Picking the Right Shipping Solution For Your Business

When you’re running an online store, getting your product to the customer is only half the battle. You could have the greatest products in the world, but if your shipping solutions for your ecommerce aren’t up to par, you’re likely to lose customers. This isn’t just about speed – though with 85% of online shoppers abandoning slow sites, it’s crucial. It’s about providing shipping options that make buyers feel confident and comfortable. That’s where truly effective ecommerce shipping solutions come in.

Understanding Your Ecommerce Shipping Needs

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to ecommerce shipping. Before you start comparing shipping services or signing contracts, you need a clear picture of your own needs. Let’s look at some key factors to help you choose a shipping solution for your ecommerce business:

Product Considerations

Start by looking at your products. Are they large, small, heavy, fragile? This will massively impact your packaging and shipping costs. For example, if you’re shipping fragile items, factor in the cost of extra padding and protective packaging.

Shipping Destination

Where are your customers located? Do you mainly ship domestically or internationally? Shipping zones play a major role in determining shipping rates, especially for larger products. International shipping, in particular, comes with its own set of challenges. This includes customs forms, taxes, and duties – all things you’ll need to factor into your costs. Offering international shipping is a great way to expand your customer base.

Shipping Speed

Think about how quickly your customers expect their products. Next-day delivery might be necessary for certain industries, while others are fine with standard delivery. Research shows 99% of businesses plan to offer same-day delivery by 2025, so the pressure is on. That doesn’t mean you *have* to, but knowing how to calculate if it makes sense financially for *your* store is important.

Shipping Cost

Of course, you’ve got to consider how shipping cost factors into your profit margin. You might want to offer free shipping, but this has to be factored into your pricing. Remember that nearly half of customers expect this perk, according to a study by Voxware. Some businesses absorb some shipping costs, others pass the full amount on to their customers, while many land somewhere in between. Analyzing competitors can be useful to see what’s standard practice in your market.

Choosing The Right Ecommerce Shipping Solution

Once you know your shipping requirements, you can choose the right shipping platform and strategies for your ecommerce business. Here’s what you should know about different shipping carriers and software:

Shipping Carriers

You’ve got many shipping carrier options here. Each of the biggest carriers has pros and cons depending on your products, shipping volume, and average order value:

• USPS: Best known for its low rates, especially for small packages and Priority Mail international shipping. However, tracking information can be less detailed compared to competitors.
• FedEx: They’ve got a reputation for speed and reliability, particularly for express deliveries, including their FedEx Express Saver (three-day delivery), FedEx 2 day shipping, and FedEx Standard Overnight. The trade-off? It often comes at a higher cost.
• UPS: Another giant with robust tracking, UPS (which delivers over  24 million packages every day), offers options like UPS Ground for more affordable domestic shipments, and faster options like UPS Next Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air.
• DHL: If you ship internationally, DHL is worth strong consideration. Their global reach is excellent, but they tend to shine for larger shipments. For smaller, everyday shipments, they’re not always as competitive as other carriers.

If you’re in the UK, don’t forget Royal Mail – their extensive network and history can be valuable. Similarly, DPD (a European shipping giant) is another good option if you ship within the UK or to Europe.

Shipping Software

Even experienced online store owners hit roadblocks with shipping logistics as their store grows, especially those with multiple sales channels. This is where ecommerce shipping software comes in. Ecommerce shipping software is designed to make your life easier by:

• Comparing rates from multiple carriers: This helps find you the best prices without having to check them one by one, making it much easier to find the best shipping method.
• Printing shipping labels: Bulk printing makes life far simpler when you’re fulfilling dozens of orders. This is a great alternative to printing labels individually.
• Automating Tracking: This makes keeping customers informed easy and lets them focus on the fun part: anticipation.

A few great options include:

Software	Key Features
2Ship	All-in-one platform designed to make shipping a whole lot easier for businesses of every size.
Shippo	Works directly with 40+ carriers for easy printing, tracking and a really straightforward user interface.
ShipStation	They integrate with *a lot* of platforms (over 180). Used by over 130,000 merchants worldwide, they’re designed to manage lots of orders with less stress.
Easyship	Designed for fast-growing businesses, their focus is finding you great discounts (up to 91% off).
ShippingEasy	If your store primarily uses USPS or UPS, this might be the best fit, as they excel in getting great rates on these services.

Fulfillment Warehousing

If you’re dealing with large volumes of orders, storage space, packing, and shipping all start to get overwhelming. That’s where fulfillment warehousing companies and order fulfillment services come in. They handle the entire order fulfillment process – from storing inventory to picking, packing, and shipping to your customers.

One option many online sellers recommend is ShipBob. They’ve got over 30 fulfillment centers worldwide. It’s a significant upfront cost, but it frees up your time and, done well, can even *save* you money (and definitely stress).

Don’t Forget the Returns

Even the smoothest shipping experience can hit a snag if returns are a hassle. A returns portal can make this process easier for both you and the customer. Think of it this way – you only have one chance to make a good first impression, but returns are where you have the opportunity to mend a *bad* one. A study found 95% of people who enjoyed their returns experience stayed loyal customers. However, if someone was unhappy, it made them 3x less likely to ever shop with that store again.

What does this mean for your business? Making your return policy crystal clear on your website and including a prepaid return shipping label (if possible) can go a long way in boosting those customer satisfaction numbers.

How Checkout Champ Helps You Ship Better 

Checkout Champ helps you with all aspects of the fulfillment side of your business. Not only can it help you automate your logistics and fulfillment process, you can also work with the major shippers that you like and that your customers demand. Checkout Champ has VOLUME DISCOUNTS with each of the major shipping providers.

Do you have a complicated shipping setup? Checkout Champ can probably handle it. You can set up shipping profiles and the rules that you need to get your customers the best rates every time they check out.

Ue Checkout Champ as Part of Your Fulfillment Solution 

Solid shipping solutions for your ecommerce aren’t just about logistics; they’re a key ingredient to sustainable growth for your ecommerce business. It isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it part of your business either. What works now might need tweaks and adjustments in six months or a year as your online store finds its feet (and more orders come through). But by taking the time to understand your needs, exploring different options and perhaps getting a little help where needed, you can build a shipping strategy that delights both you and your customers. Also, get Checkout Champ to speed up and better your fulfillment automation.