When it comes to guaranteed happy customers, shipping is an absolutely critical consideration in any ecommerce operation. And with people’s love of online shopping showing no signs of abating, it’s important to keep on top of the coming trends. Here, we run down three things to keep in mind when planning your ecommerce shipping strategy for the next few months.
1. Keep it free wherever possible
The modern consumer is no longer simply looking for free delivery as a desirable, they’re starting to expect it as a given. Many customers are starting to rate the notion of free delivery even higher than that of speedy shipping. So, if you can find a way to include free shipping (whether that’s by increasing product prices to cover some or all of the cost), you’ll be in a stronger position to fight off your competition.
2. Small delivery windows
We’ve all been there: waiting in all day for a parcel after a huge potential delivery window has been set out. Modern customers want to avoid the ‘sorry we missed you’ note wherever possible, so if you can guarantee a specific time slot for the parcel delivery, this will be a huge bonus for your customer, especially at busy times of the year, like Christmas and Easter. Some customers are quite happy to pay a premium for this service if it makes their life a lot easier.
3. As many options as possible
People love choice. And when they’re shopping, the shipping options available to them could be what clinches the deal. So make sure you offer your customers as many options as possible, such as same-day shipping, carrier-specific choices and more. In doing so, you’re far more likely to end up with a truly satisfied customer and great feedback on the order. If you’re working on your ecommerce shipping strategies for the coming year, make sure you keep the above in mind.
In a nutshell, it all seems to come down to convenience. After all, online shopping is only convenient if the shipping suits the customer’s busy life. By offering your customers plenty of options which have been built around their needs, they’re far more likely to come back and use you again, and recommend your shop to their friends and family.