As your business grows, are you starting to feel like your shipping processes are no longer working? Do you catch yourself right before you miss an item that needs to go out with an order? Are you sometimes losing money on shipment costs instead of saving money?
There are many strategies you can implement that will streamline your shipping for maximum profit. We’ve outlined a few below in the hopes that your profit margins will continue to increase and your stress levels will continue to decrease.
Let’s have a look.
Process All Your Orders at Once
Do you process orders for shipment as they are placed, or do you handle all your shipping needs at a designated time each day? We’ve seen small businesses operate in an order-driven environment, and while it seems like the best option, it does not save time or money.
The best way to process orders is to handle all your shipping needs at one specific time. Two or three o’clock is usually best, as carriers will have cutoff times in the late afternoon. If orders come in after you’ve processed shipments for the day, you can handle them at another designated time, either at the end of the day or first thing tomorrow morning.
You can even advertise on your website that ‘All orders received after 3 PM EST will ship the next day.’ Then, you’ll know that three o’clock is the time to focus on shipping, and you’ll be able to easily get all your orders out the door.
Merge Orders
One of the best reasons for processing orders at once is to avoid getting your lines crossed when a customer places multiple orders. If you handle all your shipments at three o’clock, you will likely catch these multiples.
With Descartes Sellercloud‘s software, orders can easily be merged. The customer will appreciate your efforts, and you’ll save on shipping costs. Simply select the two orders, click ‘Merge Orders,’ and we’ll handle the rest. If you sell on eBay, you can also enable a client setting to automatically merge eBay orders when the buyer pays with a combined payment.
Please note that there are some restrictions related to this option, as not all channels permit this to occur or have requirements in place that prevent it. To learn more, review this help article.
Set Up an Endicia Account
USPS offers relatively low shipping rates, so you should keep it in your rotation of carriers. Endicia, a subsidiary of Stamps.com, is a trusted partner of the USPS. They provide Internet-based postage services for ecommerce businesses.
Descartes Sellercloud offers an option to ship through Endicia with Descartes Sellercloud’s Preferred Partner Rates. To take advantage of this, simply sign up for an Endicia account through ShipBridge. Establishing your account this way will enable the option for our discounted rates.
Preset Shipping Costs
If a customer orders from you, do they have to wait to hear back about shipping costs? Only then do you process their order? This method might’ve worked when the business was just starting, but as you start to experience growth, this will only guarantee tension headaches.
Customers won’t like the added wait time, and you risk losing steady, repeat business. When you experience a lull, make the time to preset shipping weights and dimensions for all your products.
Estimate the cost value of items, too. This means your shippers won’t need to weigh packages or set insurance costs. Instead, they’ll focus on getting as many packages out the door as possible.
With Descartes Sellercloud, you can create item-based shipping rules. Rule set entries provide an endless array of options for automatically configuring how an order will be processed. This feature reduces shipping costs and fulfillment latency by determining delivery zones and order promise dates.
Negotiate Lower Carrier Rates
Companies that experience high volume orders can use their buying power to negotiate lower rates with carriers. They’ll welcome your repeat business and even offer certain businesses lower prices.
The first step is to establish a strong working relationship with your designated account manager. Consolidating most of your volume to one carrier gives you more leverage when negotiating volume discounts.
You can also research regional carriers like OnTrac, Golden State Overnight, and Lone Star Overnight. Use their prices as a bargaining chip in negotiations with larger carriers.
Make Returning an Easy Process
While returns are not the goal, repeat business is. If a customer orders the wrong product but finds that your return policy is quite fluid, they will likely do business with you again. Descartes Sellercloud software includes a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) workflow.
Through the RMA, everything is tracked, from the time the customer contacts you, to the time the item returns to your warehouse, to your refund to the customer. Three clicks later, your customer is reassured that their funds have been returned, and they can resume your working relationship. It’s a win-win.
With Descartes Sellercloud, your catalog, inventory, orders, and shipping are all connected, so you can enjoy easy-to-use, intelligent shipping. You receive the best price, and your customers enjoy the fastest service possible. Best of all, you’ll have fewer and fewer shipping-related headaches.
Book a Descartes Sellercloud demo today.
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