The importance of a quality shipping experience in e-commerce cannot be stressed enough. This is primarily due to the fact that the post-purchase (shipping + delivery) takes up 50% of the overall delivery experience.
However, major e-commerce businesses leave out shipping in their strategy as they consider the onus of it to be with the shipping carrier. You need to make sure that you don’t be like them because your customers will still blame you for shipping issues.
61% of the customers will stop doing business with you after one bad customer service experience, which can often be due to shipping-related issues.
Thus, make sure you understand and follow these 10 best practices when it comes to e-commerce shipping.
1. Enforce a shipping strategy with a well-planned team
As an e-commerce business owner, strategizing and having clear goals will give you the right direction to your shipping game.
- If your goal is increasing your customer base then focus on expanding your shipping to different markets.
- If it is increasing conversion rates, then look at what is happening at checkout and offer services like free shipping and discounts.
Whatever your goal may be, have a team to execute this.
Make sure your marketing team is sending the right kind of messages. If you want more customers, then they have to expand their strategies as well. Having clear messaging about discounts, sales, and other benefits is essential to improving conversion rates.
The design team can take a closer look at how effective the web pages are and edit them accordingly. Your conversion rates can increase by 35% if you just change the design of your checkout page.
Train your customer service teams to interact with empathy and focus on solving customer issues. You must also have a robust fulfillment team that makes sure the shipment’s journey from order placed to delivery is smooth.
2. Offer free shipping options
61% of customers would abandon the carts if the additional fees such as taxes and shipping costs are too high. This is reasoning enough for you to consider free shipping.
However, are you wondering about your e-commerce business’ profit margins if your overhead costs become too much? Then provide free shipping but with a plan.
All your fellow competitors and market leaders do this. A minimum purchase order and after this shipping is free. Iloveplum even increased its average order value by 91% providing free shipping.
Make this clear on your website through the customer’s journey so they know free shipping is in their control.
