Starting your own online business is as exciting as it is a little scary.

Here, we’ll give you our top five tips for shipping for small business to help you make the best courier choice for you, your customers and your bottom line.

1) Have a holistic approach to your shipping options.

Research shows that 61% of people say that a positive shipping experience incentivizes them to shop with the brand again.*

If you choose the cheapest price for your shipping solution but delivery is unreliable and results in customer complaints, you risk losing business and receiving negative reviews. What would the true cost to your business be?

2) Find a solution with a team that will support you when you need it.

Investigate whether the shipping solution offers a local and dedicated customer service team, or an account manager, for when you need to communicate issues and find quick and effective solutions.

3) Provide your customers with the best shipping options.

We are living in an age of immediacy. Receiving online purchases as fast as possible is important for consumers. Global research has found that around one-fifth (21%) of consumers will take advantage of a faster delivery option where this option is available to them and they are prepared to pay for it.

The world has never been smaller, and there will always be similar products on the market that are accessible with just one click of a button. The real takeaway here? Provide your customers with an express shipping solution that is proven to deliver on time.

Depending on your unique business needs, MailPlus can also pickup and lodge all your outgoing Australia Post mail and parcels as well as clear your PO Box. Experience the benefit of using multiple carriers and give your customers more options.

4) Weigh up the pros and cons of having your own packaging.

If you plan to use your own packaging for your online orders, such as boxes, it’s important to consider whether the size of the box will mean you will need to scale up to a larger and more expensive satchel. Try to minimise your costs by working your packaging around satchel sizes and weight limits.

Research the best practices of packaging products so you can make success-oriented decisions for your business, like saving money on shipping.***

5) Save money for the fun stuff.

With MailPlus, you can ship now and pay later. You’ll have zero up-front costs and a monthly account, which means you can use the money for your business on marketing, new products and technology to create more revenue. Upfront shipping expenses deprive you of buying more stock and reduces your ability to expand and grow.

Want to know more? Sign up below and we can help you take your online business to the next level.

References:
*2018 State of eCommerce Delivery Report – Global Insights – Metapack.
**2018 State of eCommerce Delivery Report – Global Insights – Metapack.
***Shopify Compas: Introduction to Packaging Your Products by Phillip Akhzar, CEO of Arka.