Ship happens. No business likes it—but every ecommerce business - TopicsExpress



          

Ship happens. No business likes it—but every ecommerce business relies on it to function. Fortunately, we’ve got 6 articles that are guaranteed to keep your shipping operations smooth, and your customer satisfaction solid. There’s something for everyone, including tips on phenomenal packaging and returns policies, resources for taxes and shipping supplies, even guidance on dropshipping and free-shipping strategies. So, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get ship done. Dropship your way to health Are you considering launching an ecommerce store? Or maybe you want to diversify your inventory, but don’t want to deal with the added pain of shipping? Dropshipping may be the answer. Putting it simply, dropshipping is a supply-chain method that relies on your product supplier to fulfill customer orders and shipping. It’s a pretty big topic to cover, so, if you’re unfamiliar, check out this multi-part series by Practical Ecommerce covering the history of how ecommerce changed the supply chain, the bare basics of dropshipping, and its relationship between supplier and retailer. Digest the numbers Taxes are about as taxing as dealing with shipping itself. Calculating taxes is important if you want an accurate reading of how much your customers (and you) will be paying on top of shipping costs. If you’re interested in finding out the Internet sales tax legislation of any of the 50 states, look at this fantastic resource from Nolo. The site lays out the intricacies of each state’s laws, complete with great examples, and void of overly-complicated legal talk. Note: Be sure to notice the beginning paragraphs for an understanding of how sales taxes for online transactions may change as a result of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013. Make ship shine Your packaging is more than just a way to protect and ship the product—it can also be a way of securing customer loyalty and improving the customer experience. Packaging can become a part of the brand experience that reinforces your image into the customer’s memory, which will, ideally, keep them coming back to you. Check out one of our own articles with real examples of effective packaging that drives new and repeat transactions. Consider including your own personalized thank you notes, or even business cards to your customers, just to build a relationship with them. It’s always a good practice to exceed customer expectations as best you can. Don’t gamble with product security Betting that you’ll save more money by spending less on packaging is a bad game to play. Whether or not you personalize it, do not risk your product arriving to your customer broken, damaged, or messy. Take a look at these handy ecommerce tips for secure packaging, provided by ShipRocket. Choose boxes that snugly fit your products, and make sure your labels are 100% accurate. If you have a product that’s fragile, dangerous, or perishable, be sure to protect it within its box with bubble wrap, and mark them. Also, check out Uline if you’re interested in purchasing packaging supplies. Keep the pipelines open with your customer The potential consequences of poor packaging can be a lost customer, which means lost long-term revenue. There is a way to keep the relationship intact, though! Regardless of why a customer is unsatisfied with their purchase, you should offer a solid returns policy if you want to keep them as a potential lead. Check out this post on how to write a return policy that can increase your conversion rates. A well-written returns policy does wonders at raising your trustworthiness in the eyes of the customer, which can lead to more conversions and stronger satisfaction. Take the plunge and try free shipping The word “free” can unclog conversion rates, especially when it’s coupled with shipping. Use free shipping to encourage larger orders (for example, “shipping is free with $100+ order”), or you can use it to sell more of a product (for example, “shipping is free with all T-shirt purchases”). You just need to do the analysis to see how it will improve your margins and conversions. If you’re interested in finding out how free shipping can be profitable for your business, as well as how to test and implement it, check out this awesome post by KISSmetrics. The post 6 resources to help you get your shipping in shape appeared first on The Bigcommerce Blog.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 23:29:16 +0000

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