How to Choose the Right eCommerce Delivery Partner

Have you ever wondered what’s the link between online stores and satisfied customers? It’s eCommerce shipping. 

Transitioning from brick-and-mortar stores isn’t an easy task. An online seller has to compete with traditional sellers to deliver the product to the customer with a quality experience. Here comes the role of a rock-solid eCommerce delivery partner.

Prompt shipping, seamless tracking, and reliable tracking enhance customer satisfaction, drive repeated sales, and foster loyalty. It’s all about order fulfillment. Effective strategies help businesses optimise inventory, reduce cart abandonment, and expand market reach. After reading this blog, you’ll be ready to rock your eCommerce shipping game. Get set to save big bucks now!

Read More: How to Reduce WISMO Inquiries and Improve Customer Experience

Need of an eCommerce Shipping Partner

Imagine you go to a restaurant, you order food and it gets served after an hour. You would be pretty miffed, right? Now think your customers have to face this when they shop from your website. While online stores can’t deliver immediately but they can turbocharge delivery speed with the right eCommerce delivery partner by its side.

Needless to say, there’s much more to eCommerce shipping than simply packaging and taking products to the post office. As your online store grows, complexities sneak in. You’ll need to balance customer demands with back-end efficiency, mastering A to Z, starting from order processing to logistics.

Whisking Away The Need For Extra Efforts

Shipping isn’t a cakewalk from a warehouse to the customer. It is a whole different domain that requires patience, coordination, expertise, and, most importantly, constantly being on your toes. So while you focus on running your website, manufacturing quality products, and doing the right marketing, it’s best to leave the hassles of shipping to the experts- your courier partner for eCommerce. They handle packaging, delivery, returns, and even customer queries.

Ensuring Top-Notch Packaging

From processing to packaging, every step matters when delivering products in top condition. An ideal courier partner for eCommerce will handle your orders seamlessly, ensuring safety, especially for fragile items that require extra packaging.

As experts in the field, they will know exactly what material to use for packaging your products and ensuring they reach your customers without any damage. This will save you the hassle of incurring additional costs for packaging material. 

Expansion, Delivery Horizons & Fostering Growth

The maxim goes the more you sell, the more you make. A reliable eCommerce delivery partner will help you make more. With a shipping partner, it gets easier to expand beyond the state and across the country. Moreover, as you grow your business, international expansion becomes easy. Leveraging the extensive network and expertise of a shipping partner simplifies navigating hurdles and legal intricacies. From the confines of a remote town, your products can travel the globe, reaching even the most remote corners with ease.

What to Look for When Choosing an eCommerce Shipping Partner

Pricing

When picking the right shipping service for your online store, cost must be your top priority. Shipping is an added cost to your roster and can eat into your profits a lot if not done carefully. 

While all that your customers love is ‘free shipping’, it is not always ideal for you. Because if it’s free shipping for customers, it will cut your pocket. Therefore, it should only be borne if you have higher margins and a minimum order quantity policy.

Also, you must check what your competitors are charging for shipping before you hitch your wagon to a shipping partner. Even if you’re just starting out and delivering locally, confirm the delivery rates of shipping pan-India beforehand so that you never lose a customer. And most importantly, watch out for hidden costs and insurance costs before locking down on a shipping solution.  

Speed

Think as a customer: You have ordered the Swiss Military watch that you have been saving for 5 months. As soon as you place the order, wouldn’t an invisible stopwatch start in your mind?

Similarly, for any buyer, the anticipation to receive a product is at an all-time high. And the happiness goes through the roof if the delivery comes early. But if there are delays or issues with the delivery, you not only lose a customer but also risk them telling others about their bad experience.

Word of mouth is a powerful way to advertise. Custom orders usually take longer, but with competition like Amazon which offers same-day delivery, people expect you to copy the same!

Perhaps, it is a must that your eCommerce shipping partner has a large network of delivery networks that ensure superfast delivery. Express shipping may incur extra charges, so make sure to check the fees before you decide.

Reliability

What good will a ripe red apple be when you open it and find it rotten? Similarly, if a customer receives a damaged package despite choosing express delivery, what’s the use? 

You need reliable eCommerce shipping solutions that not only package products securely but also ensure damage-free transit. Weather and infrastructure challenges are inevitable, so your shipping partner must be prepared to deal with it all.

Reach

eCommerce is like a big playground for selling your stuff. All you need is a reliable shipping partner who can deliver everywhere in this playground. Make sure to check if the shipping solution covers all the places you want to send your stuff to. Some can go worldwide, while others stick to local or domestic areas. So, before picking the shipping partner find your needs.

Accountability

Mostly the shipping company’s warehouse is way out of town, making the journey to the customer even longer. Providing tracking options can ease the worries of both- seller and buyer.

eCom giants like Myntra and Amazon let you track your order’s journey from pickup to delivery right in their apps. While showing this to the customer is optional, you must keep tabs on your package’s whereabouts as the owner. This is the best way to assure your customers. So, when choosing a shipping solution, make sure it takes responsibility for letting you know where the package is!

Tips To Consider When Choosing An eCommerce Shipping Partner

Ensure Their Service Match Your Product & Customer Needs

A deep research is all you need! Know how your products differ from your competitors in terms of dimension, weight, and price. Get a good grasp of how many items you ship each week. It will help determine the right prices of a courier partner.

But hold on your horses! Check your customer’s location, delivery time, when they need the order, and how much they are willing to shell out for delivery. 

These elements should impact your decision when you choose an eCommerce shipping service. It’s crucial to understand your customer needs and how the shipping company will match up to these needs, before sealing the deal.

Seek Out The Ability To Deliver Your Packages

From delivery speed to tracking and costs, everything is crucial for your business- big or small. But don’t just take our word for it – check out these delivery digits:

1. 43% of shoppers are itching for speedier deliveries, reports Statista.
2. Over 80% of online shoppers are crossing their fingers for same-day shipping.
3. The global Same Day Delivery Market is set to hit a whopping USD 16739 Million by 2027.

So if you want to select a courier company, delivery speed should be your priority. A little foresight goes a long way in picking the fastest and most cost-effective courier service. 

For instance, if you’re planning deliveries a couple of times a week, give your courier partner a heads-up at least a week ahead to dodge any shipping delays. And remember, delivery routes can throw a curveball – think traffic jams or a flat tire. Assess these carefully to ensure your goods reach your customers on time.

Check for Courier Tracking Capability

As an independent business or a DTC brand, you should always be on your toes and know the whereabouts of your package. This is why your courier service should be able to offer you tracking details with accurate updates. This tracking capability is also helpful in communicating the estimated date of delivery to your buyer.  

Tracking options are like having a secret window into the delivery world – they bring transparency and let you make appropriate choices that put your customers first.

With Dispatch’s unique shipping tracking solution, keep track of all your shipments on a single platform. Enter your AWB number or Order ID to track the status of your order. 

Compare The Pricing Model For Each Shipping Courier 

There’s no standard answer to how much you should spend on a courier service. Shipping costs can be a big headache, especially on a tight budget. A whopping percentage of online shoppers bail on their carts because of sky-high shipping rates.

It’s crucial to compare the pricing of different courier companies that you select. While some sellers are willing to shell out more for speedy shipping, don’t fall for the cheapest option – it could mean sacrificing quality services. Some shipping companies may hide surcharges in their pricing models, so sticking to reputable couriers is a good way to go about selecting a shipping partner for your small business.

On top of the price, quality should not be ignored when choosing a carrier to ship your products. Considering these factors when evaluating a potential courier company will help minimise the risk associated with your business and its supply chain. 

Assess Industry Experience & Reliability 

When it comes to picking the correct option for your business, checking the reliability of a courier company and their experience is always worth the effort. Ideally, go for an established service that is well-seasoned and works with companies like yours. 

Focus on companies that ship to all the pin codes that you want to send your products to combined with multiple courier services. This will give you a breather, enabling you to focus on your core business. A reliable courier company can help grow your company’s positive reputation and meet your customers expectations.

Unreliable shipping service will end up costing you more trouble. How?  Hidden costs or late delivery, or worse, which in turn can ruin your company’s reputation.  Opting for a partner that keeps things transparent throughout the shipping process is a must, ensuring your customers stay in the loop every step of the way.

Check For Packaging And Shipping Supplies

Proper packaging keeps the parcel safe uptil fulfilment. Studies show that the choice of packaging plays a major role in catching customers’ attention. The packaging of the product itself is the reflection of the brand value and product quality.

Shipping partners are responsible for proper packaging, labelling, and shipping regulations related to the product. Ensure that they understand the packaging guidelines well as it helps in damage-free shipment. For example, putting cushions around products reduces the risk of damage caused by the bumps during transportation.

Extreme temperatures, both high and low, as well as humidity, can cause cardboard boxes to get wet with condensation. If the temperature goes over 40-45 degrees Celsius, it can also change how the packaging material works. Other things like dust, dirt, smells, humidity, and rain should also be thought about by the shipping company to stop anything from getting damaged. The delivery company needs to be on their feet to ensure the packaging keeps the products inside safe.

Find low-cost and high-quality packaging materials and get packaging delivered to your doorstep with Dispatch. It ensures mapping SKUs and processing all orders with uniform packaging.

Ask About Additional Shipping Services

It’s a good idea to check if your chosen shipping partner offers any added services. Popular shipping aggregators ship orders and provide a full range of services, including packaging, labelling, order tracking, warehouse management, eCommerce fulfilment, and logistics. You should consider all these additional offerings, or maybe a good partner may offer these services at a low cost.

For example, you could ask the shipping company if they offer integrations with your eCommerce website provider. This can make it easier for people to see your products online and it also makes it easier to track your orders.

Choose a shipping partner with all these options and ensure they can support this while shipping your valuable goods. It’s even better if they provide shipping insurance, so you can feel confident knowing you can claim if anything goes wrong and your package goes missing or gets damaged during delivery.

Clarify Your Need For Customer Service 

Dealing with shipping problems or delays can be a major headache for any eCommerce business. That’s why choosing a shipping company that offers reliable customer support is crucial. Here’s what you should look for:

1. Customer support over the phone and email: Make sure your chosen shipping company responds immediately to calls and emails so you can quickly resolve any issues.
2. AI-enabled live chat: An AI-powered live chat feature can provide immediate assistance to your customers, enhancing their experience and resolving queries efficiently.

How can you grow with Dispatch?

Choosing the right eCommerce delivery partner is crucial for the success of your small business. As discussed throughout this blog, factors such as reliability, affordability, and transparency play vital roles in making this decision.

Dispatch emerges as an ideal choice for small businesses looking to streamline their shipping processes and foster growth. With Dispatch’s rate calculator, you can accurately estimate shipping costs upfront, allowing you to budget effectively and avoid any surprises. Moreover, its economic rates make it an attractive option for businesses aiming to maximise profits.

Improve eCommerce shipping with RapidShip, which contains powerful features to bring out ease in the shipping, packaging, and fulfillment process. The Dispatch panel gives you a dashboard that carries all data ranging from gross weight, dimensions, pickup address, etc. Furthermore, you can process all orders from this dashboard and know the status of every order.

Additionally, Dispatch’s tracking services offer complete transparency, ensuring that you and your customers can monitor the progress of shipments every step of the way. This level of transparency not only builds trust but also enhances the overall customer experience.

By partnering with Dispatch, small businesses can not only meet their delivery needs efficiently but also pave the way for sustainable growth and success in the competitive eCommerce landscape.