Today’s consumers expect fast and free shipping wherever they shop online.
Amazon Prime has set the standard when it comes to ecommerce shipping: Two-, one-, and even same-day shipping have become the norm.
As Chris Mims wrote in his 2018 Wall Street Journal article on “The Prime Effect”: “Alongside life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, you can now add another inalienable right: two-day shipping on practically everything.”
- eBay Fast ‘n’ Free: Listings that feature the Fast ‘n’ Free logo guarantee that shoppers will receive the item within 4 days if both the buyer and the seller are located in the contiguous United States.
- Walmart 2-day delivery: Walmart 2-day guarantees delivery within 2 business days for the contiguous United States. It’s completely free for shoppers, with no minimum purchase.
Sellers across marketplaces need to keep up with these fast-evolving customer expectations by providing fast, free shipping — or risk losing business. 38% of customers say they’ll never buy from an online seller again following a negative delivery experience.
On the other hand, if you offer a great customer experience all the way through delivery (and returns, if need be), you’ll reap the benefits:
- Customers will be more likely to buy from you again
- They’ll tell their friends and networks about the awesome experience, driving new business
- You’ll see increased sales and revenue
- Fewer shoppers will abandon carts
- And much more…
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of offering fast and free shipping — and the fulfillment methods your business can leverage to create a best-in-class shipping experience.
Here are a few of the main benefits of offering fast and affordable (or free!) shipping on your online store or marketplace.
1. Increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment
44% of online shoppers who abandon their carts cite shipping and handling costs as the primary reason. 24% of customers have canceled an order due to too-slow shipping. Reduce cart abandonment and keep conversions high by offering the fast and free shipping your customers expect.
2. Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty
73% of online shoppers expect affordable, fast delivery. When you meet this expectation, they’ll come back for more — and tell their friends. You can also include free shipping offers as part of a loyalty program, which is exactly how Amazon Prime has come to have over 100 million Prime members — and redefine ecommerce shipping standards.
3. Increase average order value
When you offer free shipping at a minimum purchase threshold (like free shipping for all orders over $50), many shoppers will add additional products to their cart to meet the minimum. A 2015 study conducted by comScore and UPS found that 52% of American shoppers have added extra products to their shopping cart to meet a minimum purchase threshold.
Fulfillment methods
Different fulfillment methods fit different businesses’ needs; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Here are some of the ways ecommerce merchants can offer free and fast shipping across marketplaces and shopping carts.
Self-fulfillment
Some merchants choose to fulfill orders out of their own warehouses. Fulfilling orders in-house gives you full control over your packing and shipping processes — which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Offering same-day (or even two-day) shipping can be unreliable and expensive when fulfilling orders in-house and relying directly on the major providers. It can be difficult to meet different marketplace’s fast shipping guarantees (and qualify for Amazon Prime and eBay Fast ‘n’ Free badges) when fulfilling orders in-house.
Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)
Over half of the top 1000 sellers on Amazon use Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). This lets merchants become part of the Amazon Prime program, which guarantees two-day shipping to customers who buy their products from Amazon. Unlike Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program, where you’re responsible for shipping out orders with two-day shipping, FBA means that Amazon stores, packs, and ships your inventory to the end customer.
Of course, Amazon Prime only applies to orders placed on the Amazon marketplace; if you sell on other marketplaces or through your own site, you’ll need an additional fulfillment method for those orders. FBA also incurs seller fees on each item shipped through Amazon.
What Are The Benefits of Express Delivery In The E-Commerce Industry?
- Customers receive orders faster
- Affordable delivery prices
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Products are guaranteed to arrive safely
- Shops have less inventory in storage
- It can be done by any type of store
One of the main factors that contributed to the rise of the e-commerce industry is accessibility. The fact that anyone in the world can search for and buy almost anything at any time is a huge importance. What helped make online shops even more accessible? Express delivery.
Express delivery is a crucial factor in the success of online stores. People want to get their newly purchased products in the shortest time possible. And most importantly, they do not want to pay a large cost for it.
Any type of company that makes use of express delivery will experience improved customer satisfaction. They will also have less inventory in storage.
Want to know more about the benefits of express delivery in the e-commerce industry? Read on!
Customers Receive Orders Faster
The most important part of express delivery is that it can help you deliver your products faster. This means that once your customer finalizes their order, they can expect to receive it in as fast as a few hours up to a few days. This is a huge difference compared to traditional delivery methods, which could last from a couple of weeks to even a few months.
The rates of your customer satisfaction can be easily improved by a shorter delivery time. Another big factor that can affect customer satisfaction is its affordable delivery prices.
Affordable Delivery Prices
Customers who want to receive their products faster are willing to pay for premiums such as express delivery. Your goal is to find a system that can deliver packages faster and at a lower rate compared to your competitors. Take a look at the various prices offered by express delivery services in order to give your customers the best deals.
Accessibility, speed, and affordability are crucial in terms of building the trust of your customers. Once you have all of this, expect an increase in your customer satisfaction rates.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Nowadays, it is not enough to simply have a great product. How it gets to the customer and in what condition also plays a huge role in customer satisfaction. If your customers are happy with the service that they experience, they will most likely come back for more future transactions.
Besides improving the experience of customers, express delivery can also help in other factors of your company.
Products Are Guaranteed To Arrive Safely
Express delivery highly values the safety of your products as it goes on its way to expecting customers. Drivers and handlers have to undergo intensive training in order to ensure that all parcels are delivered safely and on time. Care and respect are the most important values that express deliverers embody.
Once your satisfied customers start coming back from more, expect to have less inventory stuck in storage. This will save you up on a number of preventable costs.
Shops Have Less Inventory In Storage
Having too much inventory in your storage may require you to invest in an inventory management system. This would take a lot of your money, time, and space. Instead, collaborate with an express delivery company that handles logistical elements. They can better manage your inventory at a lower cost.
Take note that making use of express delivery services can be done by any type of store.
Can Be Done By Any Type of Store
Express delivery can be utilized by any type of store, both online and physical. If your company sells specialty shoes from an online store, express delivery can help. If you own a physical store and want to further expand your reach, then express delivery can also help.
Companies from any industry can also benefit from express delivery. Popular examples that make use of express delivery services are the beauty, medical, and retail industries. Express delivery is also recommended for those that sell perishable items such as fresh produce and fresh flowers.
These are just some of the benefits of express delivery in the e-commerce industry. Take these into consideration as you look for the best option for your company.
Key Takeaway
Are you the owner of an online store looking to improve your customer satisfaction?
Are you looking for a safe way to get your customers their products at a shorter time?
Are you interested in giving your customers affordable or even free delivery prices?
You may want to highly consider investing in express delivery. This will give your customers their newly purchased products in a shorter time. Not only will customers receive their products faster, but they can also be ensured that it will come in good shape. These two factors combined will boost your customer satisfaction ratings.
The happier your customers are, the more likely they are to come back for more transactions, which means more sales for your company.
Today’s consumers expect fast and free shipping wherever they shop online.
Amazon Prime has set the standard when it comes to ecommerce shipping: Two-, one-, and even same-day shipping have become the norm.
As Chris Mims wrote in his 2018 Wall Street Journal article on “The Prime Effect”: “Alongside life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, you can now add another inalienable right: two-day shipping on practically everything.”
That’s why online marketplaces like eBay and Walmart have jumped on the 2-day shipping bandwagon:
- eBay Fast ‘n’ Free: Listings that feature the Fast ‘n’ Free logo guarantee that shoppers will receive the item within 4 days if both the buyer and the seller are located in the contiguous United States.
- Walmart 2-day delivery: Walmart 2-day guarantees delivery within 2 business days for the contiguous United States. It’s completely free for shoppers, with no minimum purchase.
Sellers across marketplaces need to keep up with these fast-evolving customer expectations by providing fast, free shipping — or risk losing business. 38% of customers say they’ll never buy from an online seller again following a negative delivery experience.
On the other hand, if you offer a great customer experience all the way through delivery (and returns, if need be), you’ll reap the benefits:
- Customers will be more likely to buy from you again
- They’ll tell their friends and networks about the awesome experience, driving new business
- You’ll see increased sales and revenue
- Fewer shoppers will abandon carts
- And much more…
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of offering fast and free shipping — and the fulfillment methods your business can leverage to create a best-in-class shipping experience.
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