Shipping is one of the important parts of the business that performs online sales and services. Shipping is a part of the logistics services that a business has to establish in order to cater to the various needs of the customers.
This means that every e-commerce-based business must have in place a reliable and efficient shipping solution for the marketplace be that on their own website, through other retail sites, or through the social media marketplace.
Either way, a good and reliable shipping partner can help the business in achieving flawless and efficient deliveries and thereby improve their customer base and customer satisfaction through a better shopping experience.
What is Logistics and Shipping?
Logistics is a wide array of transportation that could be for production or for retail. It includes the transportation of materials for factories, transportation of finished goods from factory to godowns, distribution to various sellers and retailers, etc. Logistics include a variety of means of transportation that may include roadways, railways, airways, and sometimes seaways as well.
Shipping on the other hand is a part of logistics as a whole – the part of logistics that deals with the supply of products to direct customers is referred to as shipping. Shipping helps in connecting with the customers directly and usually deals with retail quantities of goods, unlike logistics.
A business needs to have a good shipping solution for the marketplace as it defines the user experience for customers with respect to the specific brand or product. When it comes to online purchases, user experience is defined by the following factors. To name a few:
- How easy and user-friendly the online e-commerce site is
- The variety and availability of items on the site
- The quick and prompt pickup of items once the order is placed
- Transparent shipping process with prompt intimations
- Quick and efficient shipping
- Hassle-free delivery process
- Products and delivery procedures meeting customer expectations
These are some of the parameters that define how well the customer experience was throughout online purchase and delivery of the product.
Features of a Good Shipping Solution
A good shipping solution can take a business from average to delightful. Shipping solutions can be tricky to choose and there can be so many different providers who may promise to give a business a flawless delivery experience while they ship their products to customers, but here are some features that can be looked out for to choosing the right shipping partner:
- Easy Integration
Most shipping solutions in the market are now available as e-commerce shipping API for a marketplace, which is somewhat similar to having an app on the phone that does most of the shipping job, it can be that easy for a business with a good shipping solution.
- Reliable Service
With transparent tracking details for both the customers and the business, the perfect shipping solution must be able to provide reliable service that ensures that all products are handled carefully and delivered on time without any need for constantly looking up shipping information.
- Easy and Hassle-Free Returns
Returns can be minimized but never 0 – there can be so many reasons why a product may be returned but with the perfect shipping partner, it no longer is a hassle for both the customer and the business as the shipping solution can take care of pickup and transit equally well.
