Shipping is the final stage of e-commerce fulfillment, and it’s an important one: Your customer is far more likely to remember whether your startup business got your product to her quickly, and in one piece, than to recall exactly how your shopping cart works.
So like other parts of your infrastructure, speedy and dependable shipping can be a great boon to how customers perceive your startup business – or a big negative.
Here are four tips to turn shipping into a positive for your business:
- Choose your partners wisely
- Pack it up
- Watch those bills
- Consider outsourcing
Choose your partners wisely
The United States Postal Service is an obvious option, and most e-tailers use the good old USPS for at least some of their shipping needs. “I have a mailbox right across the street from me,” says Ken Weinstein, co-owner of the Numero Group, a compact-disc label out of Chicago which collects and reissues obscure but high-quality music in a variety of genres. “So, for single CD shipments, I can drop them in the box every day.”
United Parcel Service (UPS) is another familiar shipping choice. You can easily schedule parcel pickups online, or you can take your packages to their shipping depots. Typically, there are locations of The UPS Store nearby, making them a convenient option. If you anticipate a large amount of business, you can get the deluxe treatment. “We have a UPS representative,” says Sam Meyer, who runs, along with his father, Gary Meyer.
Author: Steve Pick
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