eCommerce shipping is the process of delivering a package from a seller to a buyer through an online transaction. Shipping is one major component of the e-commerce industry, which includes other aspects like logistics and fulfillment. This post will discuss eCommerce shipping and its best practices.

What is eCommerce Shipping?

eCommerce shipping, also known as e-commerce shipping, is a term that refers to the shipment or delivery of packages or products purchased online. It is the process of transferring products from a seller to a buyer and it describes any type of business transaction that involves electronic payments or electronic transfers of funds.

eCommerce shipping refers to the transportation of goods from one location to the next. This process includes the movement of merchandise through different channels, including retail stores, warehouses, and other locations. 

eCommerce shipping can be either domestic or international depending on where the package is going. Some e-commerce businesses focus solely on one type of shipment, while others offer both.

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The service is often offered by commercial carriers such as UPS, FedEx, or USPS. While some companies may use their own assets, others may use a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to fulfill the order.

It’s important for businesses that sell online to have an e-commerce shipping strategy in place. A good strategy will take into consideration factors like speed of delivery and cost-effectiveness.

It’s important to note that there are several different types of eCommerce shipping options. For example, you can choose between standard shipping, expedited shipping, and international shipping. The type of shipping you choose will depend on your needs and budget.

eCommerce Shipping Best Practices

eCommerce shipping is a complicated process, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some best practices every e-commerce business should follow to make the process simpler and more efficient.

• Use the right shipping method: When you ship your products, you want to think about the customer experience first. They want their package delivered safely and on time. You can use this as an opportunity to show off your brand by choosing a shipping method that reflects it. For example, if you sell sustainable products, you can package your items in recyclable boxes and use eco-friendly packaging materials. If you sell high-end products, you may want to use a premium shipping service that comes with insurance and tracking.
• Use the right shipping software: Finding the right shipping software is essential for e-commerce businesses that aim to grow and scale. The right software will help you track packages, find the best rates, automate processes and ensure that everything runs smoothly. If you need help finding the right software for your business, then check out our guide below.

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• Use the right packaging: You want your package to arrive in one piece. Consider using bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and air pillows to protect products that could break.
• Offer tracking service: You want to make sure that customers can track their orders. Nothing is more stressful than not knowing when an item will arrive or whether it was lost in transit. So make sure you give them an avenue to find out where their package is every step of the way.
• Offer returns and exchanges: Customers love the option of returning a product if they aren’t satisfied with it. They also like having the option to exchange something if they ordered the wrong size or received a gift that isn’t their style. Offer free returns and exchanges to show your customers you care about their satisfaction. You should also make sure your customers are clear about what your returns policy is, and let them know how they can get in touch with you if they have questions or concerns.
• Offer free shipping with tracking: Customers love free shipping. In fact, a survey from Dotcom Distribution found that 95% of respondents said free shipping is at least somewhat important when deciding whether or not to buy something online.

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What Does Shipping Software Do?

eCommerce shipping software is the perfect solution for sellers who want to streamline their shipping operations. This software provides a platform that allows sellers to manage their shipping, track packages, and print out labels with ease.

eCommerce shipping software can be used by businesses of all sizes, from mom-and-pop shops to large companies.

1. Shipping software helps you ship your products to customers more efficiently.
2. With shipping software, you can automate the shipping process and turn it into a streamlined workflow that is easy to manage.
3. By using shipping software, you can conveniently send packages to your customers without having to spend a lot of time inputting your data or manual handling tasks.
4. Ecommerce shipping software also integrates with all major carriers, like USPS and FedEx, ensuring that no matter what carrier you use, your customers will always receive their items on time.

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How to Choose the Best Shipping Software for Your Business

1. Shipping Volume: First, determine how much inventory you plan on carrying. Do you have just a few items in your shop or will your selection be expansive? The answer will dictate how you set up your online store and which software you choose.
2. Features: What features are important to you? Many platforms offer similar features, so whatever sets them apart will probably be what makes the decision easier for you. Do they have a help center where you can ask questions and get answers right away? Are they available 24/7, or only during certain hours of the day? That might be a dealbreaker if your customers are on the other side of the world. When searching for software, be sure to prioritize the features that are most important to your business and make sure they’re included in the programs you’re considering.
3. Integrations: It doesn’t matter if you have all the bells and whistles in your software if they don’t integrate with one another seamlessly. If you are trying to save time and money, your tool should be able to combine shipping with other important business tasks, such as accounting or CR.
4. Support: Also, consider what kind of support can they give you outside of just tech support? If they don’t offer any training resources, it might be worth asking whether you and your staff have time to learn everything by trial and error.

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Best Shipping Software and Tools for eCommerce 

ShippingEasy:

Pricing starts at $29/month for up to 50 shipments per month.

This software is the best choice for managing orders across different platforms. It supports most major shopping carts and marketplaces, including eBay, Etsy, Amazon, BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, and others. It’s used by tens of thousands of businesses worldwide and has 5-star ratings on Capterra and G2Crowd.

Features:

• Consolidated dashboard for order management from all different sales channels.
• Automated order fulfillment from multiple locations.
• Searchable database of shipping rates from all carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx) and service levels (ground service, overnight delivery, etc.)
• Multi-carrier calculations for international orders with brokerage services are included in their subscription plan.

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Freightview:

Pricing: $50/month

Freightview is a freight shipping software that offers quick setup and integration with your existing systems. It also comes with free carrier onboarding and account management services. With Freightview, you can secure rates with just one click, and stay on top of your shipments with its interactive dashboard. You can also create branded tracking pages to keep customers informed about their packages.

Freightview doesn’t have any upfront fees or minimum charge fees. Instead, it works as a pay-per-shipment model, charging anywhere from $5 to $15 per shipment depending on the type of service you use.

Features:

• Automatically get shipping rates
• Track all your shipments in one place
• Generate invoices for bookkeeping
• Add all your carriers in one place
• Electronically sign bills of lading

Pros

• It is easy to use 
• It offers great support services
• It helps you save time and money 

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ShipStation: 

Pricing: Plans start at $9/month 

ShipStation is an online shipping solution that allows eCommerce merchants to manage their orders from multiple sales channels within a single platform while easily comparing rates and delivery speeds across multiple carriers. ShipStation offers affordable plans designed for businesses regardless of size or volume. ShipStation also offers discounted USPS rates through a partnership with the United States Postal Service (USPS). 

Features: 

• Generate branded tracking page & emails automatically
• Create custom packing slips & labels
• Offer free shipping promotions to customers

Pros

• It is easy to use 
• It has lots of integrations 

Cons

• Pricing increases as your business grows 

Ordoro:

Pricing: Plans start at $49/month and an unlimited plan that costs $99/month (or $79/month when billed annually).

Ordoro is a comprehensive order fulfillment system for e-commerce businesses. Ordoro is the simplest supply chain management platform on the market today. It offers detailed automation of order fulfillment tasks so that you can save time and money on manual labor required to complete these tasks.

Ordoro lets you work with multiple warehouses or distributors by connecting directly with their systems or using drop shipment or ship-from-store capabilities. You can also fulfill in-store pickup orders

Features: 

• It creates shipping labels
• It tracks shipments
• It also prints packing slips

Pros: 

• It has good customer service 

Cons: 

• It has a confusing interface

ShipEngine:

Pricing: Free up to 50 shipments/month with $0.07 per additional shipment

ShipEngine is well-known as an e-commerce shipping software that’s easy to use. ShipEngine is an excellent option for companies that want more control over the shipping process.

Features: 

• It automatically generates labels
• It tracks packages
• It also manages returns

Pros

• It offers free up to 50 shipments/month, and it has flexible pricing plans

Cons

• No features such as inventory management or purchase order processing

ShipperHQ:

Pricing: Free for 14 days; $49/month for the Basic plan; $149/month for the Advanced plan; $349/month for the Enterprise plan

ShipperHQ gives you access to a wide range of carriers and integrations, including FedEx, DHL, USPS, and UPS.

Features: 

• It creates custom rates based on rules and restrictions
• It manages multiple locations
• It uses live carrier rates during the checkout

Pros

• Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee

Essential Hub:

Price: $399/month

Essential Hub has a wide range of features that make it easier for ecommerce businesses to manage their shipments. Essential Hub also has integrations with major carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS.

Features: 

• User-friendly dashboard
• Full integration and unlimited users
• Real-time inventory tracking and sync
• Automatic order fulfillment
• Customer database and user-friendly system

Pros

• The monthly subscription makes it easy to budget, a streamlined interface makes it easy to use at every level, integrations make it easy to connect with other vendors and systems

Cons

• Not ideal for smaller businesses or startups (too expensive), no free version available

Inventory Source:

Pricing: $89 – $199/month + supplier fees

Inventory Source is another great option if you’re in the dropshipping business. It helps automate your shipments and streamline your supply chain, ensuring that your suppliers get their orders filled quickly and efficiently.

Features:

• Automate Product Data which includes pricing, images, descriptions etc
• Suppliers updated daily
• Offers discounted Shipping Rates
• Order Fulfillment

Pros:

• It offers a free trial

AfterShip:

Pricing: starts at $9/month.

AfterShip offers one of the best APIs on the market for tracking shipments from multiple carriers and displaying those updates to your customers on your own website or app interface.

Features: 

• It sends notifications about deliveries
• It tracks up to 50 packages per month.

Pro

• Free for up to 100 users. 

Con

• No premium features like analytics or delivery networks.

How Formplus Helps Streamline eCommerce Stores 

If you have an e-commerce store, you need to be able to collect orders, handle requests for reviews, and accept payments in order to run your business effectively. You can use the Formplus chrome extension and form builder to make collecting orders and reviews simple. 

Formplus helps you make the most out of every customer interaction by providing an easy way to collect customer data. Formplus lets you create forms anywhere on your website using our simple drag-and-drop interface. 

There are current integrations with Paypal, Stripe, Paystack, Flutterwave and so much more. 

Simply add a payment field to your form and enter your payment credentials on the settings page. Anyone will be able to make payments directly on your order and booking forms. 

Its features can help you build forms for collecting orders and reviews, and then send those forms to your customers once the form has been completed. It also provides customers with advanced options like shipping address verification, tracking numbers, and more. You can also send payment confirmation emails along with receipts. Formplus makes it easy for merchants to integrate their online stores with popular courier services like FedEx, UPS, and USPS. 

Conclusion

Ecommerce shipping is the process of getting a product in the hands of an online shopper after they have made a purchase from you. It involves a series of processes like managing orders, packaging, and then sending the item to the customer.

If you’re an eCommerce store or business, handling these processes yourself can be stressful and expensive. You’ll need to invest in shipping carriers, insurance policies, and software to make sure that your customers get their items in perfect condition.