If you can’t price competitive shipping from the start, here are some ways to make your sales success. Create a web page that describes your shipping process. Display shipping, taxes, and other charges here so your customers can see them. Offer free shipping or allow customers who spend a certain amount of money to pay a lower shipping cost. You can go further by offering a promotional code or a tkmaxx discount code with each order . Consider running contests on social media or giving your customers surprises.
All businesses are different, so you need to choose the options that suit your business model. You may need to look for more efficient delivery options. Remember that a well-packaged and safely delivered product demonstrates your level of commitment to your products and your customers.
Pay attention to your competition
Finding your competitive advantage is simple: just research your competition and compare their ideas to your business plan. To get as much information as possible, do the following:
Check out their website. Visit their entire website and target their strengths and weaknesses. Consider their photos, products, product description, layout, and advertising messages on each page.
Sign up for their newsletter. This will give you a better idea of how your competitors are using their newsletters to communicate with their customers. Analyze the content shared, how often the newsletter is sent, and the links included in each email. Check out their blog. See how often they post online and what topics they cover. Follow them on social media. Check out their comments section for positive and negative feedback from their customers. Consider recurring complaints from customers about their products or shipping methods – you may gain a competitive advantage.
Add a product to your cart, but do not complete the purchase process. See whether or not they send email regarding shopping cart abandonments and find out how they communicate with potential customers. Take a look at their prices. Don’t forget to take a look at the prices displayed on each of their platforms to get an idea of what your target customers are willing to pay. Check the total cost, which includes taxes and shipping. Buy a product. Evaluate the product itself, the product packaging, the shipping time and how the company keeps you updated during the process.
By analyzing the competition, you can find out which practices to adopt and which to avoid.
Think about your shipping methods
High shipping costs are one of the main reasons customers abandon online shopping. In fact, 41% of shoppers abandon their shopping cart if the shipping costs are higher than expected. We recommend setting a fixed shipping cost as well as offering free shipping or allowing customers who spend a certain amount of money to pay a lower shipping cost. Customers are more likely to purchase more items to get free shipping. While shipping products may seem straightforward, it could lead to higher costs and customer dissatisfaction if you disregard the following variables.
Packaging
Packaging your product is an important step in production and customer service. In addition to the speed of shipping, you must take into account the fragility, volume and weight of your products. Businesses have access to boxes, padded envelopes and labels of all sizes, as well as packaging materials. Many of them source with regular packaging options to minimize and simplify shipping costs, which benefits businesses and their customers.
Shipping
Choosing your packaging options is only half the job. All that’s left for you to consider is how your products will be transported. Several factors can influence the transport, including the volume and weight of the package, the tracking service and insurance. To learn more about shipping times and methods, here are a few websites that will help you with your research:
- Canada Post
- UPS
- FedEx
- USPS
- Testing the purchasing process
Regardless of your choice of sender, make a purchase on your website. Note the shipping time, as well as the quality, condition and appearance of the package upon receipt. These factors can greatly influence how your customers perceive your brand and their overall experience.
Establish your return policy for online purchases
An important part of building customer loyalty is a very effective return policy. If your customers know your returns process is riddled with obstacles, they’ll think twice before making a purchase from your website. On the other hand, if a customer places an order and finds your return policy frustrating, you may need to respond to a chargeback .
A well-developed return policy should be the perfect balance between customer satisfaction and your bottom line. So, to help you design your return policy, consider the following:
Deadlines. Typically, depending on their policy, retail businesses allow returns within 14 to 30 days. On the other hand, if you are selling perishable foods, cosmetic products that may cause hygiene concerns when they are returned, or seasonal items, your return policy should include these factors.
Proof of purchase. A receipt informs you that the product is from your store and confirms the date and amount of the purchase.
Adequate packaging. Certain products, such as computers or cosmetics, must be tried before the customer knows if they are satisfied or not. So make sure that your return policy is reasonable and appropriate, your customers greatly value this gesture.
Also make sure that your in-store return policy is the same as the one online. Create a web page that includes your shipping and return policies, as well as frequently asked questions about orders. You should also display the options for exchange or store credit. The majority of retailers offer gift card credits if the customer chooses to return their item after the stated return period.
Think about your brand image
The last step in preparing your e-commerce business is to direct your customer’s attention to your online presence. You can build your website however you want, however, your website should match your overall brand identity . Think about your target customers, how they interact with your online business, and what experience you want them to experience on your site. First, choose your domain name , which is where people can find you online. Try to keep the same name, because people will be able to recognize your brand more easily, the one that you have already worked hard in your physical business.
