A well-thought-out eCommerce shipping and shipping solutions strategy is essential for the success of your online store. To begin with, let us first understand a few basics.
Do you know when was the first eCommerce sale made and what it was?
The first eCommerce sale was made in 1994, and it was a Sting CD.
A 21-year-old named Dan Kohn sold Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales CD to a friend, who purchased it with his credit card for $12.48 plus shipping costs. An exchange like this one is known as eCommerce today.
Therefore, in simple words, eCommerce is the sales of services and goods made through the internet. Ecommerce has come a long way since 1994 and is only growing.
Now that we’ve understood eCommerce, let’s address another important question.
What is eCommerce shipping?
Ecommerce shipping incorporates all services required to transport products purchased online from a retailer to the customer’s delivery address.
It is shipping services that make shipping of products manageable and affordable for online sellers and providing best shipping solutions. With online shopping becoming more popular and common by the day, eCommerce shipping is also getting competitive. Now large retailers like Amazon and Alibaba are making shopping faster and cheaper for their customers. Therefore, shipping via postal services like UPS and FedEx may not work as smoothly. You will need to find a faster, cost-effective, more effective shipping platform to keep up with customer expectations. That’s where an eCommerce shipping solutions like NimbusPost comes in.
NimbusPost is a tech-enabled and automated logistics aggregator platform for eCommerce sellers. It creates a delightful shipping experience for both you and your buyers. We offer the cheapest shipping rates starting at Rs 21 per 500 grams. NimbusPost provides you the option of shipping your orders with the top 7 courier partners in India, using a single platform. Our courier partners include Blue Dart, DHL, UPS, FedEx, Delhivery, Gati, Xpressbees, and others.
With the help of these courier partners, you can ship to 29000+ pin codes.
One of the biggest problems that we solve is suggesting the best courier partner for a particular shipment. Through the courier recommendation engine, NimbusPost suggests the best courier partner based on shipping rates, serviceability, return orders, ratings, etc.
Another interesting feature that NimbusPost offers is sales channel integration with marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, Shopify, etc. It saves you the time and manual effort of tallying your orders. You can integrate your channel with NimbusPost and enjoy order management and shipping as well as shipping solutions from a single platform.
Importance of Shipping
A customer’s experience with your brand can make or break your relationship with them and impact your sales. As an eCommerce business owner, you control most aspects of your customer’s experience. However, once you send off a package, a significant part of the customer relationship is the responsibility of the company that handles your shipping services and give shipping solutions. Therefore, the package must arrive on time and in perfect condition. Remember, you will not get another chance to create a good impression.
If you’re starting a new eCommerce business and looking for a shipping platform that can connect you to multiple online channels and courier services, choosing NimbusPost would be your best bet. We are trusted by over 10000+ global sellers and help eCommerce business owners to focus on their entrepreneurial strategies instead of worrying over shipping and logistics.
eCommerce Shipping Strategies
Here are some basics that set the foundation for your eCommerce shipping strategy.
1) Your shipping rates and methods:
Before you start shipping products, you need to decide your pricing strategy for shipping. Are you going to charge your customers the full cost of shipping, or are you going to offer free or flat-rate shipping? An effective way of curbing shipping costs is using a shipping aggregator like NimbusPost. We charge Rs 21/500 grams, helping business owners like you save a ton of money!
2) Product weights:
To organize the eCommerce shipping process, measure and update the weight of each product you sell. Setting up this information will help you decipher your total costs precisely and quote accurate prices to your customers.
3) Choose your preferred packaging:
Packaging and shipping were ways to receive a product purchased online earlier. However, presently more and more people are looking for shipping, packaging, and presentation as part of the eCommerce experience. With NimbusPost, you can integrate your eCommerce business with online marketplaces like Shopify that can help you select from a wide array of packaging and presentation options. The right kind of packaging and presentation can help you set your brand apart.
Ecommerce Shipping Rates
Given below are two popular eCommerce shipping rate options.
1) Flat rate shipping
Flat rate shipping means charging the same fixed shipping rate — across all orders or for all orders that fit a specific weight range, order value, or other classification.
2) Real-time carrier rates
A few eCommerce stores display real-time carrier rates at checkout. The exact shipping rates are automatically pulled from the carriers based on the customer’s location and delivery preferences. It allows an eCommerce business to charge customers the exact amount that it costs the business to ship the order.
Free shipping
Offering free shipping can minimize shopping cart abandonment and increase conversions. It can also help build customer loyalty.
Here are some ways you can offer free shipping and remain profitable at the same time:
include the shipping cost in the product price
provide free shipping in exchange for a minimum order amount
offer a discount code to certain customers for free shipping
“Free shipping has a very visceral response for consumers. A lot of people don’t want to spend money on shipping.” – Tom Caporaso, CEO, Clarus Commerce.
Ecommerce Packaging
The eCommerce packaging you use is the first interaction your customers have with your brand. Here are ways you can make a great impression:
1) Choosing your packaging: The packaging options for your eCommerce shipping are endless: corrugated, chipboard, paperboard, and many more! It is essential to consider your product type, its weight, size, shape, durability, etc. before choosing the kind of packaging.
2) Custom packaging: High-quality custom packaging can help your brand stand out, create a great first impression, generate buzz, and help build brand loyalty. It can create a better customer experience.
3) Eco-friendly packaging: The Environmental Protection Agency reports that packaging makes up one-third of all household waste. As eCommerce sales continue to increase, so will the waste they produce. Your company can keep such adverse effects in check by choosing packaging that’s safe for the planet and great for the business.
Shipping Carriers
To strengthen your eCommerce shipping and shipping solutions strategy, you must become familiar with the different shipping carriers and the services that they provide.
1) FedEx
FedEx is a global leader in providing reliable delivery services, express distribution, and time-definite delivery to 220 countries. It possesses unmatched air route authorities and transportation infrastructure with leading-edge information technologies, making FedEx Express the world’s largest express transportation company. FedEx accounts for more than 3.6 million shipments each business day.
2) Blue Dart
Blue Dart is South Asia’s premier logistics company, providing courier delivery services to major pin codes in the country. It also provides eCommerce solutions for sellers shipping abroad.
3) UPS
United Parcel Service or UPS is a multi-billion-dollar global corporation that reflects over a century of advanced transportation, international commerce, and logistics. It offers numerous shipping services across a variety of shipping destinations and transit times. It connects over 220 nations and territories across roads, rails, air, and ocean.
4) Xpressbees
Xpressbees is an e-commerce logistics specialist that provides services such as same-day delivery, next day delivery, cash on delivery, reverse pickups, and return shipments.
5) DHL
Established in 1969, DHL is one of the top logistics service providers in the world. It provides international standard parcel delivery with reliable transit times and customs clearances.
6) Gati
Gati is a pioneer in distribution and houses almost 5000 people to stay on track with the pick-up and delivery of shipments. They have round-the-clock customer support and have 5000 serviceable pin codes.
7) Delhivery
Delhivery is our country’s fastest-growing courier company and provides services in over 175 cities. It handles over 90,000 shipments daily.
Ecommerce Shipping with NimbusPost
Whether you are an established entrepreneur or a small-scale business on the rise, here’s why you should choose NimbusPost:
1) Cheapest Shipping Rates: We provide the cheapest shipping rates starting at Rs 21/500 grams. You can sign up for NimbusPost free of cost with a zero setup fee. Recharge your account at a minimal price and start shipping your products immediately.
2) Multiple Couriers & Cost Saving: From Blue Dart to DHL and FedEx, NimbusPost has the country’s best courier companies on its easy-to-use shipping platform. Through the courier recommendation engine, we suggest the best courier partner based on shipping rates, serviceability, return orders, ratings, etc. Moreover, you can save up to 30-40% on your freight bills with NimbusPost!
3) Cloud-based Call Center & Support: NimbusPost provides end-to-end support for COD orders, shipments, and other related queries. Switch to our cloud-based call center services and increase your team efficiency and analytics, as well as the recording of each action on the go. We are there to assist you at every stage of your eCommerce shipping experience.
4) Multiple Channel Integration: With channels like Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, and many more, you can choose NimbusPost for a seamless eCommerce experience for yourself and your buyers. Just add your inventory into the NimbusPost panel and manage it from right there. It saves you time and the manual effort of tallying your orders across various platforms.
5) Fast COD Reconciliation and Early COD: NimbusPost provides COD reconciliation every Tuesday & Friday. You can get the COD amount soon after delivery. In case you need extra cash anytime, we are there to help you out with early COD payments (no extra charges). We help sellers accept more COD orders as the payout time from them reduces tremendously.
6) Tech-enabled and Easy-to-Use Logistics Aggregator: Powered by the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, NimbusPost serves as your one-stop shipping solution for hassle-free and smooth shipping and fulfillment. No manual intervention is required for order synchronization and verification. These get done automatically.
7) Post Shipping Experience: Nurturing a healthy relationship with your customers is essential for your business to evolve and grow. With NimbusPost, you can provide your buyers with a delightful post-purchase experience. We can help you send customized tracking pages to customers, add your brand’s logo and support details to the tracking page, and share best selling product banners with your customers.
Additional Advantages of NimbusPost:
NimbusPost utilizes a machine-learning-based tool that recommends the best courier partner for each of your shipments. It takes into account important metrics such as delivery time and freight rate to help you make this decision with accuracy, precision, and ease. If you want to ship at the lowest rates, you can set it as your shipping priority and the courier recommendation engine will process your needs and display the most befitting carriers.
There are many other features that you can explore with NimbusPost:
Sending customized tracking page to the customer
Personalized SMS and Email notifications
Postpaid shipping services
Capturing customer feedback & reviews
Managing return requests on the go
Just recharge your wallet → add your order → choose your courier partner → start shipping your products with NimbusPost!
We hope this article helps you decide the best shipping strategies and solutions for your eCommerce business. For the best eCommerce shipping solution, you can check out more of NimbusPost’s services here or reach out to us at hello@nimbuspost.com! Happy Shipping!
