There are over 3 billion people today who use social media. That’s almost half of the world’s population at your fingertips!

Social media is accessible to the individual, but getting started as a brand isn’t always straightforward. What platform is the right fit? What kind of content should you post for your audience?

So, to help you, we’ve compiled a list of the 16 best social media steps to grow social. Let’s dive in:

Develop a Strategy for Content

Not planning is the equivalent of planning to fail. To deliver the best posts on social media, you need to develop a game plan for the type of content you’ll be sharing. Here are some of our best recommendations:

1. Research Your Target Audience

Before you even get started with social media, do some research on your audience. No single channel fits everyone: what platforms do your customers use the most? What are their demographics (gender, age, location, etc)?

This tells you where to find your audience. But what kind of content do they consume? Memes? Blogs? Podcasts? Do they love infographics or informal posts?

Answering these questions gives you a solid idea of what type of content will resonate the most with your audience.

2. Take a Look at The Competition

A crucial next step in creating a strategy for content is to take a look at your competition. Go through other brands’ social media pages and get an idea of what content they’re putting out there.

Now, we’re not encouraging you to copy whatever your competition is doing. Instead, try to understand what’s working for them and see how to apply some of the same concepts to your social media.

Suppose you can see that specific posts get good engagement and others do not; learn from what is (or isn’t working) for that brand. Looking beyond competitors, you can find other brands that do social media really well and copy their practices into your space/industry.

3. Create a Posting Schedule

Consistency is critical to growing your follower base. Social media algorithms tend to favor accounts that publish frequently.

The best way to stay consistent is to use a social media calendar that keeps track of your content. Check out platforms like Sprout or Hootsuite.

You must outline which channels you want to use (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc) and how much you plan to post. We recommend that you post 4 – 6 times per week for the best results.

Wow With Photos

It’s not enough to post pictures of your products on social media. You need content that will stop customers and grab their attention.

That’s where optimizing your brand photos comes in. By making your pictures eye-catching and engaging, you’ll spike the customer’s interest and drive traffic to your website.

Here are some of our best tips to make sure your pictures look on point:

4. Include a White Background

A white background on your Instagram pictures is an excellent way to showcase your products. It does a great job of highlighting the colors and details of your products.

5. Use Apps to Style Your Photos

Sometimes, the filters that come with Instagram aren’t enough to style your photos the way you’d like. Thankfully, there are various apps you can use to improve the quality of your photos, such as:

6. Hire a Professional Photographer

Lastly, If you have the budget, consider hiring a professional photographer for your social media pictures. Not only will it help create a steady flow of posts, but it also makes sure you’re posting the highest quality content possible.

Focus on Branding

To stand out on social media, you want your accounts to reflect the look and feel of your brand. There are various tactics you can use to make your online presence feel unique, which include:

7. Use Hashtags

Don’t underestimate the power of a hashtag—social media posts with hashtags average more engagement than posts lacking them. An excellent tactic to give your social media presence a unique feel is to use branded hashtags. They help followers find content created by you and build a community around your business.

Hashtags are another way for people to find your brand. Use hashtags that are on-brand and resonate with your audience, product, and message. Don’t just add them in to throw a wider net; be specific and purposeful in what you use.

To stand out on social media, you want your accounts to reflect the look and feel of your brand

8. Keep Your Visuals Consistent

To excel at branding on social media, you want to make sure that the visuals on your page are consistent. On Instagram, for example, select a theme you want to use for your page and stick it to it throughout your feed.

It does help to experiment with different types of posts and visuals from time to time. Optimizing your feed over time means you try different things and do what works the best!

9. Find Your Voice and Tone

Lastly, you want to find your brand voice to spice up your social pages with personality. What’s your type of humor? What are your brand’s qualities? Next, think about how you can express these features in your captions.

Messaging is extremely important in marketing and social media especially. Will you talk about products directly? Talk about life? How you speak to your audience will be the key to keeping or losing them.

Offer an Experience to The User

To create epic content for social media, you want to focus on delivering an experience to your followers. This way, they won’t feel like just another prospect and will be encouraged to engage with your brand.

Here are some of our best tips to make your social media more memorable:

10. Share User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) consists of any form of content that you create for your customers.

If you have any pictures of customers using your product or testimonials, consider publishing them on your social media pages. Not only does it humanize your brand, but it also allows the customer to share their experience.

11. Organize Contests and Giveaways

Another way to engage your audience on social media is through contests and giveaways. You can also use these to leverage existing customers into bringing new followers to your brand.

You have many options, from simple comment-to-win contests to asking followers to ask users to drop a caption in exchange for a prize.

Promote Your Products

As an e-commerce brand, you don’t want to settle with just engaging content for your audience. You need to also think about how you can promote your products to drive more sales.

On Instagram, it’s possible to add product links to your images. That way, as customers browse your feed, they can also click on the picture to land on your store and purchase the product that interests them.

You can also include product links as part of product links on Instagram. Since its algorithm heavily favors stories, it’s a great way to boost your reach and drive more traffic.

14. Run Targeted Social Media Ads

Another great tactic with an excellent ROI is running ads on social platforms. You can run ads that target anyone who’s liked your page, follows you, has visited your site, or even go after new customers that match your existing base.

You can also structure your ads based on where the customer is in the sales funnel. For example, you can run a retargeting campaign whenever a customer abandons their cart and doesn’t follow through with their purchase.

Build a Relationship With Your Audience

Lastly, long-term success on social media consists of building a relationship with your audience. Here are small things you can do to engage them and form a bond:

15. Respond Fast to Your Audience

Customers want you to respond quickly to their requests on social media. For example, Twitter users expect to receive a brand response within a few hours.

If you cannot address their needs quickly, you risk losing them forever. It’s why you want to make sure to reply fast and get their issues solved quickly.

Most of the platforms have automated responses you can enable. Facebook Messenger, for example, has a host of options for answering common questions.

16. Engage With Your Followers’ Posts and Comments

To build a relationship with customers and show that you care, you can reply to their comments and engage with their content.

Customers love receiving personal messages from their favorite brands. It makes your brand feel more human and encourages a conversation between you and the customer.

Final Thoughts: Best 16 Social Media Practices for E-commerce Brands

There you have it! These tips should give you a roadmap of where to go with social media. It will take a bit of time, but by applying these sixteen tactics consistently, you’ll see your following on social media grow exponentially.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and take action!

It goes without saying that Amazon is the undisputed king of e-commerce. The platform is currently taking almost half of the e-commerce market.

There are many good reasons to seek website sales from Amazon. The platform provides access to more than 300 million users worldwide. You’re selling on a website that has a good reputation and that consumers trust.

When people shop from your Amazon store, they’re not really your customers. They belong to Amazon. While there are definitely a lot of benefits, however, there are also some disadvantages that come your way.

This comes with many drawbacks. First, you lack control and must comply with the company’s rules. If Amazon decides to drop you, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Second, not owning the customer means you can’t communicate with them. Upsell them. Find additional ways to add value and interact with them.

While we aren’t discouraging you from selling on Amazon, what we do recommend is that you have a strategy for directing Amazon customers to your store – without breaking any rules.

So, without further ado, here are the best tactics you can use on Amazon to get more sales on your own website:

5 Tips for Success

1. Sell Product Bundles on Amazon While Offering Individual Products on Your Website

A great way to combine the best of both worlds is to offer bundles on Amazon but make individual products only available on your website.

For example, let’s say that you’re a company that sells razor blades and shaving accessories for men. On Amazon, you could sell bundles that consist of blades, cream, and gel.

If the customer wants to buy one of the products individually, such as the razor blade, they must go directly to your website.

2. Make Your Username on Amazon Your Website Name

A simple way of driving more traffic to your website via Amazon is to make your username on the platform the same as on your website.

For example, your website’s name is “coolsocks.com.” You can use the same name for your Amazon username if available. If not, you should do your best to make sure your username approximately resembles it.

Along with making the username the same, make sure to frequently refer to your company’s name on your Amazon profile’s different pages. That way, if the customer were to research your name on Google, they’ll easily land on your website.

3. Include Inserts into Your Amazon Package

It’s worth noting that Amazon has strict rules against inviting customers to visit other sites. However, there’s still a way you can get around this while remaining compliant with Amazon.

As part of your package, for example, you can include a thank you note with some info that connects the buyer with your customer service team.

Another tactic you can use is to encourage customers to register their products on your website. When doing this, however, don’t give a direct link to your store. Instead, create a separate landing page and link to it on your card.

If you link directly to your website, Amazon can close your business on its platform. You can always include a link to your home page on the product registration site.

4. Encourage Customers to Follow You on Social Media

As an e-commerce business, you’re likely marketing your brand on social media. While you can’t link Amazon customers to other sales channels, you can still invite them to follow and like your business on social.

For example, you can include your Instagram or Twitter username on your package. Even better, if branding is part of your packaging strategy, you can encourage customers to share a picture of their box on social media.

To get the best results with this tactic, you want first to make sure that your social media pages are on point. Check out our blog post on how e-commerce brands can get the most out of social media.

5. Use Amazon Buyer Data to Run Facebook Ads

Amazon’s platform comes with buyer data that shows you which type of customer has purchased from you before. Brands can use the same data to run Facebook ads for their target audience and win more sales on their website.

With Custom Audiences, you can target users with similar demographics. As a result, you’ll be reaching people with the same interests and attributes as your Amazon buyers.

Wrapping Things Up

Directing your Amazon customers to your website can be like walking through a minefield. A straightforward misstep and boom, Amazon could take down your store in a second. With these five tactics above, however, you can still get the best of both worlds and leverage website sales from Amazon for your site.

Instagram is a must-have for e-commerce brands.

The highly visual platform makes it the perfect place to promote your products and spread the word about your brand. And there are currently one billion users active on the app.

To make the most of Instagram, you need to be doing more than just posting pictures of products. You need a strategy that promotes your brand and attracts followers.

In this blog, we’ll dive into nine tactics you can use to engage your followers and successfully grow your audience on Instagram:

Switch to an Instagram Business Account

To get the most out of Instagram, the first thing you should do is switch to a business account.

Making the switch will make your Instagram account look more professional. It can pull your contact information from Facebook while keeping Instagram shoppable links.

The business account also comes with advanced analytics on your page, such as:

The additional perks don’t stop there. With a business account, you can promote posts as ads and add links to products on Instagram stories. However, you won’t be able to set your account to private.

Apply for a Verification Badge

Next, to take your credibility even further, your business should consider applying for a verification badge. It assures your customers that you’re the real deal and not some bogus account.

Here’s an example of what a verification badge on your profile looks like from Peak Design’s Instagram page:

Collect User-Generated-Content from Customers

Collecting user-generated content (UGC) is one of the best ways to promote your brand on Instagram.

The reason why you want to do this is that UGC is considered 2.5X more authentic than branded content. After all, who’s better to judge your products than your own customers?

Check out this great example from top beauty brand Glossier:

They often feature pictures from their own customers on their Instagram page. It’s a great way to boost social proof and invite customers to become brand advocates for your business.

You can even include some of your UGC content from Instagram on your website homepage for instant credibility. It’s something that Onzie does on its homepage, under the “Styled On Insta” section:

Tap Into Influencer Marketing

Another tactic related to UGC is collaborating with an influencer to promote your products.

There’s a reason why some companies are willing to invest millions of dollars in celebrity endorsements. When people see someone they admire promote a product, they’re more likely to buy it themselves.

It’s something that Daniel Wellington does regularly with their hashtag #DWPickoftheDay. They select the best influencers that use their hashtag and republish their picture on their own Instagram profile:

When it comes to finding the right influencer, follower count isn’t everything. You also want to look at their engagement rate: if an account has 100K followers but only 100 likes per post, you can already know that something is suspicious.

You don’t need to spend much to find influencers willing to work with your business. The first step is to research and find those that align with your brand and have a similar audience you’re trying to reach.

Once you’ve targeted some people who fit that description, reach out and ask about their process for working with brands. Influencers who want to be paid upfront for promotions are common; if you’re considering one of these, ask for numbers about past posts and what kind of return you should expect.

The best kind of influencers only work with brands they believe they can sell – so they will ask for a commission or percentage of the sale. This is a great way to collaborate – they are motivated to move your product, and you are only out the cost of samples and pay when sales are made.

If you know the cost to acquire customers through Facebook or other sales channels, agreeing to a 10 or 15% commission will make sense if you usually pay more to run ads.

Most brands will want samples, so make sure you create a memorable unboxing experience for them as well! While it is a lot of work finding the right ones to work with, it can be very lucrative if you can cement a long-term relationship that works for you and them.

Set Up a Click-Able Storefront

With Instagram, you can integrate your product catalog seamlessly with Instagram Shop. Users can explore your products directly from your Instagram page without landing on your website.

Here’s an example of how it looks like from Watch company MVMT:

All the customer has to do is click on “shop” to get instant access to the various watches MVMT promotes. It makes shopping more accessible for customers and creates a better online experience overall.

To make things better, you can even tag your products in Instagram pictures. Customers can click on the product link right away as they browse through your posts.

Use Instagram Ads

Instagram is a great platform to run targeted ads to promote your products. According to recent statistics:

One thing that makes Instagram ads so effective is that they look just like any shared post on the platform. As a result, they come across as less spammy to the customer.

Instagram ads get run through the Facebook Ad platform. You can run ads for sales or to raise brand awareness – either way, you can leverage the options on Facebook Ads to match your goals. For example, you can ask Instagram to find people similar to your existing customers.

Use Broad and Unique Hashtags

Using broad hashtags that apply to your brand and industry will make you come up in more searches. Including hashtags means you want to be found for that particular keyword. But don’t just use anything – make sure the hashtag actually works for what you’re trying to post.

Unique hashtags mean that anyone looking at your posts will recognize your content for yours. Having a single, unique hashtag that no one else uses will pay off in the long run as your brand awareness grows.

Organize Contests and Giveaways

A fun way to grow your following and generate new leads is to run contests for your audience on Instagram.

Contests and giveaways have been a classic business tactic for a long time. Now, with social media, it’s never been easier to run competitions that engage followers and make you stand out from the crowd.

By making your offer exciting, you’ll be able to reach new people who’ve never heard of your brand before. Here are some of the different types of contests that you can run on the platform:

Keep Track of Analytics

Lastly, to make sure you’re getting the most out of Instagram, you want to keep track of how your page is growing over time. That includes keeping track of things such as follower base, likes, which photos get the most engagement, etc.

By keeping track of analytics, you’ll be able to identify which form of content works the best with your followers. You can then start publishing high-quality content consistently to boost your engagement.

Final Thoughts: How to Make the Most of Instagram

There you have it! With these nine tips, you should have a solid idea of where to go with your Instagram strategy. Now it’s up to you to try these tactics and see what works best for you.

For new businesses, winning in your local market is just the start. As your e-commerce store starts to scale, you should look at options for growing international sales.

Growing your business overseas requires a lot of preparation, research, and planning. Here are our best seven tips for a successful transition to an international market:

Study the Market and Product Demand

Before you aim for a new market, see if your products are getting attention in other countries.

Are you getting a lot of traffic worldwide? Do you already have repeat customers from places outside the US? Answering these questions should provide you with insights on how to adapt to a new market.

You can look at this using Google Analytics. If you don’t have the tracking pixel installed on your website, you can learn more about doing it here.

Also, research to find out if there’s a high demand for the type of product you sell. If there’s a need that’s not met in one country, you can be there to fill that gap by growing international sales.

You can also use Google Trends to see what people are searching. 

Translate Your Website to the Local Language

Make sure that international customers can understand your website in their own language. No one will buy your item if they can’t read your product description.

However, don’t settle for simple translation tools such as Google Translate. You want to make sure to hire a professional translator who can write good e-commerce content.

Otherwise, there may be inaccuracies in your copy that might throw off your audience.

Aside from translating your website, also make sure that your store converts prices into their local currencies. Many tools on Shopify help you do this, such as Transcy, for example.

Do Research on the Country’s Culture and Customs

While translating your website is a must, it won’t be enough to adapt to a new market overseas. You’ll also have to research the country’s culture and customs.

For example, selling products made out of ivory is illegal in many European nations, such as Italy. Countries also have different definitions of what they consider “ethical marketing” as well.

Find brands that align with yours that are currently selling in those markets. You can research to see what they are doing, even contact the brand and ask them what it is like.

Get International Payment Options Ready

As you get ready to scale overseas, start thinking about how you’ll be accepting international payments.

The preferred payment method of the customer will depend from country to country. For example, cheques are still commonly used in France, while German buyers prefer to purchase directly.

Consider adding PayPal as a payment option on your website. The platform makes it possible to take payments from over 200 countries in 25 currencies. It also has a good reputation regarding security and purchase protection.

While translating your website is a must, it won’t be enough to adapt to a new market overseas. You’ll also have to research the country’s culture and customs

A not-so-fun part of expanding your business overseas is getting yourself legally ready. Some countries will require specific documentation before you can operate in their territory.

You’ll also have to research how you plan to pay taxes in the country. You’ll have to adhere to the laws determined by the IRS and the tax authority of the country you’re selling in.

Figuring all of this out by yourself can be a headache. That’s why we help our customers take the stress off their backs by handling all the documentation needed to ship internationally.

Provide Excellent Customer Support

A vital factor to consider as you shift your business overseas is how you will handle customer service. Remember that your customers will be in different time zones and may not speak English.

To overcome these roadblocks, you can invest in chatbot technology to answer customer questions anytime. Another strategy is to hire an international remote team that can provide customer support even during late times.

Make sure you include tracking information for any shipments, as well as posting expected transit times for overseas shipments.

Make International Shipping Affordable to Customers

Lastly, your shipping strategy could make or break your success overseas.

Unexpected shipping costs can drive your potential customers overseas away. In fact, high shipping costs are one of the most common reasons why customers abandon their carts.

If you’re a small or medium-sized business, however, it can be difficult to find competitive rates on international shipping. Many roadblocks can get in the way, such as paperwork, negotiating deals with carriers outside the US, and managing international returns.

At eHub, we help take care of international shipping so you can get started selling internationally right away. We have hundreds of connections with carriers worldwide to ensure you get the best rates every time – especially internationally!

Wrapping Things Up

If you’re serious about growth, international markets offer a unique opportunity to scale quickly. It will require careful planning on your end, but the results can be very lucrative in the long run.

eHub can help you transition seamlessly as you enter a new market. Our platform allows you to scale your shipping to multiple countries without having to negotiate rates or hurt your profit margins. Contact us today for a free demo to learn more.

Summer is almost over, and it’s time to think about your strategy for the holidays.

The holiday season is typically the most chaotic time regarding online orders and shipping. To make it worse, the world is currently battling against COVID-19, which makes 2020 a year like no other for e-commerce.

As stressful as everything may seem, we’ve got your back.

Here’s our 2020 shipping checklist to make sure you stay on top during this year’s holiday season:

1. Forecast Demand

As the pandemic continues, you must forecast customer demand for the upcoming holidays.

COVID-19 has changed everything from the customer’s channel selection frequency to shopping and the products they want. For example, there’s a more robust demand for items that align with social distancing, such as entertainment products or home goods.

Look at your sales during the lockdown — which types of products were in high demand? It should give you a clue on what to expect from customer behavior during these next months.

There is a science to forecasting demand, but let me give you a simple metric: compare sales from March to May this year versus last year. Take that percentage difference and multiply last year’s holiday sales to see how much bigger it could get.

Also, think about talking with your 3PL to find out how they can help you prepare for the upcoming holiday demand.

2. Implement a Strong Communications Plan

Another critical factor to consider during the holidays is communication with your customers.

Make sure to keep them up-to-date with each of their orders. One thing that will make customers worry, for example, is how COVID-19 will impact shipping delays. You’ll need to provide tracking and let them know when they can expect the item to arrive at their doorstep.

During your communication with your customer, it’s also a good idea to promote upsell offers. You can run post-purchase email campaigns with other products they can buy to complement their order. It will help deliver more value to the customer and boost your average order value.

3. Get Ready for More Customer Returns Than Usual

Dealing with customers is part of running an e-commerce business. However, you can expect returns to skyrocket during the holidays.

The reason is that customers will feel reluctant to step into retail stores due to virus fears. To gain peace of mind and avoid getting infected, they’ll be doing most of their shopping online.

Customers love the ability to buy and try on or see how something looks in real life. They often buy two or three sizes or styles, keep one, and return the rest.

As a result, your business must come prepared with reliable customer service staff or shipping software to manage returns effectively.

Dealing with customers is part of running an e-commerce business. However, you can expect returns to skyrocket during the holidays.

4. Get Shipping Insurance

No one can predict what will happen to your product once it is out for delivery. Nothing is worse for a customer during the holiday season than to make a purchase only to have the item damaged or never even arrive.

With an expected surge in shipments this holiday season, these problems will be multiplied. You can protect yourself and your customers, however, with shipping insurance.

It’s why you want to plan in advance and get shipping insurance, which is easier than you think. No matter what happens to your product, you’ll be protected against significant financial loss and gain peace of mind.

The holidays are the time when orders reach their peak throughout the year. As a result, you can expect new rules, restrictions, and deadlines for all major carriers. Look into the specific provisions of your carrier for different times of the year and figure out what measures and fees are required.

5. Do Research on Seasonal Fees and Restrictions

Keep in mind as well that major carriers will be surcharging their rates on shipping due to coronavirus and customer demand. For example, UPS plans to make businesses that ship more than 25,000 orders per week pay an extra $1 to $4 for each package.

6. Offer Multiple Shipping Options

If you offer free shipping, you’re probably sending things via Ground or Priority Mail. Those options have been impacted the most by slow delivery times, and you’ll have customers who will want something faster.

Offering an expedited shipping option – like 2-day, overnight, or even same-day delivery, is a must this holiday season. Here’s why:

  1. It sets clear expectations for delivery times
  2. Customers have the option to pay for faster delivery
  3. Free shipping has a higher perceived value

Anyone who is expecting free shipping will see that delivery times affect cost. They will appreciate that the slower option is still accessible compared to the expensive, expedited option.

7. Make Your Packaging Stand Out

The holidays represent a unique opportunity to strengthen brand loyalty and delight new customers. One of the best ways to do this is to create a fantastic unboxing experience that wows them.

Branded packaging is the first approach because it makes each purchase feel unique and delivers a great impression. Since shoppers also buy gifts for their friends and family, you’ll surprise multiple customers simultaneously.

Customers also love to share brand packages on social media, which promotes your store and boosts your reach.

The next step is making what’s inside stand out with different packing paper, a hand-written thank you note, or even surprise gifts you’ve included.

All of these things and more contribute to making an unforgettable unboxing experience.

8. Use the Right Shipping Software

There are so many things to handle regarding shipping during the holidays. You have inventory to manage, orders to pack and ship, tracking, and many more tasks on your list.

Software is the best way to improve processes like this. With automation, you can improve the pick-n-pack process, automatically select the correct shipping method, batch print labels, and update tracking information.

Essential Hub’s software provides all the tools you need for success this holiday season. Not only do we help you get the best rates on shipping, but our software also comes with order tracking, inventory management, and more.

A vital shipping program is central to e-commerce success. Very few e-commerce companies, however, know how to set one up. This guide will walk you through how to set up shipping on your Shopify store [and more].

It doesn’t matter if you have the best user experience and products on your website. Without the right shipping strategy to satisfy customers, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

For example, a customer finds a product they like from your store and adds it to their cart. They discover your high shipping rates and start hesitating in their purchase. They search the web and look for cheaper alternatives. Next thing you know, they’re ditching their cart and going to your competition.

In this complete guide, you’ll learn everything about setting up a shipping strategy on Shopify to ensure this never happens. Here’s what we’ll cover (click any topic to jump ahead):

  1. Why you need a shipping strategy.
  2. Shopify’s default shipping options.
  3. How to set up shipping zones and rates from the Shopify admin.
  4. Should you offer free shipping?
  5. How to offer free shipping on Shopify.
  6. How to pick the proper packaging for orders.
  7. The best shipping tactics you can use to boost your business.
  8. Useful shipping apps you can download off Shopify.
  9. Use our Shipping on Shopify checklist to get started.

Let’s dive in.

Why You Need a Shipping Strategy

Your shipping strategy is what could make or break your online sales.

Don’t believe us? Check out these statistics:

One thing to note is that your shipping strategy will change over time. For example, you might change your shipping carriers, price, unboxing material, etc.

What’s important is defining a game plan now and continuing to adjust as you grow.

Understanding the Different Default Shipping Options on Shopify

When you sign up with Shopify, the platform offers three different plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.

Each plan you choose has different options and discounts when it comes to shipping. Depending on your Shopify plan, you might be eligible for reduced shipping rates from these three carriers:

Let’s take a look at how each Shopify plan differs from each other:

 Basic PlanShopify PlanAdvanced Plan
Monthly Price$29/Mo$79/Mo$299/Mo
What does the plan consist of?All the basics for starting a new businessEverything you need for a growing businessAdvanced features for scaling your business
Shipping Discountup to 64%up to 72%up to 74%
Print Shipping LabelsYesYesYes
USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing YesYes

As you can see from the table above, the higher you upgrade, the more discounts you’ll get on shipping and labels. While each plan offers the possibility to print shipping labels, the basic plan doesn’t come with USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing.

While Shopify offers reasonable rates, you’ll still gain more value using a shipping app. With Essential Hub, we connect all your eCommerce operations so you can get the best discounts and save up to 35% on shipping.

Shopify Shipping – How to Set up Zones and Rates

Once you decide which plan is the right fit for your business, it’s time to get started on your shipping strategy. The first thing you’ll have to do is set up your zones from the Shopify admin.

What Is a Shipping Zone?

On Shopify, a shipping zone is a specific location based on region or country. It defines where your package is shipping from and to which destination.

Your shipping zones play a vital role in setting up your rates. Typically, the farther you ship the item, the higher shipping costs will be.

Here’s how you can define your shipping zone from the Shopify admin:

Step 1: Go to the Shipping Section From Your Admin

From your admin dashboard, click on “Settings” at the bottom left on your screen. Click on “Shipping” to start setting your zones and rates.

Step 2: Click on “Manage Rates”

Once you land on the shipping section, hover over the “General shipping rates” section and click on “manage rates.”

Step 3: Scroll Down and Click on “Create Shipping Zones”

On the “manage rates” section, You’ll get to see all of the products that you added to your store. Scroll down underneath to get access to your shipping zones.

In the example above, we already defined some specific rules for shipping in the US. We’re offering shipping for product orders of $25 and up.

To create a new shipping zone, click on “create shipping zones”.

Step 4: Name Your Shipping Zone and Add Countries

In the textbox, add a name to your shipping zone to differentiate it from others.

When you create your zone, you can search and select countries where you want to ship. Once you choose them, click Done.

Step 5: Add Any Rates You Want for the Shipping Zone

Once you create your shipping zone, you can start adding rates that apply to it. You can set your own prices and let the shipping carrier do it.

Should You Offer Free Shipping?

As you set up your shipping zones and rates, you may ask yourself — should I offer free shipping or not?

You already know that customers love it. 91% of online customers will leave an eCommerce store if they don’t offer free shipping.

As practical as it may be for customers, free shipping might not be appropriate for your business. There are many different factors to consider before offering free shipping.

Here are a couple of things to consider before you make the jump and offer free shipping on your store:

You’ve Calculated Your Profit Margins

First, you’ll have to do some math to determine if free shipping is right for your business.

Keep in mind that you’re the one who’s going to have to cover the shipping costs. That often means you’ll have to increase the price of your product to cover costs.

You also have to be careful when raising the price of your item — you want the price to cover shipping and marketing costs but not high enough that it scares away customers from buying from you.

A good strategy on Shopify is to offer free shipping when a specific amount of items are ordered, which we’ll get into later.

Your Supplier Offers Free Shipping

Whether or not you should offer free shipping also depends on your supplier.

If the supplier you choose offers free shipping, then it’s ideal to offer free shipping to your customers. In this case, it won’t be fair to charge them for shipping costs.

If they don’t offer free shipping, however, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to cover the shipping costs and make your customers pay for them.

The Competition Is Offering Free Shipping

If competitors in your niche are offering free shipping as part of their strategy, then it’s best that you do the same.

You don’t want your store to be falling behind everyone. However, even if the competition isn’t offering free shipping, it could still be a way to make your business stand out from the crowd.

Online customers value free shipping during their purchase. If they explore their options and see that you’re the only one who offers free shipping, they’re most likely to pick you.

Your Customers’ Location

Ask yourself: where are your customers located? Are you only shipping to the United States, or do you have customers overseas as well?

The customer’s location has a significant influence on your shipping costs. That’s why it might be better for your store to offer free shipping only to specific locations.

How to Offer Free Shipping on Shopify

Once you’ve considered all these things and decided if your business will offer free shipping, it’s time to set it up on Shopify.

There are various ways you can set up your free shipping options from the Shopify admin. You can offer free shipping based on the following criteria:

Let’s take a look at the different steps and ways you can set up your free shipping:

Step 1: Go to the Shipping Section From Your Admin

Similarly to setting your shipping zones, click “Settings” at the bottom left of the Shopify admin. After that, click on
“shipping.”

Step 2: Click on “Manage Rates”

Once you land on the page for “Manage Rates,” you want to scroll down and click the specific zone where you want to offer free shipping.

Step 3: Click on “Add Rate”

To set up your free shipping, click on “add rate.” It’s where you can create specific conditions for free shipping to apply.

Step 4: Type in Free Shipping and Click on “Add Conditions”

When you click on “add rate,” you’ll receive this popup on your Shopify admin:

In the text box, type “Free Shipping” to differentiate the rate from others. Next, click on the “add conditions” button to define the conditions of your free shipping.

Step 5: Offer Free Shipping Based on Product Weight or Order Price

When you click on “add conditions,” Shopify offers you two choices: either provide free shipping based on weight or product price.

If you want free shipping based on order price, check the “Based on order price” box. You’ll be able to provide a minimum order amount for customers to qualify for free shipping.

However, to offer free shipping based on item weight, check the “Based on item weight” box. Here’s what will pop up on your Shopify admin:

From there, type in the minimum item weight, and you’re good to go.

Choosing the Right Kind of Packaging for Your Orders

Packing is one of the most significant factors of a successful shipping strategy. You don’t want to make the mistake of spending more than you have on packaging or choosing the wrong material to transport your product.

Here’s how your store can select the proper packaging to fulfill your orders:

Determine Your Packaging Budget

First, you’ll need to assess your current budget for packaging.

How much money you’re willing to invest determines the packaging material you’ll use. For example, a popular brand option is corrugated cardboard, which ranges from around $.075 to $0.95.

It’s also possible to get free packaging from Shopify’s three leading carriers: DHL Express, UPS, and USPS. You can order your free shipping supplies online or pick them up. Check out free shipping supplies from the USPS here.

Pick the Appropriate Packaging Weight and Material

Since the shipping cost relies on the size and weight of your products, you want the packaging to be light. Your box should be big enough to transport your product but not heavy to the point it inflates your shipping costs.

For the best delivery, your order must be protected with suitable material. Here are examples of different types of packaging material you can choose from:

Paper and Cardboard

Cardboard is one of the best packaging materials for shipping. It’s low-cost, durable, and is easy to customize to reflect the look and feel of your brand. It’s particularly useful when it comes to shipping heavy products.

Poly Mailer

Poly mailers are lightweight and adjust to different product weights. They’re ideal if you’re shipping products that don’t need much cushioning, such as socks or shirts.

Plastic

What makes plastic practical for shipping is that it’s lightweight and flexible. As a result, you’ll be able to ship more items with less packaging material.

Airbags

Airbags are handy when filling up empty spaces in your packaging box. It’s something you want to consider if you sell items with sharp edges. They also act as cushioning for fragile objects.

Glass and Jars

The glass looks great aesthetically, and its transparent material makes your product visible. The obvious disadvantage, of course, is that it’s pretty fragile and can break during transportation.

To pick suitable packaging for your product, find and assemble different materials. From there, select the best fit for the product you plan to ship. While the outside might be plain, you can still create an incredible unboxing experience with a few simple additions inside the packaging.

Make Sure the Packaging Gets From Point A to Point B

It doesn’t matter how fancy your packaging looks. If your packaging can’t travel without being damaged, it will be useless.

It all goes back to picking the suitable material for packaging. If your packaging material isn’t strong enough, customers will receive broken or damaged products.

It will cost you less to invest in adequate packaging design than replacing damaged products.

Tactics You Can Use to Boost Your Shipping Strategy

As you can see from the above, Shopify makes it easy to set up and manage your shipping. If you want the best results, however, you also need some strategy.

Use Third-Party Shipping Software

If you’re handling one or two orders a day, then you won’t mind using the Shopify platform to print shipping labels. Once your volume rises, however, you’ll want to use a software program to help. Effective shipping software provides better rates, automation (always selecting the best price for the desired service level), and the ability to print labels either all at once or one at a time.

Essential Hub integrates with different software solutions to provide our clients with the best system for what they need. If you have any questions about the software, please reach out using the contact form at the end of this post.

Offer Free Shipping Without Hurting Your Profits

As mentioned earlier, free shipping is an effective way to capture customers’ attention and stand out from competitors. It’s a marketing tactic that can skyrocket your sales and continually drive new customers.

There’s a catch; however, remember that you need to think about how free shipping could potentially affect your profit margin. While free shipping can boost sales, you’ll have to cover all shipping costs as well.

One way to effectively do this is to offer free shipping when customers pay a certain amount in your store. It could help you squeeze in some cash to pay for shipping.

Let’s say, for example, that your average order cost is $22. To invite customers to pay more in your store without feeling like they’re being tricked into buying more, you can offer free shipping for orders above $25.

Alternatively, you can offer free shipping on any order with a particular product. You can choose those that you know have higher margins and can cover the cost of free shipping.

Another option is to offer a membership program for customers who seek free shipping. Customers are charged a yearly or monthly fee in exchange for free shipping on items.

It’s all about testing what works and making changes from there.

Make Your Order Fulfillment and Return Policies Clear

Your store needs a concise order policy that sets clear expectations between you and your customers. Setting clear expectations is a simple tip when getting started in shipping.

Online shoppers want access to all relevant information about shipping. They need to know where you ship to and when they can expect the item to arrive.

One thing that matters to them, in particular, is your shipping cost.

For example, if part of your strategy is to offer free shipping, you need to mention this the second visitors land on your home page. Doing so could completely transform your conversions.

When announcing free shipping on your website theme, make sure you make it work in the Shopify backend by setting it as a rule. This can be done by making an announcement under your theme settings.

If you’re delivering overseas, customers need to know exactly how much they’ll pay to cover shipping. Nobody likes nasty surprises.

Here are some questions that your shipping policy should cover:

Charge by Flat Rate

Flat rate shipping consists of offering a single rate for shipping an item, regardless of weight or size.

It means that the value or size of products doesn’t get taken into account. For many eCommerce brands, this simplifies the shipping process and encourages buyers to spend more.

For example, for each order, you could offer a flat rate of $5.

Setting up a flat rate is a good strategy if you’re starting out and don’t know how much your shipping costs will be. However, you can still offer different rates based on how fast the customer wants to receive the item.

For example, if customers really want to get your product in two days, you can set up a special rate for two-day shipping on Shopify. They’ll receive the item faster, expecting that they’ll have to pay a higher flat rate.

Get Insurance for High-Value or Fragile Items

If you’re selling an expensive or fragile item, you want to ensure you get insurance to protect it in case issues arise.

Insurance is handy if your product gets lost, stolen, or broken during shipping. When something goes wrong, you’ll need to prove the item’s value, and the insurer will pay you back the total amount.

While insurance is helpful, remember that you might have to raise your shipping rates to cover it. Logistical services such as USPS, UPS, and DHL only offer free insurance for items up to $100.

Alternatively, there are some really great services out there, like Route, an app we will review below. They let the customer add insurance at checkout and manage any issues with lost, stolen, or damaged packages.

Actively Engage With Customers During Ship”
ing With Email Marketing

Once the item gets shipped out, it’s an excellent time to engage with customers and improve their experience with your brand.

A good tactic is to send email updates to your customers once the item ships. You can also feature sales and promotions for other products that could interest them.

Check out this perfect example from The Dollar Shave Club. Each time a customer buys from their store, they receive an order confirmation email with the shipping date and items they can buy before the product ships:

Offer Same-Day Delivery

Offering same-day delivery can boost your sales and make you stand out from other stores. 61% of customers will pay extra bucks to get their products shipped the same day.

Same-day delivery is a great way to boost customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Best Buy, for example, has rolled out same-day delivery since 2015:

To take advantage of same-day delivery, customers must order with Best Buy Before 3 p.m. local time. It’s available seven days a week, and shipping costs depend on the product.

When offering same-day delivery, you need to measure how it’s impacting your sales. If more transactions are driven thanks to it, and it’s enough to pay for shipping, then it’s a good strategy.

To set up same-day delivery on Shopify, take advantage of their same-day app – you can find it on the app store. To set up local delivery, you’ll need to turn on one of your locations as available. You can do this through the Admin panel settings Shipping and Delivery button Local Delivery section (click manage next to a location).

Create An Incredible Unboxing Experience

Your goal as an online store should always be to stand out from the crowd. One excellent way you can do this is to ensure customers remember to open your packages every time.

A unique unboxing experience makes your business memorable and leaves customers hungry for more. As a result, you’ll create a loyal customer base that will repeatedly return to your site.

Here are some ideas of how you can do this:

The best part is that you don’t have to spend much money creating custom packages for all the different sizes you ship. With stickers on the outside and cool stuff inside, you can make any package stand out!

Useful Apps That Will Up Your Shipping on Shopify

Before we conclude, there are many apps you can use on Shopify that make the shipping process so much easier for you and your customers.

Here are the best apps you can integrate on your Shopify store to better manage shipping at each stage of the product delivery:

1. Free Shipping Bar

Free Shipping Bar is a tool that displays your free shipping offer in a bar on your website that you can easily customize. Its goal is to encourage customers to add to their carts and buy more.

As customers add more to their cart, the Free Shipping Bar will show them progressive messages on how much they have left before they get free shipping.

You can congratulate customers once they have landed on a free shipping offer and measure the results of each bar to see which free shipping goals create more sales.

As a bonus, its currency detection features make it easy to auto-detect the local currencies of visitors. The platform then converts the free shipping amount with real-time exchange rates.

Pricing:
 

2. Parcelify

Parcelify makes it simple to create custom rates for your Shopify store.

With Parcelify, you control the shipping pricing and options that customers see during checkout. Customers can get live, accurate rates of what they’re actually paying for shipping.

Parcefily also comes with local delivery and in-store pickup. With cheaper options to receive their product, you’ll satisfy customers and drive more repeat purchases.

Pricing:
 

3. AfterShip

Tracking and managing each customer shipment can be a time-consuming headache. Aftership cuts the work in half by tracking all shipments across 600+ carriers in one place.

AfterShip is currently being used by more than 30,000 Shopify stores worldwide. You’ll be able to keep customers updated on the placement of their orders and when they can expect delivery.

As a result, your store will see a drastic decrease in customer inquiries and complaints.

Pricing:

4. Tracktor

The modern customer has higher expectations than before. One of those expectations is expedited shipping and being able to track down exactly when their item arrives.

That’s where Tracktor comes in.

Tracktor makes it easy for customers and store owners to track down the delivery of a shipped item. The platform integrates with hundreds of carriers across the globe, so you can track exactly where the package is going.

The best part? You can do all of this from a single app. Customers won’t have to come to you and ask, “Where’s my order?” anymore. As a result, you’ll boost customer satisfaction and reduce support costs.

Pricing:

5. Route – Shipping Insurance

Route

No one can predict what can happen to your product during shipping, which is why getting insurance is so important.

Route is a tool that offers insurance on any item that gets lost broken or stolen during delivery. Customers gain peace of mind knowing that their purchases are guaranteed, and you get to keep more of your revenue.

Since Route covers the cost of refunds, you won’t be losing any money. The app is also 100% free for merchants and only takes a few minutes to set up on your store.

Pricing:
 

6. Aftership Returns Center

As frustrating as custom returns can be, there’s software you can use to handle returns more efficiently. Aftership Returns Center uses automation to track and manage your returns like child’s play.

When you integrate Aftership into your online store, you’ll be able to:

Pricing:

7. Sales Box

Sales Box offers an exciting way to manage shipping and personalize offers for your customers.

Your store can set up different shipping fees and promotions for individual products or countries. Right under the “add to cart” button, customers will have all the shipping information.

Each sales box is fully customizable and easy to edit. No coding knowledge is necessary — you get instant access to templates that make your offer stand out.

Pricing:

Next Steps

There you have it! By following our tips and tricks above, you should have a solid roadmap of where to go with your shipping strategy. It might require some testing, but soon enough, you’ll be able to blow customers away with your fantastic service and delivery.

Shipping delays can negatively impact your brand reputation and sales.

If your item doesn’t arrive on time, customers won’t feel they can trust you with their money and won’t return to your store for more.

Even worse, they can post negative reviews and spread the word to their friends and family. It doesn’t take long for bad reviews to spread.

Why do Shipping Delays Happen?

Even if you think everything’s under control, no one can truly predict what happens to your package once it leaves the warehouse. Your item’s delivery could get delayed for various reasons, which include:

World Events

World events can have a significant impact on shipping operations. Just take a look at what happened this year with COVID-19 — with new social distancing measures put in place and thousands of business shutdowns, many stores had a hard time making sure their package got into the hands of customers.

With more e-commerce orders than ever, all major carriers are struggling. The USPS has had the most challenging time since they have the most significant volume.

Unexpected Weather and Natural Disasters

Sudden weather changes can prevent your orders from arriving on time to the customer’s doorstep. It’s something that’s unfortunately beyond your control, but there are tactics you can use to handle the situation (which we’ll get into later).

Domestic & International Customs

Your package can get held back if it doesn’t respect customs procedures. For example, if you’re trying to ship ivory products to Italy (where the material is banned), your package might even get destroyed. That’s why you need to do your research on customs before shipping the item to the customer.

Shipping insurance protects you from any drastic financial loss and takes extra stress off your shoulders

Holidays

E-commerce sales tend to skyrocket during holiday seasons or important dates. As a result of record items being ordered, carriers can’t consistently deliver to your customer on time, which is not practical when everyone expects to receive their gift quickly (or by a specific date).

Poor Inventory Management from Your 3PL

Your item’s shipping delay could also result from poor management of your 3PL.

While investing in a logistics provider can provide you with many benefits in the long term, choosing the wrong one can be detrimental to your brand. Check our blog post on picking the right 3PL for your business to avoid making this mistake.

The Best Tactics You Can Use to Handle Shipping Delays

Get Shipping Insurance

Preparing yourself in advance goes a long way. Before shipping the item to your customer, you should consider investing in shipping insurance to protect yourself from any trouble during delivery.

Shipping insurance protects you from any drastic financial loss and takes extra stress off your shoulders. If the customer demands a refund because of the delay in delivery, you’ll have the means to give it to them without hurting your profits.

Be Upfront With The Customer

When your shipping is delayed, you’ll need to let the customer know what’s going on, especially as the world still battles with COVID-19.

Make sure to follow up with them via email, social media, and SMS. Apologize, explain the current situation to the customer, and how you plan to solve it. Holding yourself accountable proves to the customer that you’re someone they can trust.

Offer Order Tracking on the Delayed Item

Not having an order delivered on time can cause a lot of anxiety for the customer. To give them peace of mind, you can give them a tracking number to monitor their package.

With eHub, each item you ship comes with order tracking to get updates as they happen for your customers. We can also provide insurance if your package doesn’t arrive or is stolen during delivery.

Offer Special Discounts and Deals

Shipping deals can be an unpleasant experience for the customer. To make up for it, you can offer them special discounts and promotions on future orders.

Giving customers discounts proves that you value them and take their satisfaction seriously. For example, if your package doesn’t arrive on time, you can offer free shipping for their next order or a 20% discount on future items.

Use Multiple Shipping Carriers

Regarding shipping, it’s essential not to put all your eggs in one basket. Using multiple carriers ensures your package arrives on time if one fails to deliver.

Finding suitable shipping carriers, however, takes a bit of time and search. That’s why we do the hard work for you by connecting all major carriers in one place on our platform.

Offer Multiple Shipping Options at Checkout

Providing transparency into expected delivery times is vital to the ordering experience. Showing customers two options (at least) – one for expedited and the other for slow delivery – lets them choose what will work best for them.

If you’re offering free shipping on the slower service, then the value of the expedited shipping will be improved. While many people expect free shipping, they are willing to pay for faster delivery times when it is essential to them.

Conclusion

Shipping delays don’t have to be the end of the world. Handled effectively, you can still shine in the eyes of your customers and retain their trust.

If you’re looking for a platform covering everything you need to manage shipping effectively, we can help. From inventory management to order tracking, our platform gives you all the tools you need for smooth delivery.

The checkout page is the last step in creating a customer from a visitor. Optimizing checkout is a key to reducing cart abandonment and driving sales.

Here are some essential practices you can implement on your checkout page to deliver significant results:

8 Things You Must Be Doing During Checkout

Let’s dive into each and see how you can easily upgrade your checkout.

 

Include Customer Testimonials & Trust Symbols

To get the customer to purchase, you first have to gain their trust.

Adding customer testimonials on your checkout page reassures the prospect they’re making the right choice. Seeing others enjoy your product gives them the confidence to make the purchase.

Furthermore, if they don’t know you’re brand, they may hesitate on the quality of your product and service. You can promote trust by using testimonial & review apps like Okendo, Product Reviews by Shopify, or Stamped.io.

These apps make it easy to collect and publish reviews on your home, product, or checkout pages.

Security is also a big concern for customers since you handle their payment information. A good tactic to give them peace of mind is to include security badges on your checkout page, such as the below:

If customers know their payments are in good hands, they’ll be more likely to follow through with their purchase.

 

One-Page Checkout

Any friction during the buying process will cause customers to drop their carts. No one wants to go through loops and holes to make a final purchase.

The checkout process must be as simple and straightforward as possible. The best way to simplify your checkout page and get customers across the finish line is to offer a one-page checkout:

One-page checkout works because it’s shorter and reduces the steps the customer has to go through. It’s convenient and can lead to better conversions.

However, we recommend testing multi-page and single-page to see what works best for you.

Offer Free Shipping

Free Shipping can be a powerful trigger for conversion. Customers feel 90% more motivated to buy more when free shipping is involved, so you should consider offering it on your checkout page.

As a small business, however, you may not be in a position to offer free shipping. Free shipping isn’t free to you and can hurt your profit margins in the long term if you’re not careful. If you’re wondering how to decrease your shipping costs, you may be interested in the cubic pricing program.

Optimize Your Checkout Page for Mobile

More and more customers are using their smartphones to shop. By next year, mobile sales will represent a whopping 54% of total e-commerce revenue. It’s the reason why your checkout page needs to be mobile-responsive.

You must also ensure your checkout page loads fast on mobile, especially when the customer gives you their payment information. 53% of visitors will ditch your site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

Highlight Upsell Offers

Upselling is a sales technique to persuade the customer to buy more items, upgrades, or add-ons once they make a purchase. It’s a tactic used by top brands such as Amazon, GoDaddy, and Booking.com.

Your checkout page represents extra sales for your store. As the customer is about to checkout, you can recommend complementary products.

It’s a great way to boost your customer lifetime value (CLV) and make prospects come back. Here’s an example from Dollar Shave Club for inspiration:

The best tool we recommend to help you do this is Carthook. Once the customer checks out, Carthook sends them three different upsell offers. The platform auto-fills the page with the customer’s details, so they don’t have to re-enter their payment information.

 

Use Exit-Intent Popups

Just as a customer abandons their cart or is about to leave your site, you can launch exit-intent popups to promote discounts they can use for their purchase:

Exit-intent pop-ups work well for two reasons. First off, it gives the customer an incentive to stay on your checkout page. Secondly, your store gets a second chance to make a sale.

There are various tools you can download on Shopify that help you capture the customer’s attention with pop-ups. Check out our 8 top picks of pop-up tools for boosting sales.

 

Remove Any Distractions on the Checkout Page

A key theme that we’re repeating here is keeping everything as simple as possible. To maximize your conversions, you need to eliminate any distractions that might draw the customer away from making a purchase.

There are various ways to do this. You want to avoid having any ads, navigation bars, or eye-catching graphics that might get in the way. You also don’t want to surprise customers with hidden fees they weren’t aware of before.

 

Offer “Save Item” as an Option

Lastly, there are many reasons why your customer doesn’t follow through with their purchase. They may not be ready to buy, or something distracted them as they were about to check out.

To help returning visitors, make it possible for them to save your product so they can go back to checkout whenever they have time. Amazon does this on their store with their “wishlist” feature, so customers can come back at any time to finish their purchase:

Conclusion

The checkout is the final and most critical part of the buyer’s journey. Even with the best marketing and products in the world, customers will ditch your store if the checkout process is not optimized the right way. By applying our tips above, you’ll be on your way to setting up a killer checkout page and boosting your sales.

As your business continues to grow, managing shipping will become more and more difficult. 

Getting more orders indicates that your business is on the right track. However, managing your orders and getting the best rates can be a time-consuming process.

Thankfully, some apps help you manage your shipping and orders effectively without sacrificing your precious time.

Tools We Recommend

1. Free Shipping Bar

Free Shipping Bar is a tool that displays your free shipping offer in a bar on your website that you can easily customize. Its goal is to encourage customers to add to their carts and buy more.

As customers add more to their cart, the Free Shipping Bar will show them progressive messages on how much they have left before they get free shipping.

You can congratulate customers once they have landed on a free shipping offer and measure the results of each bar to see which free shipping goals create more sales.

As a bonus, its currency detection features make it easy to auto-detect the local currencies of visitors. The platform then converts the free shipping amount with real-time exchange rates.

Pricing:

You need a solution that makes it possible to connect all of your eCommerce operations in one place

2. Parcelify

Parcelify makes it simple to create custom rates for your Shopify store.

With Parcelify, you control the shipping pricing and options that customers see during checkout. Customers can get live, accurate rates of what they’re actually paying for shipping.

Parcefily also comes with local delivery and in-store pickup. With cheaper options to receive their product, you’ll satisfy customers and drive more repeat purchases.

Pricing:

3. AfterShip

Tracking and managing each customer shipment can be a time-consuming headache. Aftership cuts the work in half by tracking all shipments across 600+ carriers in one place.

AfterShip is currently being used by more than 30,000 Shopify stores worldwide. You’ll be able to keep customers updated on the placement of their orders and when they can expect delivery.

As a result, your store will see a drastic decrease in customer inquiries and complaints.

Pricing:

4. Tracktor

The modern customer has higher expectations than before. One of those expectations is expedited shipping and being able to track down exactly when their item arrives.

That’s where Tracktor comes in.

Tracktor makes it easy for customers and store owners to track down the delivery of a shipped item. The platform integrates with hundreds of carriers across the globe, so you can track exactly where the package is going.

The best part? You can do all of this from a single app. Customers won’t have to come to you and ask, “where’s my order?” anymore. As a result, you’ll boost customer satisfaction and reduce support costs.

Pricing:

5. Route – Shipping Insurance

No one can predict what can happen to your product during shipping, which is why getting insurance for your products is so important.

Route is a tool that offers insurance on any item that gets lost, broken, or stolen during delivery. Customers gain peace of mind knowing that their purchases are guaranteed, and you get to keep more of your revenue.

Since Route covers the cost of refunds, you won’t be losing any money. The app is also 100% free for merchants and only takes a few minutes to set up on your store.

6. Aftership Returns Center

As frustrating as customer returns can be, there’s software you can use to handle returns more efficiently. Aftership Returns Center uses automation to track and manage your returns like child’s play.

When you integrate Aftership into your online store, you’ll be able to:

Pricing:

7. Sales Box

Sales Box offers an exciting way to manage shipping and personalize offers for your customers.

Your store can set up different shipping fees and promotions for individual products or countries. Right under the “add to cart” button, customers will have all the shipping information.

Each sales box is fully customizable and easy to edit. No coding knowledge is necessary — you get instant access to templates that make your offer stand out.

Pricing:

8. eHub – Best

There’s a lot that goes into managing shipping and customer orders. You have to keep track of inventory, calculate your shipping rates, print your labels, and so much more.

It can be time-consuming and frustrating to bounce from software to software to get all of this handled. You need a solution that makes it possible to connect all of your eCommerce operations in one place.

That’s where eHub comes in. From the admin, your business gets access to:

Essential Hub also integrates with more than 100+ e-commerce and shipping tools.

Pricing:

Conclusion

We hope you enjoy our list of the best apps you can use to manage your shipping. These tools should help save money on shipping and manage your orders effectively to delight your customers. To learn more about how Essential Hub can improve your shipping strategy, feel free to contact us.

You started out doing the shipping yourself. You loved putting products into packages and printing the labels because it represented all the hard work you’ve invested in starting your business.

Now, your online store is growing, and shipping has turned into a headache. It needs to be done every day, but your business has a lot of other needs, too.

If you’re currently evaluating whether you should expand your operations and hire someone to take over fulfillment, you may want to consider a third-party logistics provider (3PL) to do the job for you.

What is a Third-Party Logistics Provider (3PL)?

A 3PL is a logistics provider that allows you to outsource your fulfillment operations. The provider will handle various business activities for your company, such as:

Sooner or later, there will come a time when it will be necessary to enlist a 3PL (or expand operations to do it yourself). If you’re starting to run out of space or are shipping around 10-20 daily orders on your own, a 3PL can help you save time so you can focus on business.

It’s also an excellent investment if you’re looking to expand overseas or adapt to seasonal changes. Here’s what to consider to pick the 3PL that’s the right fit for your business.

Payment History and Financial Stability

When choosing a 3PL, consider what would happen if they were to shut down or go bankrupt suddenly. If you’re not ready, it could have brutal consequences for your business.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, which is why you need to pick a 3PL with financial stability and a solid payment history. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of trouble in the long run.

Do your research and ask around to learn more about how they’ve handled payments in the past. If they have a history of not being reliable, then it’s best to move on and find a better partner to fit your needs.

Excellent Industry References

Not all 3PLs are created equal. You’ll also have to find out what others in the industry say about their services, along with strong financial stability.

One of your goals during your research should be to network with their existing customers and get their opinions on the 3PL. Here are some questions you can ask them to learn more about how the logistics provider does business:

Technology Integrations

There’s plenty of technology that helps you manage your supply chain easier. A quality 3PL should be able to integrate tools that give access to automation, connect with major carriers, and help you get the best rates.

Look at the 3PL’s website and see which e-commerce integrations are possible when you work with them. They should be able to integrate with the best platforms, such as:

Their Industry and Area Specialization

Specialty is key to finding the perfect 3PL. The right 3PL for your business depends on your location, the type of products you sell, and your current logistical needs.

For example, let’s say that you’re selling high-tariff items such as consumer goods and luggage. An option to consider is cross-border fulfillment, which is perfectly legal if you sell items with a 15+ tax rate.

Another aspect to consider is the 3PL’s location. Thanks to Amazon, customers expect to receive their products as soon as possible. As a result, it may be better to choose a 3PL that’s close to your customers. That will save you on shipping costs and keep delivery times to a minimum.

You can save on shipping costs by using one in the middle of the country or close to the region where you make the most sales. Larger 3PLs will have multiple locations you can leverage to cover the entire country.

A Strong Business Relationship

Collaborating with a 3PL is different from other traditional businesses. They are crucial in growing your business and effectively getting your product into customers’ hands.

To build a strong relationship with the 3PL, you want to know exactly what you need. Outlining your goals to the logistics provider will help set clear expectations that will lead the way to a solid partnership.

This should include:

    1. Expected level of service – how fast do things get out the door?
    2. Accuracy levels – sometimes, they ship the wrong product.
    3. Cost to ship each package (with a breakdown for different SKUs)
    4. How do they handle returns?

3PLs are notorious for being bad at handling returns. Have a frank discussion with any potential vendors so that you understand what they’re willing to do (and not do). Some will do it (for a price), but there are many with piles of unsorted returns sitting in their warehouse.

Scalability

Each company’s goal should be to grow and eventually reach a global market.

As your company starts to scale, its needs will change over time. You must consider what happens as you grow in SKUs and regions and hire more employees.

The right 3PL will fuel that growth and help you take your business to the next level. For example, the holidays are a period that significantly influences the supply and demand of your products.

A high-performing 3PL should also help you adapt to unexpected events. In the case of a natural disaster, you want to ensure they know how to handle the crisis and minimize the damage to your business.

When you meet up with a potential 3PL partner, ask them what their primary strategy is for scalability. It’ll show you if they’re worth the investment or not.

Pricing and Budget

Lastly, you’ll have to factor in your current budget. Investing in a 3PL can be costly, but it’s not a reason to go after the cheapest option.

As mentioned in this blog post, investing in the right 3PL helps you scale and grow your reach. A cheap 3PL is useless if it can’t adapt to unexpected situations and loses you money in the long term.

Many 3PLs will charge a flat fee, while others will charge variable pricing depending on your product type. Let’s take a look at an example:

You’re a clothing company with a high SKU that ships lightboxes. If your 3PL charges companies based on their SKUs, you will get charged more.

When checking out 3PLs, comparing pricing is just as important. Here are some questions that you should be asking the 3PL:

At the end of the day, what matters is your return on investment. Partnering with a third-party fulfillment company can save you time and reduce labor costs at a significant price.

Wrapping Things Up

It takes a lot of time and research to find the 3PL that’s the right fit for your business. With these seven things to consider, you should have a clear idea of what to look for and find the best for you.

eHub manages a network of 3PLs with our technology. If you’re considering a 3PL for your fulfillment needs, we can help you find the right one for you.