How to Improve Performance of your eCommerce Shipping & Delivery
Here, think about this. You dreamt of establishing a restaurant. You labour day and night to make it come true. You plunge in all your resources to build your business. Get the best of dishes, the best of the chefs, the best of ambience, and ingredients. You invest heavily in marketing your business. You hire professionals to market your business and do everything it takes to step up closer to your success destination. The day arrives, and the restaurants start running. Everything is ready, but you realise that there is no way of serving the food to the customers. Now imagine, that there is no way to deliver the product to the consumer.
In the post-COVID times, business and its corresponding mannerisms have altered and evolved with massive transformations. The courier, delivery and shipping services have become incredibly important, more than it ever has. Due to the restricted mobility owing to the ongoing pandemic, this service has emerged as a superhero. Sending or receiving of any products or documents stands firmly on the shoulders of this industry.
E-commerce is like a string. On one end lies the producer and manufacture, while on the other, lie the consumers. Each thread of the string translates to an organ of the e-commerce. There are several organs of e-commerce together constitute the entire chain of e-commerce. While no organ can be considered as more important than the other, but most often we tend to overlook some of the threads. In-time shipping and delivery are as important as the manufacturing and the marketing of the product. E-commerce ventures remain deficient without efficient parcel service, shipping, and delivery. Since that is the last stop of the string of the producer-consumer segment, it leaves an enduring impact on the mind of the consumers. It is, therefore, vital that effective, timely, and neat shipping and delivery is ensured by the company to the user.
User retention and the survival of the company depend on manifolds on the delivery, shipping, and logistics supply chain. The goodwill, trust, and reliability of the consumer can only be encased through perfect shipping and delivery.
The delivery and shipping impact primarily these two aspects of the business.
- Consumer satisfaction and experience
- Added operating, warehouse, and transportation costs
Hence, here are 10 tips on optimizing the delivery and shipping processes-
1. Deliver post 9 pm also!
Most consumers who become regular users of a e-commerce belong to the office-going class, the working class. Anyway, traditional methods of shopping and selling have become outdated. Since majority population is on the internet, the arena of e-commerce has flourished in the past couple of years with a pace unknown. Shipping, delivery, and courier services have become excruciatingly important in these times. Hence, the delivery timings must be expanded post the regular 9-5 hours. This relaxes the timeline of the users and makes your delivery pattern.
2. Priorities your costumers
Your consumers are your end block of the chain. For the sake of consumer retention, the company must try to be flexible in their approach and comply with the concerns of the users. It leaves the good taste of the company in the mouth of the consumer.
3. Invest in a proper shipping insurance
The most optimized way to enhance your delivery process is to invest in proper shipping insurance. This works like an immunization against any major damage, unnecessary returns, theft may pile up your expenses. By ensuring shipping insurance, it comes with the security of avoiding these unnecessary costs. Several financial agencies and platforms serve shipping insurance policy offers. Compare and contrast the policies and invest in the one that covers most costs and offers holistic benefits.
4. Transparent tracking experiences
The courier tracking and tracing experience of the user must be easy, transparent, and convenient. A proper tracking mechanism tagged with efficient and regular e-mail and text-message information updates to the user. A comprehensive information updated page must contain important and vital details. The delivery estimated date and time, the placement and location of the package, specifications, a point of contact, and the contact of the delivery persons.
These bits of details will keep the concept of shipping and delivery clear in the mind of the users and keep at bay other major queries that might arise. This will primarily keep the communication clear and efficient in between the two ends of the business, the producers, and the consumers. It further creates a trustworthy ambience and enhances ROI. There are several courier services in India that are already established and efficient. Meaning, the market competition is rigid. Hence, professional courier services must be ensured, to attract more users and clients.
5. Keep communication intact with the warehouse
The warehouse is the initial block of the delivery. Packaging and shipping terms with the warehouse must be clear. Timely pick up from the warehouse and efficient packing must be ensured.
6. Set your Shipping Terms and Conditions
There should be accurate terms and conditions that help reduce undue expenses and improve the overall shipping experience for the consumers. Further, it creates a trustworthy environment for users.
The following conditions must be ensured-
- A timely delivery date promised to the customer
- Have a written agreement with the courier party and shipping firm
- Proper returns policies ensured
- Confirmed shipping policy
7. Open the international window
Once your grip over the local, interstate, and national delivery and shipping services are affirmed, you must also dip your hands into the international delivery, as it will take your brand to international costumers. Firstly, it will add to the brand value by giving your company a global recognition, additionally, it will enhance the return on investment by receiving foreign currency.
8. Measure and calculate
Always map things before the initiation of shipping and delivery. Meaning, that you must estimate the hindrances in between the ROI and investment. Any damages, shrinkages, waiting buffer time, detention, poor routing and transportation costs, returns, amongst the other things. This mapping will safeguard your investment from any financial leaks or wastages. Courier delivery then becomes extremely convenient for both the sender and receiver and the intermediary agencies.
8. Measure and calculate
Always map things before the initiation of shipping and delivery. Meaning, that you must estimate the hindrances in between the ROI and investment. Any damages, shrinkages, waiting buffer time, detention, poor routing and transportation costs, returns, amongst the other things. This mapping will safeguard your investment from any financial leaks or wastages. Courier delivery then becomes extremely convenient for both the sender and receiver and the intermediary agencies.
9. Look out for your drivers
Drivers are the most important persons in the arena of delivery and shipping. Their efficiency will directly depend on their work environment and the way they are treated. The last point of contact with the consumers, your drivers are the most laborious and industrious of the team. They are essential and valuable assets to give you the lead amongst your market and industry competition.
10. Constant growth
Don’t stop striving for better. Maintain effective communication with the costumers. Maintain a clean, polite, and informative and professional tone for corporate branding. Ensure approachable feedback and customer care conduct. Constant growth and development do not happen overnight. It is a rigorous and continuous process. Growth is demanding and must be incorporated into business principles.
Shipping and delivery could especially be concerning for small-scale businesses. It is extremely important to realize that business management and efficiency are not going to be perfect, or even near to that in the initial phases. Learning from the competitors, understanding the industry, and constantly evolving is the necessity of e-commerce.
Courier services, delivery, and shipping are what stays at the heart of a consumer. Your product, your brand, and your ambience may be anything if it does not reach the client in a set time, and in a desired shape and packing, that client is not going to be retained. Shipping and delivery are the end loop of the entire process or journey of e-commerce, and hence the experience stays with the consumer. The better the delivery, courier, packing, and shipping manner, the happier the consumer. And the happier the consumer, the happier the company and brand. It will not only keep satisfied consumers with the company, but it will also lead to getting more clients through the way of recommendation and review.
It, therefore, becomes extremely salient that a company nucleus their equal focus on fast courier services, that are fast, safe, secure, and reliable.
Bigship is one of the leading couriers and delivery services that aim for customer satisfaction primarily. Our only goal is excellence. We understand and realise that shipping and delivery are very vital to the user and consumer experience. We assure you only satisfaction, of course with your purchased item delivered to you safely!
