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Technology has transformed the landscape of retail, enabling a multitude of people all over the globe to earn money from selling products using the internet. A crucial aspect that can make or break your growing business is shipping. You can have the best product in the world, but if it does not get your client’s hands-on time, it will create dissatisfaction. What’s worse is when the product arrives broken due to incorrect shipping and faulty handling. Here’s how to ship products for your growing business.
Calculate Shipping Costs
The first thing that you must do is to calculate the actual shipping costs of sending your product to your clients. Some shippers estimate based on the weight or the dimension. Additional factors are the speed of delivery and the value of your product, especially if you insure the whole shipment.
And, of course, the final shipping rate will depend on your destination. The farther it is, the more expensive it will be. If it is an international destination, you may also have to think about customs dues. Knowing how much it will cost to ship an item will give you an idea of what to charge your clients and what shipping strategy to choose, so you can still make a handsome profit.
Choose a Shipping Strategy
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can offer in-store pickup to minimize shipping costs. You can also deliver the products yourself if they are a local client. For destinations farther away, you can use a popular service like USPS, FedEx, DHL, and UPS, and the like to ship your products. Rates vary depending on the carrier.
You can also pick another alternative called land freight if you are shipping heavy or bulky goods. This is the most sensible method because unlike typical door-to-door shippers that are very expensive because they charge for every pound, this service does not cost much.
If you are shipping your products from another place of origin, do not forget to specify that address as your shipping origin. Doing so will give you the precise shipping quotes to your clients.
To ensure that your products will arrive on time and without damage, you must pick a reliable shipping company. Research your provider because the reputation of your business hinges on your shipments. Your clients are most likely to give you a poor rating if your products arrive damaged or later than expected.
Package Your Products Well
To ensure that your products get to your intended destination in one piece, you have to package the items well. Stabilize your products and keep them secure inside the container by wrapping in bubble wrap and putting packing peanuts. All these measures cushion the blow in case your package gets jostled while the freight forwarders are handling it.
Tape the box well, so that it does not open inadvertently during transit. Make sure that the name of your client is correct, along with the address and contact information. You must also include your personal information in the waybill, too, so that in case something goes awry, the shipping company can get in touch with you quickly.
After you have sent off the item, keep the tracking number and forward it to your client. Keep it for your records and track the progress of your product’s delivery status.
Consider Building Your Own Delivery Service
An in-house fulfillment and delivery network helps avoid the difficulties of working with third-party shipping companies. Depending on what type of business you have, it may increase or decrease operating costs. In situations wherein fees charged by your local third-party shippers are outrageously high or when there is no shipping company that ships to your serviced areas, creating your own delivery system makes sense.
Final Word on Shipping
Prepare to cover extra-expenses related to packaging and shipping your products to your clients. You can put in handling fees for bulky items that need specialty boxes. However, you must be very careful when topping up with added fees because you may turn off your client. The most important thing is to keep your prices competitive in a market that is saturated with other small businesses that offer the same products as you.