There are a lot of expenses associated with an e-commerce store. One of the biggest ones involves the shipping of your products to your customers. It can be expensive to handle the shipping and this can impact your profits. Saving money on shipping is possible, however, and can be a big help in getting your profit margins in order.
If you don’t get control of your shipping costs, they will have to be pushed onto your customers. But, high shipping prices can push customers away. They might stop their purchase if the shipping feels too costly. In this article, we will go over several tips to help you bring down the cost of your shipping.
1 – Optimize your packaging
When trying to cut down on shipping costs, improving how you package your items should be the first place you start. The weight and size of your packaging can greatly affect shipping expenses. Using light materials like honeycomb cardboard sheets can help lower the weight of your packages. These sheets are strong yet lightweight, which means they protect your items during shipping without adding extra weight.
Also, using smaller packaging that fits your product perfectly can save money. Bigger boxes not only use more material but also take up more space in shipping vehicles, which can lead to higher shipping fees.
Investing in good quality packaging that effectively protects your items is also important. It helps prevent damage during shipping, reducing the need for returns and replacements and keeping your customers happy. In the long run, efficient packaging helps maintain trust in your brand and keeps your reputation strong.
2 – Negotiate with your shipper
Getting better deals from shipping carriers can lower your ecommerce store’s shipping costs. It starts with learning about the different pricing and services each carrier offers to help you choose the right carrier based on how often you ship items and how quickly you need them delivered.
When you talk to different shipping carriers, don’t be shy about asking for discounts, especially if you ship a lot of items or are willing to sign a longer contract. Carriers are often willing to offer better prices to businesses that promise a steady amount of shipping because it means regular work for them.
3 – Choose the right shipping strategy
Choosing the right shipping strategy will help with managing costs and satisfying your customers. Different strategies might suit your store depending on what you sell and what your customers like.
Offering free shipping is one popular method. It can make customers more likely to buy since they don’t have to worry about extra costs at checkout. However, you need to make sure the cost of shipping doesn’t hurt your profits too much. Sometimes, this means slightly increasing your product prices to cover shipping.
Flat-rate shipping is another strategy where everyone pays the same fee no matter what they order. This method is easy to understand and can attract customers who want to know shipping costs upfront.
