Small businesses are often faced with the question: how appropriate is it to compete with giants on platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Amazon when it comes to delivery? Regardless of size, niche, and even experience, delivery to any corner of the world is what unites all eCommerce stores. The good news for small print-on-demand stores is that there are strategies to cut costs.
E-commerce is now in a golden age. However, some events affect demand, purchasing power, user experience, etc. Therefore, it is important to manage finances well to some extent. The pandemic caused the bankruptcy and closure of many physical stores, but they were able to get a second wind through online commerce. Consumers prefer to send discounts instead of free, and this is the real evil that most online marketers suffer. How to reduce shipping costs and give people what they want, read on.
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The shipping process on time
When we simplify the drop-shipping process for print-on-demand after simple operations, it all comes down to producing, packaging, and transferring products to the customer. And the critical point is that the package must be delivered on time and in perfect condition. In case of worst case damage, failure to deliver will give the wrong impression of your brand and reduce reputation in the market.
Shipping costs include the following parameters:
Packaging: box, polyethylene, filler, adhesive tape, stickers
Work expenses
Courier services
Import / export costs in case of international print-on-demand shipment.
As a seller, you must report the cost openly – establish a delivery policy that legally describes the delivery of the ordered product, the time and the price according to the customer’s expectations. It is essential to consider such tactics as a reliable ally and asset, which will solve all problems and answer all questions.
Shipping costs for small businesses play a big role – it affects whether a customer will buy the product.
How to Dropship on Shopify
To properly configure delivery settings, consider the following Shipping prices
If you work on the Shopify platform, it is worth considering that carriers such as USPS, UPS, DHL Express, and Canada Post can be used at reduced rates based on subscription. For example, a basic subscription to Shopify provides savings of up to 77.13% for UPS and 71.5% for international DHL Express shipments.
Preferred Delivery Modes :
Delivery courier
Pick up service
Express delivery
Product Weight
If you use the packaging of the same products, set the price as the default option in your store extensions.
Perfect packaging appearance:
- Envelopes
- Golf boxes
- Light airbags
- Gift Wrap
- Versa Pak Wadding Rolls
- Bubble wrap
- Insert foam
- Excelsior
- Custom shipping package
- Tip: check if your carrier offers free packaging
Delivery label printing
If the customer pays the full cost, you bear the cost of printing the delivery labels. But your savings can largely depend on the Shopify rate plan.
Pricing plans
Exact cost
The term means billing for the same price as USPS and DHL courier services. If you are located in the US or Canada, you can use the Shopify functionality to calculate exact fees.
How can the shipping costs of an online store be calculated? Specify the data for the following parameters:
Shopify fee;
type of transport: local or international;
location data;
packaging.
Fixed costs
That’s a fee calculated based on the weight of the product, the location of the customer, as well as the total cost of the order. You can request $ 5 for each order shipped within Florida. It should not affect your earnings and offer customers an attractive discount.
Tip: Depending on the size, you can try to work with different services. When it comes to shipping goods within the country, the most optimal option for small and medium packages is Priority Mail from the Postal Service. For those who are bigger, FedEx Ground like UPS Ground. Overnight transportation will be the cheapest, especially with the Priority Mail Express postal service.
Free shipping
According to research, almost half of buyers leave options due to high additional costs (for example, shipping and taxes). That’s why more and more digital marketers are offering buyers free shipping when they buy a product for a certain amount.