The e-commerce space is hypercompetitive. With more businesses expanding to online stores, the shipping experience has become a paramount differentiator. Online customers expect a variety of affordable shipping options that are best suited to their needs and will abandon their shopping carts if found inconvenient in any way.
Like cost and speed, shipping options are among the primary drivers of online sales. Over 50% of customers say that shipping options are an important factor in the online purchasing experience and studies have shown that high and unexpected shipping costs are common reasons for shopping cart abandonment.
Your shipping strategy has a profound impact on your e-commerce conversation rate. Luckily, providing flexible shipping options is a great opportunity to delight your customers.
Door-to-door delivery and in-store collection are two of the most popular options and the recommended basics:
Shipping affects customer satisfaction both in terms of price and delivery timing. For this reason, local online shoppers often prefer collecting in-store as it cuts out shipping costs and is more convenient than waiting to receive the parcel.
This is a great shipping solution for online retailers with brick-and-mortar shops, especially those with multiple locations. It motivates the loyal customer base to shop online without losing store engagement and, by offering discounts for online purchases with in-store pickups, can act is a powerful promotional tool for expanding the local audience.
Instead of offering discounts, you may also opt to turn off free shipping for local online buyers. Remember to always balance revenue with promotional opportunities.
With door-to-door delivery, there are three important shipping considerations to make, namely the product size and weight, shipping destination and shipping options. A zone-based approach is typically best suited to products that are similar in size and weight.
This allows you to charge a flat fee based on the customer’s location and is best communicated early during checkout. For products of varying sizes and weights, it is best to get rates directly from the shipping couriers.
This requires accurate information on product dimensions and weights and is possible by integrating with local couriers or software plug-ins that present real-time shipping rates. This solution ensures profitable margins without inflating shipping fees.
Next, consider the delivery time. Will you be offering premium shipping options such as same-day or next-day delivery? If so, it is important to communicate the options and their cut-off times clearly.
Additionally, you must provide choice over the urgency of delivery. Statistics show that customers are willing to wait longer if delivery is free. Standard shipping generally takes three to five business days whereas economy shipping can take up to 10 days.
With e-commerce expectations at an all-time high, shipping to alternate locations may just be what your business needs. Customers are not always home to receive packages and are increasingly reliant on alternate shipping options such as another retail location.
You may also grant customers the opportunity to ship an order to multiple locations instead of having to complete multiple checkouts with different locations. This method can increase sales during the holiday season when customers typically send more gifts.
Online shopping is about convenience and shipping should reflect that. Consumers demand more from their package delivery experience and with a growing preference for flexible delivery options, you may need to expand your shipping options.
