With a purchase through your online site or via an online marketplace you have a number of points in the journey to make a great impression and give your buyer a lasting experience.
One of the most important of these is the shipping experience. It's always key to get this right but with cross border ecommerce there is the added uncertainty for your buyer about how long it will take, if it will cost any extra and what condition the product will be in when it does arrive.
In this article we cover six simple steps to improving the international shipping experience for your cross border buyers.
1. Ensure the cost of shipping doesn't feel excessive.
Sending products abroad can be a lot more costly than a domestic shipment. What we have found is if the price of shipping is more than around 20% of the price of the product then, then it is unlikely to sell. If this is what you have then you need to consider adding some of the shipping cost to the product price. Buyers are often happier to pay a bit more for the product than pay for a comparably expensive shipping cost.
2. Give the buyer options.
You don't have to decide the best shipping experience on your buyer's behalf, you can instead provide multiple shipping options. Many retailers provide this these days with the options of standard. fast track and courier being normal.
3. Correctly set expectations about how long it will take.
If you want to build customer loyalty then it's more important that your customer gets the product they want when they need it than that you get the sale . If they need it in two days but you can only get it to them in four they you'll likely cause disappointment and maybe an expensive return. Provide a clear timeline and one you can deliver to.
4. Provide a strong returns policy
We'll discussed this in much more detail in the near future but to summarize here, a strong return's policy is a way to instil trust in your service to your buyers. It helps them answer the question about whether or not to buy from you and how difficult it will be if they don't want the product in the end.
5. Make sure it arrives in one piece and looking good.
We have all received a parcel wrapped in a black garbage bag held together with too much sticky tape. Don't ever do this to your customer if you are a company and want repeat business, bin bags are for rubbish. The packaging is the first physical element they will see from you, make sure it's well packaged and ideally has your brand and contact details on it. It doesn't need to be expensive, only to have had a little thought behind it.
If you are sending something fragile or easily damaged, make sure it's packaged in a secure way as well as one that gives a good impression.
6. Ship your products Delivery & Duty Paid (DDP)
In order to continue the theme of avoiding disappointment and unpleasant surprises, it's best that you price everything into the cost a buyer will ultimately pay. Again, this will probably increase the price of the product but it remains the price that the buyer will have to pay. Openness is always the best policy. Most cross border transactions are either to do with the item being more expensive locally, so you'll may be able to remain competitive, or that the product simply can't be found locally.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter!
Comments