For most small businesses, shipping their products effectively and efficiently is a major concern. To help take some of the pressure off, we’ve gathered some of our best small business shipping tips below. Take advice from a top box printing company, and learn how to make sure your products arrive in style and on time.
How You Can Save
You already know that packaging your products in custom designed boxes is a wonderful way to make the unwrapping experience even more special for your customers. But sometimes, those extra graphics can cost a bit more. To cut costs in other ways, look at the size of your boxes as compared to the size of your products. Are you paying for extra protective padding and layers that you don’t really need? Are you shipping a small necklace the same box that you ship your larger products out in? Reevaluate the size of your boxes, and consider ordering several different dimension options. Plus, making sure your products fits snugly inside your box and that they don’t have a lot of extra room to slide around minimizes the chances of something breaking.
Another great way to cut costs on shipping? Keep your eye on the calendar. Especially around holidays or seasonal peaks, lost orders, last-minute rush jobs, and quick shipping to make up for errors can really add up. Begin the shipping fulfillment process as soon as you get an order. Taking the time to review orders every day can help you avoid costly disasters, and make sure you’re always keeping shipping cut-offs in the back of your mind.
How to Help Your Customers
Customers are often impatient! To help keep your customers informed, always offer tracking numbers when you ship out a product. In addition to this appeasing nervous last-minute shoppers, it also cuts down on the amount of customer inquiries you’re sure to receive when shoppers start to wonder when their order will be delivered. So much of preparing for the shipping madness relies on preventative measures.
Consider offering free or lower cost shipping in the weeks leading up to promotional events or holidays. Online shopping means that customers now have more options than ever about where they’re going to buy their products – and high shipping costs often cause customers to look elsewhere. You probably know from your own experience that exorbitant shipping costs can cause you to rethink your entire order from an online shop. Offering free or flat rate shipping, even if it’s just on a specified day or time period, shows that you’re the kind of company that treats its customers well. Make sure your customers complete their purchase and don’t abandon their carts at the last minute by offering reduced or free shipping.
Now that you’ve read through our awesome list of commercial shipping tips, don’t you feel empowered to improve your shipping process? There are always ways to save both you and your customers money – without sacrificing quality or your brand image.
To improve your shipping process, start building your own custom shipping boxes, folding cartons, or contact us and we’ll help you with all your questions.
