E-commerce sites are becoming the world's leaders
in business, so don't ever take any step of your online selling process for
granted. Buying online only beats in-person shopping experience when everything
from the quality of the product to its delivery method is rated excellent. How
do you match leaving a city boutique with a cute vintage shopping bag on your
customer's hand online? You mimick the same elements on your site’s shipping
and handling. If your site is a one of a kind e-commerce site not available on
the street you have a lot of ground to cover in the item presentation area. You
need to keep your customers in mind even after they have selected the pay
button. Shipping can be a real bummer when people who love your product are
horrified by your delivery options. Having variety in your shipping can have an
impact on your brand. Let the customer know you care about their opinion and
their needs.
First off, free shipping can have an online
shopper clicking item after item into the shopping cart, so you might want to
consider doing free shipping for your items even if it means leveraging the
rest of your items on sale or the item’s own cost. Flat-rate shipping is a good
option for items you know will cost the same to you at the mail service. You might
as well be transparent with your customers. Real-cost shipping is the shipping
cost of the item based on its dimensions and weight, but you should include at
least some items in that category, since you will be the one paying for it.
Same-day delivery is a must if you truly want to keep your customers. There is
not greater feeling to a customer than an item available for next-day delivery.
You want to make your items accessible to customers, especially during popular
holidays. Otherwise, what’s the point of online shopping?
Second, aesthetic is everything to the customer. You worked your butt off building that user experience on your site. Why let that slip after you’ve sold an item? Build a foundation for future purchases with a customized delivery on every one of your items. Use shipping supplies to enhance the design of your delivery box, or place the item inside a cool bag inside your box. Make sure to build the momentum for the customer opening your item at home. Remember, presentation is everything, and for some customers you only get one chance. Even if you cannot afford some fancy peresentation box, it does not hurt spoiling your customers by giving them some free samples of your other products or including personalized thank you letters. You might also want to advertise your other products inside the delivery through a series of catalogs or special discount flyers.
Make every detail count in the presentation of
your product. Build the experience of buying your product a time worthwhile. If
customers know your product delivery isn’t only free in some occasions, but
also comes in a cute box and with some free coupons inside of it, they will
likely come back and shop for more. Making your delivery box cute will likely
also get your brand's name on your customer's social media page. That's some
major brand exposure there!
