Recently, during the last couple of years, we have seen a burgeoning number of ecommerce startups. The online buying and selling industry changed unprecedently over a few years. With more and more buyers wanting to shop from the comfort of home or on the go, the eCommerce industry takes over the brick-and-mortar stores. But have you ever thought about the actual reason behind this? Of course, we have cited it right here as we witness the change in purchasing behaviour.
If we go deep into this, we have to analyse what made customers change their perception and why they prefer to buy online. Both the B2B and B2C businesses are widely accepted since buyers can search and purchase products and services as per their desire, unlike in a physical store. A start up ecommerce has some exclusive advantages compared to ordinary brick and mortar stores. But is that the only reason that drags customers to these online stores? No, it is not the only reason; the real difference lies in receiving the ordered products at the ‘doorstep’ of customers. Yes, it is the shipping process that makes buying online the most acceptable among most customers.
You have chosen the best ecommerce platform for startups, and now customers can choose the speed at which their products travel from the warehouse to their doorstep. From standard delivery to express shipping, customers can receive the products ordered at the desired location affordably. Therefore, buying products without going to a physical store, without sacrificing the benefits offered by such stores, make online buying more attractive for customers. But the big question here is- do ecommerce startups know what it takes to timely shipping?
If you are a start up ecommerce, fret not! We are here to guide you on some practices that help you implement shipping processes most appropriately. Shipping, as we all know, is very complex and involves intricate processes. It encompasses several interrelated operations that may also attribute to delays and unnecessary expenses, particularly for small businesses. But if we pay attention to a few of these factors, shipping becomes a less painful process. Top of all, customers make a beeline for buying products from your eCommerce store. Here are some of the most desirable ways to ship for ecommerce startups to offer shipping at cost-effective rates without any delay or anomalies. Let’s check it out!
1. Give Unimpaired Tracking
A start up ecommerce should provide a flawless product tracking page for its customers. When buying online, we all want to know the exact time the ordered products reach our location. Order tracking lets your customers keep tabs on the movement of ordered products at any time. Further, flawless tracking enhances the trust of customers in your ecommerce startups.
Customers desire to know the status of transit of their products until it gets delivered to their doorstep. For an eCommerce business, it is part of the customer experience. The predictability and trustworthiness factors assume great significance in order implementation along with shipping of products. When you offer the service of prompt tracking as part of order implementation, half of your job gets done!
2. Provide Prompt Notifications
Only when you provide timely notifications; you can fulfil the purpose of tracking. Customers want to know when the journey of the products from pickup to their destination. Hence, keeping customers informed when the products reach nearby warehouses and hubs would help customers to track products completely. Small entrepreneurs owning ecommerce startups would adopt this personalised service for their customers to win their trust.
Indeed, you can entice more customers by sending the status and updates on the transit of products right from the start to the end. Tracking updates are vital for retaining existing customers while it also improves their shopping experience. Besides, it wins more customers. It features shipment tracking, the estimated time of arrival (ETA) and regular updates on the status of an order.
3. Shipping Process Automation
Imagine what happens when you have to look at every process in shipping manually? The ecommerce startups should get rid of the difficulties of the manual shipping process and focus on the core functions of their online store business by automating the order implementation and shipping process. As an ecommerce beginner, it can provide you with real-time analytics and tracking updates. Furthermore, avoid the instances of any errors while you carry out these complex processes manually.
Enjoy more time and cost savings in order management and shipping by relying on end-to-end automation. While you simplify the entire process, your customers on the other end also receive its benefits. There will be fewer ‘where is my order (WISMO) calls and fewer concerns about order implementation, shipping and delivery of products. Above all, automation helps you in forming a data-driven shipping strategy and facilitates route optimisation as well.
4. Easy Returns, Refunds and Exchange
Not all transactions would result in purchases. Occasionally, you may face returns and exchanges or refund for the products sold due to many reasons. Both buyers and sellers understand that is part and parcel of every buying/selling process. The top e commerce startups make sure that they never make returns, refunds and exchange an excruciating process for your customers. It would negatively impact your brand reputation and increase customer churn rate. However, with proper care and attention, you can address this. Offering smooth services encompassing a simple process would prove helpful.
In addition, you can easily create a reputable online image when more customers vouch for your business, particularly when you render good service in this department. The ecommerce startups should ensure prompt shipping service if the return is due to shipment issues. When you are a beginner in eCommerce, one of the immediate solutions is to resolve problems by finding the ideal fix for the constraints you face in the movement of products. Ultimately, it would enhance customer service.
5. Get Customers Notified on Delays
Even if everything works in tandem, in rare cases, deviations happen. For instance, when shipping gets delayed due to unforeseen reasons, make sure that you communicate it asap with the respective customers. When you rely on automation, you can also predict the chances of delayed shipments ahead. Besides, you can take immediate steps in advance to speed up the shipment process.
This way you can reduce the customer service enquiries and ward off their concerns when they wait for products and also you can deliver greater customer satisfaction. Your employees need not waste time answering the WISMO calls; instead, they can focus on addressing significant tasks.
Express Transport Services from Ianis Cargo
Keeping your eCommerce deliveries and eFulfilment in an orderly manner, Ianis Cargo serves as your loyal partner in shipping products to your customers. With 99.7 per cent deliveries made on time, Ianis Cargo has the distinction of offering shipping services at the most reasonable rates using the intuitive live shipping rates calculator. Both ecommerce startups and customers benefit from the savings in price and benefits from prompt and safe last mile delivery solutions.
Besides express transport and eCommerce delivery solutions, Ianis Cargo also specialises in Full Truckload (FTL), less than truckload (LTL), pallet delivery and air shipping services. For the movement of parcels and envelopes, it owns and operates a separate service Ianis Courier, which kick-started its journey in 2020. Since Ianis Cargo has partnered with several reputable courier services, you can access price comparisons for particular shipments and receive the lowest price quotes. This way, you can lower your shipping costs and finally keep your customers happy with negligible shipping costs on the products they order.
The ecommerce startups can partner with Ianis Cargo- eCommerce delivery solutions and earn tons of benefits to keep the burden of shipping costs at bay! Get price quotes instantly for eCommerce deliveries on Ianis Cargo by checking with the unique LIVE shipping calculator!