It’s easy to view shipping and handling as an after-thought in an e-commerce business. After all, the difficult part is selling the product to the customer. However, consumer trends show that delivery times and prices are now a key consideration in buyer decisions. This article takes a closer look at what customers want from shipping and how to meet their expectations.
Consumer Trends
Customers are increasingly heading online to make their purchases as they are always searching for the best deal. Digitally connected consumers from all over the world can access your items and they’re all looking for lower prices and greater convenience when making their purchases. This can open new markets and reach customers that would have previously been unattainable with just a brick-and-mortar store.
Fast Delivery at Low Costs
Statistics show that 61% of consumers are willing to pay more for their purchases if a company offers same-day delivery. In addition, 26% of shoppers in the US have admitted to abandoning items in their online shopping basket once they discovered that there would be long shipping times. With customers expecting to receive their items quickly, your business must consider the importance of providing speedy delivery.
Customers also want free or cheap shipping charges and it’s an important factor when they are deciding on their purchases. Offering reduced delivery costs can boost your online sales, promote larger orders and encourage repeat purchases.
Meeting Customer Expectations
Keep your customers happy by being up-front about your shipping policy. Unexpected charges and long delivery times could create bad feeling and discourage customers from returning to your site.
You may already be aware of prices to deliver items within the UK, but it’s more complex when shipping abroad. For example, packages going to Australia will have longer lead times and higher costs. Consult Parcel2Go’s online calculator when setting your shipping prices – this will allow to you to set a reasonable price for both domestic and international postage.
Customers value fast shipping times so stay competitive by offering same or next day delivery for their purchases, as well as an option for free delivery. A good way to keep your costs down is to offer free delivery when a customer has spent over a certain amount on your online store or at certain times of the year, such as Christmas.
Customer expectations have developed in the past few years and businesses must keep up with the increasing customer demand for receiving purchases quickly and at little or no cost for shipping. This does not have to be costly for your business if you are creative with your offer, and it can go a long way to building up customer loyalty and encouraging repeat purchases.
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