This blog is part two in a four-part series about ways that order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the full guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here.
Sh
This blog is part two of a four-part series about how order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the complete guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here.
Shipping fees are notorious for causing customers to abandon their shopping carts. Many times in ecommerce, cost and convenience outweigh loyalty. A retailer’s ability to get orders to their buyers as quickly and cheaply as possible can mean the difference between closing a sale and losing it to a competitor. That’s why online retailers must constantly evaluate their current offerings, compare them to rival sites, and find the best services at the lowest costs for them and their customers.
If your shipping options require a little refresh, consider these points:
- Free shipping is here to stay – so embrace it. It’s proven that free shipping drives repeat sales and customer satisfaction. Look at your operations stats and find ways that free shipping can work for your brand. Check out our post on the topic for some ideas!
- Know what your products need and what your customers want. Don’t waste your time and money offering shipping options that don’t make sense for your business. For example, if your products are perishable or time-sensitive at the time of order (floral arrangements, certain keepsakes), offering standard ground shipping will probably lead to confused and angry customers who don’t know how slow that method can be. Similarly, if your products are lightweight, small, and flat, you might consider an alternative to standard freight carriers. Analyze your current shipping trends and collect customer feedback on what they’d like to see offered. The results will help you shape your offerings and maximize customer satisfaction.
- Expand your options with an operations partner. Many retailers don’t qualify for volume-based shipping discounts or programs on their own. By partnering with an outsourced fulfillment provider, you can expand your service options and carrier choices while reducing your freight costs and your customers’ shipping charges.
Download our resource guide with even more tips – and keep checking back to learn other ways that fulfillment can impact customer satisfaction!
Miss the first installment? Read about how order delivery can help make your next ecommerce sale.
ipping charges are notorious for causing customers to abandon their shopping carts. In the new era of ecommerce where cost and convenience outweigh loyalty, a retailer’s ability to get orders to their buyers as quickly and cheaply as possible can mean the difference between closing a sale and losing it to a competitor. That’s why it is imperative that online retailers are always evaluating their current offerings, comparing them to rival sites, and finding the best services at the lowest costs both for them and their customers.
If your shipping options are in need of a little refresh, consider these points:
- Free shipping is here to stay – so embrace it. It’s been repeatedly proven that free shipping drives both repeat sales and customer satisfaction. Look at your operations stats and find ways that free shipping can work for your brand. (And make sure to check out our post on the topic for some ideas!)
- Know what your products need – and what your customers want. Don’t waste your time and money offering shipping options that don’t make sense for your business. For example, if your products are perishable or are very time-sensitive at the time of order (floral arrangements, certain keepsakes, etc.), offering standard ground as a shipping method will probably just lead to confused and angry customers who don’t know how slow that method can be. Similarly, if your products are lightweight, small, and flat, you might consider an alternative to standard freight carriers. Analyze your current shipping trends and collect customer feedback on what they’d like to see offered – the results will help you shape your offerings and maximize customer satisfaction.
- Expand your options with an operations partner. Many retailers don’t qualify for volume-based shipping discounts or programs on their own – but by partnering with an outsourced fulfillment provider, you can expand your service options and your carrier choices while also reducing your freight costs (and, in turn, your customers’ shipping charges!).
Download our resource guide with even more tips – and keep checking back to learn other ways that fulfillment can impact customer satisfaction!