When we talk about eCommerce and online retail, shipping & handling shares a synonymous relationship with it. Even then, for some busy retailers and online businesses, it becomes an afterthought. Talking from customers’ point of view, a brand’s shipping experience can carry just as much weight as the product it sells, or the marketing doing the selling.
Hence, this should not come as a surprise that, close to 77% of global survey respondents choose to abandon a purchase with respect to unsatisfactory shipping options. 58% of respondents say that they have completely stopped shopping with particular retailers as a result of negative shipping experience.
This data speaks that consumers care about shipping; to the point where it can make or break their long-term perception of a retailer. This data also shows that there is little merchant recognition of shipping’s impact on sales. This may come as a shock, but forty-seven percent of merchant respondents in a survey said they were completely unaware of their online cart abandonment rate.
There is a dire need for the merchants to connect the dots between dissatisfied customers and shipping operations. How else will they be able to make the necessary changes that will help them to improve customer experience and bring back those lost sales?
There is a number of critical factors that aid in making a meaningful difference in eCommerce shipping. When combined together in perfect unison, these aspects bring the shipping to a level playing field with the rest of the eCommerce experience. Shipping can be a major game-changer for brands to stand apart in this competitive world.
What are some of the best practices eCommerce merchants should follow for better customer experience:-
Turn your free shipping into revenue
There are a few instances where consumers are willing to pay for shipping, especially when they opt for overnight shipping. But even then, a few customers expect that shipping fee to be affordable or one that strikes a right chord with them.
When we talk about two-day shipping, the number of consumers willing to pay for shipping is even smaller. As much as four out of every ten US consumers are not willing to pay for two-day shipping, likely due to the shipping expectations created by Amazon.
When consumers hear the name “free shipping” they latch onto it. For them, it feels like they’re getting a deal, it doesn’t matter if they have to spend more to get it. Since consumer spending habits are wholly focused on the idea of free shipping, it’s in a merchant’s best
interest to find a way to offer it in a way where it suits both the parties.
Instead of taking a loss on shipping, merchants should find creative ways to help offset those cost. Whether that lies in increasing the cost of the product to include shipping costs, encouraging consumers to add one more item to meet a free shipping threshold, or just like in the case of Amazon, merchants could convince customers to join a paid membership group to get access to free shipping.
Keeping up with Amazon
More than 84% of consumers said that they have once added an item to their cart in order to meet a minimum threshold price in order to get free shipping. It should be noted that Amazon offers same-day delivery or two-day shipping nearly 100% of the time to its Prime members. However, Amazon is not concerned about eating the cost of its shipping in order to harness its reputation for fast and free. The fact of the matter is that online merchants just can’t compete with that effectively.
Conclusion
The eCommerce ecosystem is growing rapidly and is showing no signs of slowing down, which shows that shipping will only continue to take the centre stage in influencing consumer’s overall brand experience. Alongside, we also see the rise of logistics IT solutions in the industry which are helping online retailers meet their end goal with precision.
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