The 8 Best Shipping Practices You Shouldn’t Ignore | ShipMonk

SHIPPING  PRACTICES    YOU  SHOULDN’T  IGNORE

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No  matter  the  size  of  the  business,  shipping  can  make  or  break  a  company.  

Many  new  entrepreneurs  either  don’t  give  too  much  thought  to  the  shipping  process

OR

they  don’t  fully  understand  the  complex  ecosystem  that  is  today’s  modern  shipping  and  fulfillment.  

Here  are  the    8  BEST  SHIPPING  PRACTICES  that  you  should  implement  as  soon  as  you  can.

PROVIDE   SHIPPING  RATES UPFRONT

Shipping  rates  should  NOT  be  privileged  information.  

Asking  your  prospects  to  give  up  personal  information  just  to  see  how  much  it’ll  cost  them  to  order  from  you  can  negatively  impact  your  bottom  line.

√

Not  only  should  your  shipping  rates  be  visible  on  your  shopping  cart  page—you  should  consider  making  them  visible  on  every  product  page.    

PRO  TIP:  

That  way,  your  prospects  will  have  access  to  the  information  they  need  without  having  to  leave  the  product  page.  

OFFER  

FREE  SHIP

PING

While  it  does  help  to  increase  sales  and  reduce  shopping  cart  abandonment,  we  all  know  nothing  is  really  “free.”    

Somebody  has  to  pay  the  shipping  carriers,    

but

you  don’t  necessarily  have  to  pay  the  full  rate  out  of  your  own  pocket.    

Some  of  the  best  FREE  shipping  options  include:  

¡  Increasing  the  product  price  to  cover  shipping. ¡  Paying  for  shipping  out  of  your  profit.   ¡  Slightly  increasing  product  price  to  cover  part  of  the  

shipping  (both  you  and  the  customer  each  pay  a  little). ¡  Using  free  shipping  as  a  minimum  amount  incentive  to  

encourage  customers  to  buy  more  at  one  time.  

MINIMIZE  YOUR  COSTS  

Determine  whether  your  carrier  is  billing  you  based  on  volumetric  weight  or  actual  weight.    

Length Width

Height

Actual  weight  refers  to  the  physical  weight  of  the  package  according  to  the  scale.    

Actual Weight:   24lbs.

Volumetric  weight  is  calculated  based  on  the  length,  width,  and  height  of  the  package.    

Volumetric  Weight  =

LENGTH                          WIDTH                            HEIGHT

DIMENSIONAL  FACTOR  

Save  yourself  money  by  choosing  a  packaging  option  that  minimizes  dead  space  while  maximizing  in-­‐transit  protection.  

Don’t  let  shipping  alone  be  the  real  test  of  your  packaging.  

CHECKLIST  Four  Foot  Drop  Test

One  Minute  Shake  

Silica  Gel  Packs

Polybags  &   Filler  Material

Use  the  “four-­‐foot  drop  test”  to  make  sure  that  your  package  will  survive  the  impact  of  shipping  and  handling.    

Also,  shake  it  vigorously  for  one  full  minute  to  determine  whether  it’ll  be  damaged  by  rough  handling  and/or  shifting  against  other  packages  in  the  transport  vehicle.  

Use  silica  gel  packs  to  control  package  humidity  and  to  protect  your  product  from  moisture.    

Polybags  will  immunize  your  product  from  sun  exposure.  

Filler  material—airbags,  crinkle  cut  paper,  foam,  and  bubble  wrap—will  absorb  shock  and  reduce  impact.    

You  have  to  deliver  more  than  a  product—you  also  have  to  deliver  a  great  experience.    

Add  a  Thank  You  card  or  a  small  gift,  something  on  the  order  of  a  voucher  or  a  discount.  

Also,  make  sure  to  brand  your  package.    

Custom   Brand  

Packaging

Branding  both  looks  more  professional  and  builds  top-­‐of-­‐mind  awareness.  

PROVIDE  A

TRACKING  #

Your  customers  want  to  feel  in  control  when  they  order  online.    

Not  only  do  they  want  to  know  that  their  order  has  been  received  and  processed,  

but

THANK  YOU For  your  online  purchase

they  also  want  to  be  able  to  track  the  package’s  journey  to  their  doorstep.      

IN  TRANSIT

Provide  a  definite  time  frame  for  returns  and  establish  which  products  can  be  returned  and  if  so,  under  what  conditions.    

Spell  out  exactly  how  you’ll  process  refunds  and  be  specific  about  any  documentation  you’ll  require  to  accept  the  return.

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 DAY GUARANTEE  

RETURN  POLICY

There  are  numerous  advantages  to  working  with  a  fulfillment  center.  

1,  2,  3…  

First,  because  they  ship  in  large  quantities  for  multiple  vendors,  they’re  billed  much  lower  shipping  rates  than  you  can  get  on  your  own.  

Second,  with  their  automated  processes,  they  can  substantially  reduce  shipping  time.  

Both  benefits  add  greatly  to  a  positive  experience  for  your  customers.  

Customer  Service  EXCELLENT

FAIR

POOR

TERRIBLE

If  you  have  any  questions  regarding  your  shipping  strategy,  feel  free  to  reach  out  to  us.  Our  shipping  experts  would  love  to  help  your  streamline  your  logistics.  

[email protected]              (855)  222-­‐4601   www.shipmonk.com