The past few years have seen a massive explosion in the ecommerce sector with more and more entrepreneurs choosing this platform to do business. Selling products from your online store is one side of your entity. But, you can’t ignore the side that requires shipping those orders. Handling product transportation properly is a necessity if you value your customers’ ongoing support.
Shipping merchandise can make or break your small business while getting your orders delivered efficiently, securely and on time is vital to benefit your reputation and scale your business. The type of packaging needs to be considered and equipment such as plastic wrappers could save the day for you!
Keep reading to discover how you can ensure your ordered goods are delivered punctually and safely every time, keeping your customers happy and your business growing.
3 Useful Tips for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs Handling Product Shipping
1. Use the Right Packaging and Equipment
While some companies can afford to outsource their packaging of goods, as a startup this isn’t always a viable option, financially. If you’re handling the packing of your own products for shipping there are ways of ensuring the goods are secure for transportation. Depending on the type of products you’re selling, you have various packaging materials to pick from:
- Paperboard boxes: A lightweight but sturdy form of packaging for food items, cosmetics and beverages.
- Corrugated boxes: Also known as cardboard boxes, this type of packaging is used for a number of products ranging from shoes to pizza!
- Rigid boxes: A condensed, rigid version of the paperboard box used for carrying and transporting items such as mobiles and jewellery.
- Plastic boxes: Durable packaging for holding and transporting a wide range of products.
- Chipboard boxes: Used for packing electronics, medicines, cosmetics and beverages.
- Foiled seal bags: Commonly used for tea and coffee packaging.
- Poly bags: A type of plastic bag used for carrying food items, magazines, flowers and chemicals.
Pallets are useful for transporting bulk cargo safely and equipment such as wrapping machines and tape dispensers are worth investing in when packing your goods for shipping. They save you loads of time! Heat sealers, twine and rope, glue, netting, bubble wrap and ties are all useful packaging items for securing your orders for delivery.
2. Partner with a Professional Courier Company
In 2019 an estimated 596 million parcels were shipped by courier companies throughout Australia. The number of couriers continues to grow to meet the demand of online shoppers! Finding the right courier company to handle your shipping needs can be challenging. If you know what to look out for you can narrow down your search easily:
- Reliable services: Reliability in delivery is crucial for meeting your customers’ expectations. Your courier needs to show proof that you can rely on them to meet your shipping requirements every time.
- Security: The courier company should be licensed as well as insured to carry out deliveries.
- Various delivery services: Can the courier meet your needs for same-day delivery or do you need someone who can transport goods far distances, safely and timeously?
- Professionalism and convenience: Appearance matters and this includes how the company’s drivers and vans look when delivering your goods to customers. Partnering with them should be convenient such as offering online ordering services and having a seamless invoicing process.
- Handling of complaints: How does the company handle complaints? What level of customer service do they provide? This is important should there be problems during the delivery of your products.
- Meet special requirements: Can the company accommodate special requirements such as handling larger parcels or perishable goods?
Other factors to consider are pricing and offering an excellent customer experience. Knowing your budget before speaking to a shipping company is important when negotiating prices.
Partnering with a courier team that has your and your customers’ best interests at heart goes a long way to creating a pleasant transactional experience.
3. Identify Shipping Hazards to Minimise Risks
While proper packaging and hiring a professional courier company help to minimise risks associated with transporting goods, there are some other factors worth considering:
- Transport type: Depending on the type of product you’re shipping, selecting the right form of transport is vital for safe delivery. Should it be road, sea or air? Pick the best mode of delivery that will ensure your goods arrive at their destination still in one piece.
- Protecting unusual loads: If you’re transporting oversized, bulky items you need to consider how to protect them during shipping. Extra packaging or pallet wrapping could add more protection to this type of cargo.
- Insurance: Taking out insurance is highly recommended to safeguard you against unexpected eventualities.
Minimising risks makes good business sense and saves you from spending more money fixing a problem or facing legal action because of unsatisfactory delivery.
Final Thoughts
Professional handling of product shipping is a must if you want to offer your customers an exceptional experience when buying from your online store. Being prepared beforehand with the right packaging, partnering with skilled couriers and minimising risks all go a long way to upping your services as an ecommerce site owner.