Whether you are operating in the e-commerce industry or the manufacturing sector, running a business can be highly profitable if you have the right eCommerce shipping and courier partner.
Most successful businesses use reputed eCommerce shipping and courier services. If you want to assure safe and timely delivery, you must always select a courier service according to your delivery needs.
There are several leading courier companies/shipping services in India in 2021, Here is the latest chart based on Statista report:
This guide is designed to help you understand the most crucial shipping factors to consider as you select a carrier company. These factors are based on your business needs. You will be able to use these criteria when choosing a courier company or deciding the best shipping service in India for your small business.
With Shiprocket, you can choose multiple courier partners based on your shipping requirements. Currently, Shiprocket has integration with over 17 courier partners.
Tips to Consider When Choosing an eCommerce Shipping Partner
1. Ensure Their Service Match Your Product & Customer Needs
You need to know how your products differ from your competitors in terms of dimension, weight, and price. It would be best if you have a good grasp of how many items you ship each week. It will help determine the correct pricing for a courier service.
Remember to check your customer’s location, delivery time, when they need the order, and how much they are willing to pay for delivery.
These elements should impact your decision when you choose an eCommerce shipping and courier service for your business. It’s essential to understand your customer needs and how the shipping company will match up to these needs, before deciding to work with them.
2. Look for Ability to Deliver Your Packages
Delivery speed, delivery range, delivery tracking, and shipping costs are essential for businesses of all sizes. But don’t take our word for it. These delivery statistics clearly state the importance of fast delivery.
- According to Statista, 43% of consumers want their orders to be delivered faster.
- Over 80% of eCommerce customers wish for same-day shipping.
- The global Same Day Delivery Market size is expected to reach USD 16739 Million by 2027.
So if you want to select a courier company, the first thing that should be on your priority list is to look at their delivery speed. Planning is essential for choosing the fastest and most cost-effective courier service.
For example, if you’re planning deliveries twice or thrice a week, check in with the courier company at least a week in advance to avoid shipping delays. Delivery routes are no different. Delivery vehicles may run into traffic or get a flat tire. Keep all these things in consideration to ensure that your products reach your customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Additionally, If you are delivering products across a small range, discuss this with a local courier. Or, if you transport your goods on a larger scale or overseas, you may find cheaper options for delivering products with an international network. Or you can also tie-up with Hyperlocal Delivery Services to deliver products faster within a radius of 50 km from the pickup location.
3. Check for Courier Tracking Capability
As an independent business or a DTC brand, you should know where exactly your delivery package is. This is why your courier service should be able to offer you detailed tracking capabilities and let you know exactly where your parcel is and where it has been with accurate updates. This tracking capability is also helpful in communicating delivery timelines to your customer.
This is a huge factor to consider for you as a business owner. Make sure the eCommerce shipping company you select to work with has appropriate tracking features.
Having tracking options will bring transparency to your delivery process while also giving you a chance to make more customer-oriented and informed decisions.
With Shiprocket’s unique shipping tracking solution, keep track of all your shipments from a single platform. Enter your AWB number or Order ID to track the status of your order.
4. Compare the Pricing Model for Each Shipping Courier
How much should you spend on courier service? Shipping cost is a huge factor to consider, in particular, budget. According to a report, 43% of online shoppers abandon their carts because of high shipping rates.
It is essential to compare the pricing for each shipping courier company that you select. While many companies are willing to pay more for faster shipping, don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest option, as it might also mean you have to compromise on quality. Some companies hide surcharges on their pricing models, so getting the rates from reputable couriers is a good way to go about selecting a shipping partner for your small business.
In addition to pricing, quality should also play a big role when choosing a carrier to ship your products. Considering these factors when evaluating a potential courier company will reduce the risk associated with your business and its supply chain needs.
5. Assess Industry Experience & Reliability
Checking the reliability of a courier company and their level of experience is always worth the effort. Ideally, go for an established service that has a good market reputation and works with companies similar to yours.
Focus on companies shipping locally and internationally, combined with the multiple courier services. This will take the burden off your shoulders. A reliable courier company can help grow your company’s positive reputation and meet your customer expectations.
Unreliable shipping service will end up costing you more money or late delivery, or worse, ruin your company’s reputation. Choosing a carrier that maintains transparency across your shipment process is essential, as it keeps your customers informed about shipment status.
6. Check for Packaging and Shipping Supplies
Proper packaging protects the parcel throughout the shipping process. It has been backed by studies that the choice of packaging plays a major role in drawing the attention of customers. The packaging of the product itself is the reflection of the brand value and product quality.
Also read: How Good Packaging Guarantees Repeat orders For Your Online Store
Multiple options are there for packaging based on your requirements for refrigeration, temperature, and insulation you need. Temperature control warehouses ensure the safety of your frozen and cold food that requires insulated containers and foam packages.
Courier companies are responsible for proper packaging, labeling, and shipping regulations related to the product. Ensure that they have a good understanding of the packaging guidelines as it helps in damage-free freight movement. For example, proper cushioning of products reduces the risk of damage caused by the shock during transportation.
High and low temperature or humidity can also result in the condensation of cardboard containers. Temperature excess of 40-45༠ Celcius can also impact the characteristics of packaging material. Similarly, other environmental factors such as dust, dirt, odors, humidity, and precipitation should be considered by a courier company to avoid any damage. The shipping company must take extra measures to ensure the packaging can protect the shipment.
Find low-cost and high-quality packaging materials and get packaging delivered to your doorstep with Shiprocket. Map SKUs and process all orders with uniform packaging by Shiprocket.
7. Ask About Any Special Shipping Services
It would be best if you could also check if your chosen shipping partner offers any added services. Apart from shipping orders, some courier companies provide a full range of services, including packaging, labeling, order tracking, warehouse management, e-commerce fulfillment, and logistics. You should consider all these additional offerings.
For example, ask the shipping company if they offer integrations with your eCommerce website provider. It improves viewing and web accessibility, plus it also makes it easier to track your orders.
Choose a courier company with all these options and ensure they can support this when transporting your valuable goods. A courier that provides shipping insurance is a preferable option that gives you the confidence that you can also file a claim if anything goes missing or gets damaged while in transit.
8. Clarify Your Need for Customer Service
There is nothing worse than having to solve shipping issues of your customers or being unresponsive with a delayed shipment. This is why the eCommerce shipping company you choose should be someone you can trust in terms of customer support and provide the following:
- Customer support over phone & email
- AI-enabled live chat
Make sure you ask your shipping company about their customer service options, how to install a chatbot, and where your customers can speak if they have a problem. Moreover, don’t neglect the importance of having a trusted eCommerce shipping and courier service with years of experience. It will help you come out on top and manage all the logistical complexities.
The services a shipping company delivers can vary significantly. The key for businesses is finding a courier partner that will do the best job with shipping the items they send and receive.
Improve eCommerce shipping with the Shiprocket platform containing powerful features to bring out ease in the shipping, packaging, and fulfilment process. The Shiprocket panel gives you a dashboard that carries all data ranging from the gross weight, dimensions, pickup address, etc. Furthermore, you can process all orders from this dashboard and know the status of every order.
Before you think it through, here is how Instamojo and Shiprocket can help you achieve it with their new-age features.
Grow Your Business With Shiprocket All-in-One Shipping Solution
With Shiprocket you do not need to rely on one courier company. You get access to 17+ courier partners on a single platform and a wide range of courier services in the time of strict lockdown surrounding post-order logistics, shipping aggregation, shipment tracking in real-time, warehousing, order fulfilment, hyperlocal delivery, and more. The company delivers more than 4 Mn consignments a month for d2c brands.
The integration of Instamojo online stores with the Shiprocket aids in setting up a robust and effective workflow. It allows syncing online sales channels with the Shiprocket panel and process orders by following these steps:
- Go to channels → All channels.
- Search Instamojo and select it.
- You will be redirected to the Instamojo login page, where you can log in to your account using your credentials.
- Once logged in, you can authorize Shiprocket.
By integrating your Instamojo online store with the most suitable shipping platform, Shiprocket, you get access to the best courier partners for your order based on several parameters. This is a win-win situation for your D2C business, and you have the room to choose the best courier partner based on their performance in different regions.
In the end, the choice of eCommerce shipping and courier service for your business narrows down to your operational needs, budget, and your brand value. Remember, look for a reliable shipping partner that efficiently fulfils your needs and saves you time and money as well.
Want to connect with the top courier services in India? Reach us at – support@shiprocket.in
Ship your products with your favourite eCommerce shipping and courier service partner on Instamojo. Get orders on your Instamojo premium online store and ship with your choice of shipping partner.
1 comment
Hey,
I just loved your articles they are very informative keep writing like this and if any one wants to work with us we provides courier services .
Thanks