5 Facts about Magento E-Commerce Shipping

Online shopping through the years has acquired far-reaching popularity due to the convenience it offers to customers.  First and foremost, people like to shop at leisure and make shopping a pleasure.  Moreover, they also prefer to get the goods delivered directly to their doorstep.  From the seller’s point of view, shipping becomes the important element of a successful business strategy as they have to guarantee the best services in order to stay ahead of the competition.  Expensive shipping costs, delayed shipment, wrong shipment, part shipment, shoddy packaging are the reasons for consumer dissatisfaction.

Chances are if a business which does not maintain shipping and fulfill orders correctly may miss its customers. Thus, when you run a Magento E-Commerce store, you have to make certain that you have a well-executed shipping plan as an established procedure.  Until the product reaches its final destination, keep a track and monitor from order fulfillment stage to the entire journey of packaging and shipping.

Some salient shipping facts of Magento that you need to know are highlighted below which will certainly help in excellent servicing and delightful customers for your E-Commerce store.

1. Difference between Flat Rate Shipping & Table Rate Shipping

In order to ensure the right option between flat rate shipping and table rate shipping, a Magento user needs to first understand the difference. While, flat rate shipping is applicable to any product purchase and is not determined by elements such as size, weight, and value of the product, at the same time, prescribes fluctuating shipping costs on the basis of varying factors like product size, weight, number of items ordered and even delivery destination is also calculated.

The choice of the shipping rate methods determined by the kind of products and the point of delivery destination. Besides, you can also study the customers’ choice that would be appropriate for them to have a great shopping experience.

2. “Live Shipping Rates from the Carrier”

This could be an ideal option for B2B sellers. This option can be shared with the customer.  This entails the prevailing shipping rates charged by the shipping carriers. The customer can see the current shipping rates offered by various shipping service providers and choose the right one that suits them. This plan appears as the best choice for B2B sellers as it enables the buyers to get personalized shipment rates calculated on the basis of size, weight, quantity and shipping distance covered.

For you as a seller, this technique allows recovering your costs covering packaging and order fulfillment along with surcharges that can be charged over and above the live shipping rate. Moreover, the seller can also avail the benefit of being able to choose the best carrier by comparing their current shipping rates.

3. Free Shipping Bonanza – A Powerful Promotional Tool

Needless to mention, since shipping charges are one of the main reasons for cart abandonment, they are also to be considered as an integral part of E-Commerce pricing. No need to worry. You can easily resolve this issue by offering free shipping on your Magento store from time to time as an added discount which also acts as a powerful promotional tool. Here is an element of caution; make sure that this strategy does not dent your profitability in the long run.

Work out different options to help you to make use of free shipping strategically. You can offer free shipping if the customer shops for a reasonable amount of products; say more than 5 or more. This plan will give you the dual benefit of pleasing the customer as well as increasing the average cart value. More so, it builds a relationship with the customer. Additionally, you can provide free shipping offers during holiday season or festivals.

4. Knowledge of International Shipping

It is very essential for a business that deals with online export. Although International shipping policies may appear a challenge it may fetch opportunities for your business in terms of revenue. Understanding the complex nuances of international shipping becomes crucial for E-Commerce sellers to make the best out of such prospects. You may begin by doing extensive research on the trade regulations and restrictions for the countries that you plan to target and understand the export policies.

Get reliable shipping providers who would offer services to deliver products to the chosen countries on time. Check out for hidden costs if any.

5. Implementing the Right functionalities In Your Magento Store

Not to forget that in addition to handling the process part of shipping and order fulfillment, the functional implementation is also to be handled deftly. There are several tools and APIs that could be integrated into the store to simplify and streamline shipping etc. for the business. In other words, you will be able to deliver better shopping experiences and fulfill the orders in a timely and reliable manner in order to delight the customers.

To achieve the above, a professional Magento agency can help you with the right shipping modules and integrate them into your website. They can also assist you in fine-tuning your E-Commerce strategy to ensure that the shipping and fulfillment function is managed smoothly.

Conclusion
Take interest to understand that shipping and fulfillment are significant features of a profitable E-Commerce business but being able to manage them perfectly is a daunting task by itself. The best approach would be to make things as seamless as possible, both from the buyers’ point of view as well as the business. The buyers should have the right set of shipping options along with optimal shipping charges and the seller should be able to manage things well in order.

We shall also help you in hiring Magento developers who will be only too happy to build online stores that are enriched with the right features and functionalities befitting your business. Leave your worries to us, we can guide you with the entire aspects of E-Commerce selling; this includes shipping and order fulfillment.