When a business starts shipping to customers internationally, that's when they know they're truly playing on the global stage. But international logistics requires a certain set of key considerations to make sure the packages arrive safely.
Remember these 3 handy tips to keep international shipping stress free.
Invest in your packaging
When you're about create packaging that will be shipped internationally, two 'p' words are essential to remember; protection and presentation. You want to make sure your contents are as well protected as possible - remember how far you're sending them and think of the different conditions the package will have to endure on its journey.
The quality of the packaging is also important, because it's going to be the first thing that your customer sees, and will represent your business. If you use cheap packaging that's falling apart by the time it reaches its destination, it produces a rather undesirable opinion of the quality of your business.
Consider your costs
International shipping can be a maze of costs. Many people often presume that the cost of the shipping itself is the only consideration they need to make, but this isn't true. The reality of the matter is that you may have customs and duty costs to consider when the package arrives in its destination country.
Tariffs and duties can often vary from product to product, so do a little research beforehand to find out if your product is in a category that will require additional charges paid on arrival. If that's the case, you need to incorporate that into your pricing model or make it clear to your customers they will face additional charges.
Shipping restrictions
Pay special note to the shipping regulations of the destination countries you're shipping to, because there are some odd shipping laws you might not realise. For example, shipping wheelbarrows to Nigeria is a crime, and importing chewing gum into Singapore is illegal.
Don't take it as a given. Fortunately, there's a handy UPS tool which will help you to understand the shipping regulations of any country you intend to send your packages to.