The 21st century can be termed as the revolutionary century that has brought an incredible transformation in the dynamics in every field. Whether science or trade, experts have invented so many things and concepts that have created a great impression on people.
Today, technology has been seen as a weapon for everyone to combat the rising challenges and complexities of the world. One of the most crucial aspects of technology is ecommerce. The way online platforms have shaped the commerce sector has been tremendous.
Ecommerce giants like Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart, etc., are famous everywhere. People often ignore the challenges and difficulties these ecommerce businesses face. One of the major challenges these organizations face is the safety of the products while shipping their products to different locations interstate as well as internationally.
These problems include packaging, storing, transportation & fuel problems., taxation, etc. Ecommerce products shipment has become a major headache for most budding startups. There are many third parties who help in resolving such shipment challenges. If you are looking for one, click here.
Apart from approaching third parties, there are many tips to ship ecommerce products to customers safely. The following section gives a complete guide for companies to attain their goals successfully.
8 Ways To Transport Ecommerce Products Safely
Organizations should follow the below-given tactics to ensure the safe shipment of their products.
1. Form & Organize A Resourceful Team
The most critical thing in any ecommerce business is speed. This speed can be seen in products manufacturing, delivery, customer care, queries, etc. In every dimension of ecommerce businesses, speed matters a lot. Therefore, the right set of people is essential before launching into a decent shipping strategy and policy.
Assign people with decent skills and knowledge of ecommerce shipment. They should focus on getting employees with excellent freight contacts. People working with speed will not only ensure the safety of products but will improve the overall productivity of the firm.
2. Shipping Policies & Rates
One of the most important decisions an online business is required to take is shipping rates & methods. Firstly, the company needs to decide the proportion of the total shipping costs they will charge from the customers.
If they are charging a negligible amount, they will have to look at various cost-cutting areas. On the other hand, if they are charging a lot from the customers, they will have to double-check the quality of their products.
After deciding on shipping costs, companies take a crucial decision of the mode of transportation and the method of shipment. There are various trends of different shipping methods like LTL, etc.
3. Accurate Weighing Of Products
The type of product and their weight determines various shipping decisions. Suppliers should weigh their products regularly to keep a check on the total costs. It will avoid sudden upscale of shipping costs.
Sometimes, modifying packaging and per pallet size can drastically affect the overall shipping costs. Removing a pallet and adjusting other quantities can be hectic and may increase company costs. Businesses should keep such things in mind while shipping the goods safely.
4. Consideration Of Significant Factors
There are many factors a business should consider while shipping their products to final customers. One such crucial variable is the tax system. Different countries possess different tax slab rates for imports.
Higher taxes will significantly affect your profitability and force you to stop transportation to that particular country. Another factor is the type of products. Hazardous or flammable goods require a high degree of attention.
The company should ensure proper temperature conditions for the shipment of products. Moreover, perishable goods require a certain degree of attention. The company should lay down certain principles guiding the drivers to take care of goods while loading-unloading them.
5. Outsourcing International Packaging
The safety of a shipment majorly depends on the type and level of packaging. There are many types of packaging material like bubble wrap, crates, cardboard boxes, tape, mailers, etc. The stiffness of packaging will determine how much protection your products will get against fire, unforeseen weather conditions, etc.
In order to meet international standards of packaging, ecommerce companies should streamline their packaging process with the help of third parties. These service providers will give you added advantage of specialization in product packaging.
6. Upscale Average Order Value
Another way to increase the efficiency of shipping products is to increase the customers’ average order value. Through this, per unit transportation cost will reduce, yielding more profits.
A supplier can club together various promotional and shipping offers to enhance the average order value and order size. These include free shipping thresholds, free delivery or shipment at a minimum price point, high-demanded goods promotions, etc.
7. Laying Down Strict Rules
Shipment rules & regulations carry utmost importance, especially while dealing with fragile goods. Drivers and concerned parties should possess enough knowledge on the type of goods & their requirements.
Ecommerce businesses should draft strict terms & conditions for different individuals. They should have negative repercussions for not following those rules. For example, while shipping flammable goods, drivers should avoid smoking, etc.
8. Thorough Research Process
A supplier should research various shipment agencies and finalize the best one. They should note down different reputed parties. The next step is to filter out the most feasible options. Select the one that gives the best possible returns in all the shipping locations.
Apart from cost, time also plays a vital role. If the shipment goes through multiple locations, it will be prone to damage. Therefore, such factors should be read well to arrive at a profitable solution.
Conclusion
There are many ways of cutting your shipping costs. But in order to safely ship your goods, it is necessary to invest a bit more. It will improve the overall standards of the product and image of the ecommerce venture. These additional investments can be converted to massive profits by expanding the reach to more public through safe shipment/delivery.