Setting up Shipping
Shipping offers a few logistical challenges regarding your packing process, but setting up the options in your online store's dashboard can be straightforward.
Your first consideration should be which shipping carriers to offer. This will depend on the country in which you're located and whether or not you want to do business internationally. If you're in the United States, your main three options are USPS, FedEx , and UPS. All three give you the capability of creating your shipping labels online, which is a huge time-saver if your eCommerce software properly connects with this feature (Shift4Shop, for example, enables you to create your labels directly from the shipping information provided by the customer). Another great benefit of an eCommerce platform that integrates with shipping carriers is the ability to display real-time shipping information to your customers so they're never surprised during checkout by unexpected costs. Plus, you'll have a means of providing your customers with tracking information so they'll know the status of their order.
Whether you decide to offer shipping by multiple carriers or stick with only one, there are advantages to both. Using only one carrier does streamline your shipping process somewhat by keeping it more consistent. However, offering a choice of shipping carriers means you can give your customers more options, including types of express delivery, or slower "no rush" methods for customers willing to wait to get their items as long as they save some cash on the shipping. Also, some customers may prefer to use a specific carrier for reasons of their own, such as a lost package or other bad experience in the past.
Before you choose carriers, consider what types of shipping you want to offer. Remember to stay within the bounds of what's possible for you — if you're working solo and you suddenly get a rush of orders, you'll regret having promised "one-day shipping no matter what. " It's better to start with more standard shipping methods and then expand to the faster rush deliveries once you know you'll always be able to pick, pack, and get them out the door in time. You also need to decide if you're going to offer flat-rate shipping, typical by-weight cost, or both depending on the item. If you expect handling costs, be sure to calculate them ahead of time and fully disclose them on your product pages.
Once you've decided on your shipping methods, setting them up in your online store's dashboard should be pretty easy. If you're using Shift4Shop, it's only a matter of selecting options and adjusting your settings and the platform handles the rest.