How to choose the right shipping service for your small business

Image by Gino Crescoli from Pixabay

By Henry Brown

If you have an e-commerce business you will probably need to ship your products to your customers. Shipping your product is one of the most important processes in your entire business. This means you have to choose a shipping service wisely.

There are a lot of services out there each of them will promise you good support but not all of them are capable of delivering on their promises. A bad shipping service can mean the failure of your business.

This means that you cannot afford to make a mistake. If you are a new business owner or even if you’ve been in business for a while you may be wondering how you can go about selecting the right service for your needs. Take a look at the essential things you need to look at when selecting a shipping service for your business.

Speed

The speed of delivery is extremely important when you are selecting a delivery service. Companies such as Amazon have made customers have high expectations about delivery. While you may not be able to keep up with Amazon’s rates of shipping, your shipping delivery rate should be competitive with others in your industry.

If your competitors are giving same-day deliveries or next-day service then you need to keep up. If you don’t then you will be at a disadvantage. The bottom line is, the faster you can deliver your products, the happier and more satisfied your customers will be.

You can use a service such as https://mosimtec.com/simulation-for-business/ to simulate the delivery process from start to finish to see how it will impact your business.

Size of the goods

The type of products that you sell should be a determining factor in what type of shipping service you choose. Some shipping services are not willing to carry goods that are over a certain weight.

If you ship goods that are on the heavier side, you may have to look for a shipping service that is willing to deliver these products for you to your consumers.

The weight of the product that you are shipping will have an impact on how much it will cost and this will also influence how much you need to charge your customers for shipping. Try to choose a shipping company that offers you a deal based on the number of goods that you ship with them per month.

Good customer experience

The customer service that your shipping service provides is extremely important. They will be representing your business when they deliver goods to your customers. If they get something wrong your customer will be mad at you and not them. Their customer service affects your customer service.

This is how important it is. Think about what your business represents and the vision that you have for your company.

When you are selecting a shipping service you need to make sure that they are able to live up to this vision and the high standard that you have for your business. While mistakes will happen it should not be too frequent.

Frequent mistakes with delivery and shipping will give you bad reviews on social media and this can significantly harm your business. The online space has become such that anyone can give their opinion about your products and services.

While you may not be able to please everyone when you are in business you should at least try to please the majority of your customers and having a good shipping service will go a long way in doing this.

Insurance coverage

Before you choose a shipping service find out what kind of insurance they offer. As mentioned before, accidents will happen and not everything will go smoothly all the time when shipping is taking place.

Packages may get damaged during transit or they may not get delivered at all. When this happens, you need to have a contingency plan in place.

Find out about the kind of insurance coverage your shipping service offers for the goods that you are sending to your customers. There are some items that you definitely want to have covered by insurance.

Fragile items such as those that are made from glass or ceramics should always have insurance coverage while they are being shipped.

Tracking and delivery

The tracking and delivery that your shipping company offers are extremely important. You need to know where your customer’s packages are at every step of the delivery process.

Your customers will also want to know where their packages are at every stage of the delivery process. The shipping company should be able to provide you with updates that your customers can also have access to.

You also need to know when delivery has been made. They should be able to provide proof of this. A shipping company that does not let you track your packages in a timely manner and allows your customers to do the same with only leave you frustrated.

You will also frustrate your customers and this can cause them to lose faith and confidence in your business.

Choose the right shipping service

The right shipping service can bring a lot of value to your business. The wrong shipping service can make things a lot harder for your business. Make sure that the shipping service that you are using can deliver goods to your customers in the best way possible.

Remember, that the shipping service that you use will be representing your business and you want to make a good impression on your customers. If you fail to do this, you will have disgruntled customers that may never do business with you again. They may tell others and prevent you from getting new customers.

The reputation of your business is on the line so you need to make sure that you make the right choice. If you try a shipping service and it doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board to find the best option for you. The future of your business depends on it.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.

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