Do your customers abandon their carts because of delivery?
Are your shipping prices too high? Do you offer 24-hour delivery? Are international orders are a no-no because you can’t fulfill them?
Studies show that within three years, same-day delivery will become standard. The majority of customers expect free delivery and want it now.
A successful shipping strategy should include multiple carriers to get the best deal. Does your website offer that? Or online tracking?
Perhaps you’re unsure of the benefits of e-commerce shipping integration. How can they cut costs and improve sales?
Here are 5 good reasons why you should integrate shipping software into your site. Each one benefits both your customers and your business. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Get the Best Price
E-commerce sites often focus on price as the prime selling point—but the price of a product isn’t the final cost a customer will pay.
Product Price + Shipping Cost + Taxes = Final Price.
In the US, 55% of shoppers voted discounted shipping as a reason to buy online. With lower overheads than a retail store, an e-commerce store is expected to pass on those savings.
But what if your shipping provider makes that impossible?
Modern, integrated systems gather the best prices from multiple carriers. This means your customer is automatically given the cheapest deal.
Multi-carrier shipping software also offers discounted rates because they buy in bulk. You’re no longer tied to one tier because you don’t meet the annual threshold. This is great news for start-ups who’ll ship fewer units in the beginning.
International customers also receive a great deal.
Many e-commerce shipping software solutions offer real-time currency exchange rates. You don’t need to manually edit figures in your store admin anymore.
2. Online Order Tracking
This hilarious meme highlights the frustrations of waiting for a package. Ironically, many websites make that process more difficult by not providing online tracking.
This can be as simple as a log of status updates including where the package was last scanned. The best solutions display an interactive map with a real-time display of deliveries.
Well-integrated e-commerce shipping software displays the status of a package within your own website.
That means customers don’t get confused by having to leave the order page. It also looks professional which in turn builds trust and encourages repeat business.
Any internet-enabled device should be able to track orders. Make sure the software you choose is responsive to mobile users as well as traditional computers.
Remember, communication is key.
Tracking should be proactive. Your e-commerce shipping software should send text alerts of major delivery stages. It should email delivery completions for customer feedback. Calls about ‘where’s my package’ will drop overnight.
As a business, you should be able to track all orders within your management system.
An integrated approach allows full searching and reporting. Geo-tagging will highlight all your deliveries in real-time so you can pinpoint delays.
3. Give Them a Choice
The word choice lies at the heart of cart conversions. If customers have limited shipping options they may choose to abandon their purchase.
Can your provider offer 24-hour delivery? What about 2 hours for inner-city orders?
Local couriers often provide a faster service for metro customers. Multi-carrier shipping software takes advantage of that by using the customer’s address. The best rates combine price and speed but why not let your customer decide?
Forty-four percent of online retailers said customers expect free or low-cost shipping.
Amazon.com made its fortune on the back of low-to-no shipping fees. Few companies can compete but you don’t have to. Why?
By using Amazon’s fulfillment service.
Amazon has 175 centers across the globe. You can sell on their website or use their services from within your own cart. eBay will offer its own service in 2020 so you can also tap into their marketplace.
Good shipping software offers these integrations as standard. And for specialized services like delivering bulky items, integration makes this possible.
Multiple sales channels combined with multiple carriers and options will equal multiple orders.
4. Order Management With E-commerce Shipping Integration
An order arrives. You need to contact your courier or run to the USPS office for stamps. Soon the parcels topple around you. How do you manage all this?
E-commerce shipping integration software assists in all areas of order management.
Couriers are automatically notified of a new order and generate the required documentation. This is sent to your fulfillment center for processing. It can be done in batches or individually—whatever suits your requirements.
You can also generate return labels. This is a great customer service tool and streamlines the process of sending back an item.
Customizing labels to include your brand makes you stand out from the crowd. It promotes your business along the delivery chain and acts as free advertising.
Shipping reports are essential when it comes to analyzing sales performance and include:
- Order Values – see exactly what you’re shipping each day, month and year
- Shipment Volumes – view how many parcels leave your warehouse
- Automation Optimisation – spot and patch gaps in your fulfillment process through automation
- Delivery Services – identify your most active providers and services
- International Success – evaluate global market capture in real-time
When considering a shipping integration app make sure it works for your customer and for you.
5. Make It Simple
A customer wants a simple, affordably priced, and speedy delivery. Unfortunately, there’s nothing simple about shipping calculators.
An integrated system carries out that burden behind the scenes. Results appear as if waved by a magic wand!
Yet, the real magic happens through a set of rules.
An online integration app gives you the option to create shipping rules based on:
- Weight
- Order value
- Destination
- Delivery time
Cater to international customers by using a set of global rules. You choose the countries and regions you’ll post to and the app does the rest.
An integrated address finder is standard on many websites.
Multi-carrier shipping software brings this powerful tool to your online store. It looks professional and works to deliver the best price. What’s not to love?
Communicate When You Integrate
Choosing the right tool for the job builds customer confidence. By offering several delivery options and prices, cart conversions will increase with trust.
An order doesn’t end after payment. Customers want to track their purchases and be notified of their progress. Make that process is as simple as possible and make sure they’re informed.
There are many e-commerce shipping integration solutions available online. Make sure you select one which offers everything highlighted in this post.
Integration = Communication = Better business.
Remember to read more of our blog posts about selling online. From articles on e-commerce to branding, we can help grow your business.
