Shipping and Transport services for ecommerce
According to statistics, one of the most frequent reasons why customers abandon online shopping carts is poorly organized shipping methods.
Customers may pay additional fees, experience slow delivery times, inappropriate tracking methods, and more.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, global online e-commerce sales have increased from $3.35 B in 2019 to $5.9 B in 2023 and are forecast to grow.
A poorly structured shipping process and high delivery prices could cost you potential customers, while a proper shipping method will help you avoid possible problems and increase your revenue.
To be successful, you need to find a balance between options that are convenient for your business, the needs of your customers, and the possibilities for your logistics.
As freight forwarders , we have operational solutions for 360-degree transport and shipments: full load FTL, partial load LTL, containers, groupage, pallet shipments, parcels and envelopes. Shipments by sea, air, rail, intermodal, swap bodies.
We offer express ad hoc solutions (such as “same day” delivery) or cheaper services such as postal and courier shipments.
We manage specific COD ( Cash on Delivery ) services by appointment.
We provide consultancy to identify the most suitable solution for ecommerce, retail, wholesale and omnichannel shipments.
We support customers with consultancy on various types of packaging to guarantee the best shipping solutions.
We offer national and international shipping services, cross docking, drop shipping.
Every shipment is tracked with the utmost precision through our innovative cloud-based TMS
A good shipping strategy for your business is one solution, as the role of e-commerce delivery is vital. Before choosing the appropriate delivery model, it is best to analyze the different shipping methods first.
Below is a list of frequently used shipping types in 2024.
However, let us first remember some fundamental definitions:
As Wikipedia says , Transportation (in American English) is the intentional movement of humans, animals and goods from one place to another. Transportation modes include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles and operations. Transportation enables human trade, which is essential for the development of civilizations.
Transportation infrastructure consists of both fixed installations, including roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines, and terminals such as airports, train stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, warehouses supply stations (including docks and fueling stations) and seaports. The terminals can be used both for the exchange of passengers and goods and for maintenance.
Transportation facilities are any of several types of transportation structures used to transport people or goods. They can include vehicles, riding animals and pack animals. Vehicles can include wagons, cars, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, helicopters, boats, spacecraft, and aircraft.
Free shipping
Free shipping is still widely used in online shopping and is attractive to customers. It’s free for them but not for you. This shipping method also involves costs to cover. You can include them in your product rates and increase prices. But this decision decreases your competitiveness.
However, there are several solutions on how to successfully use free shipping for businesses:
- use it as a promotional tool to increase sales
- place emphasis on upsells and cross-sells
- suggest this shipping method exclusively to loyalty club members
- offer it as an option for slower shipping
This ecommerce delivery method ensures that customers receive their purchase the same day they pay for it.
Same-day delivery can be arranged if your company has local inventory in the same city, a streamlined courier service, and a partnership with delivery services that can offer fast order processing and
shipping.
Overnight shipping
This shipping method means the customer receives the order the next business day and most customers pay an additional fee for this service. It’s a great option for delivering critical packages that need to be received as soon as possible: medicines, important documents and more.
Shipping in two days
This type of shipping is one of the best e-commerce shipping solutions. 41% of customers expect to receive their purchases normally within 2 days of ordering. 2-day shipping is a practical solution to reduce cart abandonment, increase conversion rates and improve customer satisfaction. It gives a competitive advantage to the company that provides it. And it is also convenient, because it is not necessary to have a warehouse in every locality, but in every region.
Free shipping
Free shipping is still widely used in online shopping and is attractive to customers. It’s free for them but not for you. This shipping method also involves costs to cover. You can include them in your product rates and increase prices. But this decision decreases your competitiveness.
However, there are several solutions on how to successfully use free shipping for businesses:
- use it as a promotional tool to increase sales
- place emphasis on upsells and cross-sells
- suggest this shipping method exclusively to loyalty club members
- offer it as an option for slower shipping
Fast shipping
It is one of the fastest e-commerce shipping models that offers priority purchase delivery. It includes all types of shipments lasting less than 3 working days or those requiring overall delivery times shorter than usual deliveries.
Local delivery
Another convenient shipping method involves home delivery of the purchase made online by a customer on the same.
You can organize a local delivery with the help of your couriers or prepare the order for the customer to pick up in store himself.
Delivering directly to customers reduces any additional shipping costs.
It is a brilliant opportunity to spread your brand abroad to other countries. This e-commerce shipping delivers goods by air, sea and road. An essential point here is to find a reliable partner and carefully examine the details of taxes, regulations and additional costs.
Shipping White Gloves
Customized shipping solutions with delivery booking and managed by a specific operator for high quality, luxury and expensive items. Transit times and delivery methods are customized based on the merchant, merchandise and recipient.
Thanks to our 30 years of experience, our partners and our solutions, we are the experts in the world of b2c and b2b e-commerce shipping and transport.
We will not provide you with ONE solution, but we will propose countless ones to identify the best solutions for your needs, be they price, quality of service, type of service or delivery times. We will work as your personal consultant to find the best solutions for you!
Starting from a single shipping management system (TMS), you will have the possibility to use most national and international couriers.
With a single integration you will open the doors of the world to your business: envelopes, parcels, groupage, LTL, FTL, container shipments, white gloves, we are ready to assist you.
We will offer you solutions with express couriers, postal solutions, same-day delivery, low-cost insurance, cash on delivery management, shuttles and much more.
We can customize SMS, emails, messages during the shipping life.
We offer high-level solutions for Cross Docking Italy and Drop Shipping Italy
Shipping rates
As for the rates of different e-commerce shipping services, they directly depend on four factors:
- Packaging cost
- Labor cost
- Commissions by the courier for delivering the order
- Import/export, government taxes and additional costs
- Flat rate shipping
Flat rate shipping is a popular option in e-commerce. In this case the shipping price does not depend on the weight, shape or size of the package, but on how much you can pack in a flat rate shipping box. This point makes it suitable for small businesses or those with a standard product line that includes similar products or the same size and weight.
- Shipping rate table
This type of e-commerce delivery involves shipping rates based on several criteria such as delivery location, shipping zone, weight, numbers of items, and price. This method is suitable for businesses with a wide variety of products that require multiple shipping options .
- Real-time courier rates
The rates here are formed by real-time calculation based on the product and delivery address. This method is a good option for managing delivery costs directly to the customer .
The variety of e-commerce shipping services is wide. A proper delivery strategy helps you make your business more efficient, stay strong in the competition, and improve the satisfaction and loyalty of your customers.
Other services to consider:
- National and international shipping services, with and/or without tracking.
- Postal service e-commerce shipments, return shipments and related ancillary services.
- COD (COD) shipping service for e-commerce and retail, i.e. Cash on delivery and weekly reporting.
- Services with returns management, accounting management.
- Domestic and international e-commerce, retail, wholesale, omnichannel shipping service.
- Express courier services, with guaranteed transit times and ancillary and value-added services
- Shipping services with personalized SMS and email, delivery by appointment, all-risk insurance coverage.
- On-demand, value-added ad hoc shipping services (e.g., white gloves).
- Shipping services related to logistics services such as: LTL, FTL, Shuttling.
- Shipping services by container, truck, ship, air, intermodal, rail and specific services as a freight forwarder
- Services with specific transit times such as Same Day services or pre-booked delivery services.
- Tailored services for retail, e-commerce, omnichannel and future Metaverse logistics customers.
Another important aspect to consider:
- Design packing materials
Your product packaging can have a big impact on whether customers return for future purchases, which is why we recommend taking the time to think about how to package your products.
Packaging materials that you may want to consider creating unique designs for are:
- Boxes/bags
- Tissue paper/filler
- Tape
- Stickers
- Business cards
- Branded promotional material
- Personalized notes
The more unique your packaging materials are, the more they will stick in the minds of your customers . You can also consider adding customizable thank you cards to each of your packages.
Focus on your packaging design before you even start selling your first product, so you can start wowing your audience right from the start.
- Pack your order
Now it’s time to package your order or put all the ordered items in a box to ship to your customer. Be sure to insert the package filling material before placing the products in the box gently and safely.
Place any additional packaging materials in the box, such as stickers, a business card, a thank you card, or a personalized note. Then seal the package and prepare it for shipping.
- Print the shipping label
Place the shipping label right on top of the sealed package and place it to the side as you proceed to pack any other orders you may have.
- Drop off orders at the shipping facility of your choice
Once you’ve finished packing all your orders, it’s time to take them to the shipping store! As we mentioned, there are several options available, from FedEx to UPS or DHL Express, BRT, GLS and many more.
Place all your orders in your car and take them to your local shipping facility. You’ll also want to get tracking numbers so your customers can see when to expect delivery.
Or take advantage of an e-commerce fulfillment warehouse
Turn our four-step guide into a two-step guide and don’t worry about shipping products yourself. Using an e-commerce logistics warehouse , all you need to do is design the packaging materials, then send these and your products to the fulfillment center .
Leader in the management of Logistics, Transport and Value-Added Operational Services for the B2C, B2B, Retail, Wholesale, Omnichannel e-commerce sectors with over 30 years of experience.
With direct logistics structures in Italy and an international network , capable of facilitating the growth and expansion of brands and companies.
We operate with a wide range of logistics solutions, valid from the smallest projects to the largest and most complex ones.
We manage logistics services for various sectors such as: Fashion, Luxury, Footwear, Cosmetics and Health Products, Dietary Products, Food Supplements, Merchandising, Dry Food, Coffee and Sports Goods. We are open to evaluating new sectors with maximum flexibility.
We are experts in logistics and order fulfillment services for marketplaces.
Each of our logistics services ( inbound, shelf storage, pallet storage, hanging items, pick & pack, order management, returns management, vas, cod) is managed with the utmost accuracy by our cloud-based WMS.
https://gazzettalogistica.it/author/eshoplogistic/
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