{"id":2903,"date":"2020-12-01T09:42:39","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T15:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.headwaycapital.com\/blog\/?p=2903"},"modified":"2020-12-01T09:56:20","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T15:56:20","slug":"how-to-save-e-commerce-shipping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.headwaycapital.com\/blog\/how-to-save-e-commerce-shipping\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Save Money on E-Commerce Shipping for Your Small Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking to expand your business or pivot to an online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.headwaycapital.com\/small-business-loans\/retail-trade\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">retail store<\/a>? No matter your industry, shipping costs can have an enormous impact on your bottom line. As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/newsletters\/2020-08-12\/supply-chains-latest-soaring-shipping-costs-set-to-go-higher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">demand for shipping logistics companies skyrockets<\/a>, delivery service prices are also expected to rise in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>While it might seem like affordable home delivery is out of reach, there are plenty of ways that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.headwaycapital.com\/blog\/expert-tips-help-improve-website-conversion-rate\/\">online stores<\/a> can lower costs. Read on for eight strategies that can help your business save money on e-commerce shipping.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Offer Store Pickup<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Local customers may prefer to drive to a physical store in order to avoid a delivery charge and obtain their orders sooner. A store pickup program can also help you save time and materials from packing and shipping orders. If possible, allow customers to buy or reserve products online and pick them up at your business.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. Include Shipping Costs in Pricing Structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Another strategy to help you save money on shipping is to adjust pricing to include the average or a portion of the cost of shipping an order. Small price increases spread across your inventory may also help prevent your company from absorbing additional overhead costs associated with delivery.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. Incentivize Free Shipping<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to recent data, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walkersands.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Walker-Sands_2018-Future-of-Retail-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">79% of customers are more likely to shop online<\/a> for free delivery, while another survey suggests that <a href=\"https:\/\/nrf.com\/media-center\/press-releases\/nrf-study-says-more-online-shoppers-want-free-shipping\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">75% of customers expect free shipping<\/a> for orders of $50 and under. While this amount may not make sense for your business, you can still incentivize free delivery over an appropriate threshold. Proper pricing may also encourage shoppers to buy more items in order to meet the free shipping amount.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. Use a Postage Scale and Meter<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usps.com\/business\/postage-options.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Postage scales and meters<\/a> weigh packages and automatically apply the exact amount of postage necessary for transportation. Not only can an in-house postage scale and meter help you save time, but they can also help you avoid paying extra for postage and having to guess the weight of your parcels.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. Use Recycled Packaging Materials <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Packing materials may not seem like a costly expense, but you can find a lot of shipping resources for free. Recycled material, such as cardboard boxes, shredded paper or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uline.com\/Product\/AdvSearchResult?keywords=crates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reusable delivery crates<\/a> can help you save money over new packing supplies. You may be able to work with an inventory supplier, manufacturer or establishments like local grocery stores to source recycled shipping material for safe delivery.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>6. Work Directly with Shipping Vendors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re not able to find a favorable deal with big-name logistics corporations, you might have better luck with a local or regional shipping vendor. Look for delivery service companies in your area to find potential partnerships that can help you save money. While it\u2019s not a guarantee you\u2019ll be able to secure more favorable rates, it doesn\u2019t hurt to ask!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>7. Use Coordinated Delivery Services<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Nationwide brands like FedEx and UPS often work with the United States Parcel Service for coordinated shipping services. This means that the participating brand initiates and transports a package, then transfers the parcel to a local post office for delivery completion. These coordinated services are generally less expensive but take longer to arrive than standard shipping.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>8. Explore Product Dropshipping<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Depending on your business, a dropshipping agreement could help you eliminate shipping costs and the need to store physical inventory at your location. Dropshipping is a sales fulfillment process in which a retailer sells a product and passes the order fulfillment process to a warehouse, manufacturer or other third party for shipping.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking to expand your business or pivot to an online retail store? No matter your industry, shipping costs &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":2905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[610,612],"tags":[45,628,631,630,629],"class_list":["post-2903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing-growth","category-small-business-trends","tag-e-commerce","tag-e-commerce-shipping","tag-online-sales","tag-online-store","tag-shipping-costs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Save Money on E-Commerce Shipping for Your Small Business - Headway Capital Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is your small business shifting to an online shop? 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