover the cost if an item is lost or damaged.
We offer an in-house insurance option to secure your shipment from loss—with excellent insurance rates for individual small package courier shipments and palletized freight. Our rate is $1.25 per $100, compared to $3.50 per $100 if you purchase directly from the couriers. That’s huge savings!
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What are my options for an eCommerce shipping provider in Canada?
Shipping is the first time in the customer experience that you are handing your brand over to someone else. You’ve curated the whole experience until now. It is what can make shipping feel like such a stressful experience. Thankfully, there are several providers to choose from that give your customers the options they are looking for.
Instead of narrowing it down to one, why not work with them all? When you partner with FlagShip, that is what you can do. We’re an authorized shipping reseller for many of today’s leading carriers like Purolator, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canpar and GLS.
Our close relationships with these trusted couriers allow us to negotiate volume discounts for shipping services which we pass on to small and medium businesses like yours. Our low rates can save your eCommerce store an average of up to 70% on your shipping costs.
Not only will you love it, but your customers will love the choice of delivery times and services from a trusted name-brand courier. They can get the delivery date and price that works for them.
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Choosing FlagShip for your eCommerce shipping
No matter what platform your eCommerce website is built on, connecting it to your free FlagShip account is simple. It is easy to install and configure with your preferences, and once you’re connected, the carriers automatically upload shipping data from each customer transaction to the FlagShip online shipping system.