Key Shipping Considerations for Online Sellers
The Olympic Eyewear business model is rooted in ecommerce. Likewise, many of the retailers who purchase bulk designer sunglasses from us sell exclusively online. The one thing we all have in common is shipping. We need to get our products into customer hands. That means we need to trust shipping partners to help us out.
If you have never been in ecommerce before, you may not understand how challenging it is to offer reliable shipping without forcing customers to pay a lot more. Needless to say, not all shippers are the same. They don't do things the same way, they don't charge the same rates, and the quality of their customer service can vary significantly from one to the next.
We obviously cannot tell you what your best shipping option is. But as a wholesale supplier of bulk sunglasses, we can pass along a few tips about choosing shipping partners. We present them as key shipping considerations online sellers should pay attention to.
1. Carrier Reputation
There is a temptation to begin the process of choosing carriers by looking at price first. We think that this is a mistake. Price does matter, but not as much as a carrier's reputation. Your customers will not be happy if a package expected to arrive in three days is still nowhere to be found after a week – no matter how little they paid for shipping.
It is best to focus your attention on carriers with a reputation for solidly supporting ecommerce. If you are willing to spend some time researching online, you can find sites that rate various shippers. Some sites specialize in consumer reviews while others approach ratings from the ecommerce operator's perspective.
Above all else, you want reliability. You need to know that every pair of sunglasses you ship will arrive at its destination undamaged and on time. If you ever need to question a carrier's ability to do the job right, you might want to choose another carrier.
2. Shipping Speed
The speed at which shippers move also matters. With a little research, you will find that shippers can vary speeds depending on the level of service purchased. For example, most retail shippers offer options like overnight, 2-day, ground (vs. air) delivery, and so forth.
Delivery speed is also influenced by a shipper's regional makeup. Shippers divide the country into different regions based on their unique business models. Their regional makeups, combined with your location, will have an impact on shipping times.
3. Shipping Price
We finally get to pricing. It is an important consideration when you understand that your customers ultimately pay for it. Even when you offer free shipping – which is a good idea, by the way – what you pay for it is considered a cost of doing business that ultimately gets rolled into your retail prices.
Bottom line price does matter. But more importantly, are you getting value for the money paid? Paying a high shipping price for poor service and extended delivery times doesn't represent a good value. Always remember that a good value for you translates into a good value for your customers.
4. Shipping Protection
Last but not least is the protection each carrier offers. Can you insure your packages? Does a carrier have a reputation for doing right by customers when it damages products? Read the fine print to fully understand how shippers protect the items they carry. You don't want to be left holding the bag if something a shipper does goes south.
We rely on shipping partners to get bulk sunglasses into the hands of our wholesale buyers. We take shipping seriously. You should too.