Why your eCommerce shipping strategy is more important than you may think

How fast do you deliver orders made on your eCommerce platform? Do you offer different delivery options? How reliable is your shipping?

Negative distribution experiences tend to affect business in a big way. They have the potential to increase costs, affect customer loyalty, as well as your brand image. All businesses need to carefully consider their eCommerce delivery strategies. Recent statistics indicate that a great parcel delivery service is not only important, but it can also guarantee the business repeat customers.

Why is shipping so important?

Today, many merchants are competing based on customer experiences. The modern consumer chooses the business they want to transact with based on past experiences. This means that having the best product or the lowest prices in the market is no longer a guarantee for sales. Consumers are taking their time to do thorough research to compare retailers and products beforehand.

One thing that you can be sure of is that consumers will take their time to compare the shipping services as well. A recent survey conducted by e-commerce survey shows that sixty-six percent of consumers chose to purchase goods from one eCommerce store in preference to others as the delivery services on offer were more appealing to their needs.

In addition, ninety-six percent of the same group of consumers stated that a positive delivery experience was likely to inspire them to shop from the same retailer again in future. From these statistics, it is quite evident that delivery services tend to play a major role in influencing the customer’s decision.

What do customers want from eCommerce delivery services?

When looking at order shipping services, consumers want prices that are affordable coupled with fast delivery times. They also want to be provided with flexible shipping options. Take a look at the following statistics, which further showcase what most customers expect:

  • Two out of three shoppers expect that they will be able to place their order up to 5 p.m and it be delivered on the next day
  • Fifty percent of shoppers are willing to pay a premium service if they can be provided with fast shipping
  • The two-day delivery service preference is significantly higher today than it was two years ago.

Conclusion

When examining your current shipping processes, you need to start from the beginning. Confirm that the checkout pages are short and easy to fill. Also, confirm that all delivery options and dates have been properly displayed.