When it comes to keeping your business running smoothly, drawing in new clients and keeping your former clients or customers coming back for more, shipping time is a huge consideration. No matter how much your customers love your products, their impression of your business and your products will go down significantly if it takes them too long to receive their purchases. In this day, shipping times and costs are a major theme when it comes to making your business a favorite among clients in your retail sector. Therefore, you must focus on these five tips for decreasing shipping times and thus improving the satisfaction levels of your customers.
Reduce Lead Time
Lead time is the amount of time that it takes you to get your product out of your business or warehouse, into packaging and out to your shipper. Lead time is a key area for you to consider because it is the area that is most in your hands. Disorganization in inventory or in your database is a key way that you can add hours or even days onto your lead time in some cases. Stay organized, and be sure to stay up-to-date on your data entry.
Keep Products In-House
If you are a very small business, it may be best to keep your products at your business. Not having to rely on a vendor can not only save you money but also save you time if you can hire an extra hand or two to help you with shipping. In this way, you will have more oversight throughout the shipping process.
Use Your Own Transportation Fleet
On the other hand, if you are a very large business, you may want to invest in a used freightliner. This is another great way to stay more involved in the shipping process. Used freightliner trucks will give you the transportation that you need without breaking the bank.
Ship Straight from Your Vendor
Another option is to ship directly from the vendor if they have proven themselves to be trustworthy. Customers may need to be directed to a different website to complete their purchases, but your vendor may be able to get items packaged and shipped out faster than you can.
Offer Expedited Shipping
If you simply do not have the resources to speed up your shipping times any further than you have already, be sure to offer expedited delivery times for your customers. For an additional price, they can choose a one or two-day delivery speed once you have processed their orders. This option may be able to keep some customers who would otherwise have had to turn to a different business for their needs.
Shipping times for getting your products to your customers are incredibly important. According to a study published by UPS, delivery speed is the fourth top concern for online shoppers. By reducing your lead time and finding ways to get products to your customers faster once the products make it out your door, you can drastically improve your customer satisfaction ratings and build a loyal customer base.
Guest post courtesy of Rachelle Wilber
