It is estimated that 77% of global survey respondents abandoned their online shopping carts because of disappointing shipping options. A great shipping and delivery outcome matters to customers. It is part of the overall customer experience and can influence their decisions to repeat purchases. What ecommerce buyers want is to get their hands on their goods when they want them. They are after convenience and do not like long wait times or tricky shipping solutions.
Offering Different Shipping Options
Global ecommerce growth for this year is estimated at 12.7% with value reaching up to $5 trillion. Given that there are over 24 million online sites, ecommerce competition is stiff. Consequently, businesses need to look at their strategies to increase and sustain sales. For example, an important factor to consider is convenient payment options. Customers should have different alternatives available and at the same time, merchants must be able to afford these payment services. They should also be easy to set up and offer transparent pricing for businesses.
Shipping is another key factor in the success of an online business. Customers love fast and free shipping because they feel that they are getting a good deal. Unfortunately, companies like Amazon that offer free two-day shipping to its Prime customers, have raised the bar high. Ecommerce merchants find it very challenging to meet the expectations of customers because not everyone has deep pockets like giant retailers. The key, therefore, is to strike a good balance between the shipping options offered to consumers. To illustrate, merchants can offer free standard shipping within 3-5 business days, a slightly longer period than what Amazon promises. Sellers can also offer fast overnight shipping at a cost.
Free Shipping is Not Enough
The good news is merchants do not have to rely on free shipping alone to create a positive user experience. They can offer other perks that will keep their clients happy. One vital factor is to define delivery expectations upon checkout. Stating a date when they will receive their order and the price, they are willing to pay is imperative for the experience. It goes without saying that their product must be delivered on time because failure to honor the expectation will cause disappointment and even cost repeat purchase.
It is also ideal to offer package tracking so that when there are delays, it is easy to communicate with the customer quickly. Informing the client of problems immediately can still result to frustrations. However, businesses can also make up for the disappointment even though delays are not their fault. Merchants can offer reimbursements, credit or discounts that can be applied to future purchase, or expedited shipping for new orders as gestures of goodwill. The main idea is shipping, and delivery are important factors that influence the overall experience of a customer. They can even dictate if a consumer will purchase a product or not.
The appetite for fast shipping or delivery keeps on growing. Businesses can rise to the challenge by offering different shipping options and being transparent.
