With many businesses shifting to e-commerce today, there is a dire need to invest in reliable shipping and delivery strategies. The delivery strategy a business creates will help in increasing conversions and generating leads to the business. The impression that an online business gives to customers is vital. So, if you are in e-commerce, you must make sure you satisfy your clients by ensuring your items arrive early. The packaging is great, and the shipping fee is reasonable.
You need to find a delivery solution that will be beneficial to you and your customers. You also require an organized storage system for fast delivery. Therefore, when building your storage, make sure you include a racking system for organizing your products. The following are steps that you need to approach to ensure you build a reliable delivery strategy for your e-commerce. After deciding where you will be shipping, the size of the items to ship, and the profit you are eying for, here are the next things to do.
Decide on the Delivery Speed
Normally, local deliveries take around 3-5 business days. However, 2-day and same-day deliveries have increased in popularity. However, fast delivery requires a high shipping fee. The best thing is that many customers are willing to pay the high shipping fee for fast deliveries. Therefore, it is important to plan on how you will deliver the orders. Give the customers various options based on their ability and needs. If you are offering same-day delivery, make sure you provide a deadline of when the customer should pay to have the item delivered the same day.
Work on the Shipping Fees
Setting high shipping fees will only discourage the customers from buying from you. Even though it is best to offer low shipping fees, you need to know that your business needs to make profits. So, set a reasonable shipping fee and one based on factors like delivery speed, location of delivery, and type of items being delivered. You can arrange the shipping fees in different ways like:
- A flat fee- this fee is the same for orders of similar items. However, it will be affected by distance, size of shipment, and cost of the order.
- Free shipping- this is great, especially for the first-timers. Since the customer is not paying for the delivery, your business has to cater to the cost. This is advisable for certain items or during certain holidays.
Shipping fees should depend on the delivery speed, location for delivery, and more. So, it is important to set reasonable fees to encourage customers to buy from you.
Work with a 3PL Provider.
Another way of creating a reliable delivery system is using 3PLs. These are providers who not only provide warehousing solutions but also offer delivery services. With a 3PL, you get storage, pick and pack services, and courier services under one roof. The best thing is that these providers have adopted advanced technology and infrastructure like a selective racking system in Malaysia to provide proper storage solutions.
Other things you need when creating your strategy are:
- Find a Courier
- Make your Packaging Perfect
The Bottom Line
These are simple things that you need to do when creating a delivery strategy for your e-commerce. Decide on the speed of delivery and the shipping fees. You can also make things easier by using the services of 3PLs for storage, packing, and courier services.
