4 Delivery Best Practices to Improve E-Commerce Site Credibility

When it comes to running a thriving e-commerce business, there are plenty of challenging operational aspects. From offering products that stand out in the marketplace to clear branding, there will always be something to keep you busy.

an airplane flying over a stack of shipping crates

However, there is nothing that can make or break a consumer’s experience more than the delivery procedures. Once a customer has decided to purchase a product and has handed over their hard-earned money, it is up to you to do everything you can to make sure their goods get to them promptly.

If you are struggling with your shipping practices, or are looking to improve this area of your business, read on to learn about four delivery best practices that can improve e-commerce site credibility.

1. Have your delivery policies explicitly listed on your site

The best thing you can do to improve your e-commerce site credibility is to have your shipping and delivery policy thoroughly explained on your site. By precisely stating how shoppers will obtain their goods, you will develop confidence in your brand, secure more sales, and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

In your shipping policy, you need to include the courier options, the service types you offer (such as same day, overnight, international, and standard), handling times, delivery time frames (for example, if you are shipping from China), and any restrictions you have.

Obviously, pricing needs to be noted. If you offer free shipping, then this needs to be mentioned. If you utilize flat rates, then have your pricing table posted. The best option is to provide calculated rates at checkout, which are specific shipping rates dependent on the patron’s location.

2. Include your return policy

Research shows that when people are shopping online, looking at an e-commerce site’s return policy is an essential factor in deciding to make a purchase. As online shoppers aren’t able to see and hold the physical product before they buy it, they want to make sure that a company has fair and appealing return policies.

Accordingly, you need to have a well-thought-out return policy presented on your website if you are going to attract and keep shoppers.

A succinct yet transparent return policy supplies purchasers with a sense of security that what they are ordering is confirmed to be what it is portrayed to be. If you don’t provide this guarantee, then potential buyers often become skeptical and bypass purchasing the item.

The types of return policies include exchange only, store credit, all sales final, complete refunds, and restocking fees. Whichever strategy you choose to enforce, make sure it is posted prominently on your site, as well as printed on the customer’s receipt.

3. Always accept responsibility for problems with delivery

Whenever there is a mishap concerning shipping, it is crucial that your business has a policy for accepting responsibility. Even if you didn’t personally lose a shipment or if you had nothing to do with late delivery, it is still your burden to bear. Assume responsibility for the issue and take action immediately.

Your best strategy is to ship a replacement item as soon as possible to help sustain the customer’s satisfaction, while following-up with the carrier. As an e-commerce store owner, it is a good idea for you to purchase shipping insurance to shield your company from squandering money on lost and damaged shipments.

woman sitting on couch looking at laptop

4. Manage customer expectations

You may have heard about the concept of under-promise, then over-deliver. Well, this certainly directly applies to the delivery of goods from your e-commerce site. It is entirely in your best interest to expertly manage the expectations of your customers. They can deal with a slightly longer delivery timeline, as long as they know about it from the get-go.

They aren’t happy with supposing that an item will be delivered on one date and then finding out that it’s not true.

For this reason, it is essential that you clearly show customers the estimated delivery date for the items they are purchasing from you. This will comfort them and also provide them with enough confidence in your company to re-order and spread the good word about your firm. Think about these questions: What best shipping practices and policies does your firm follow? What steps are you taking to improve your customer’s experience regarding delivery?

Toby Edwards

Toby is the CEO of Shipa Freight and is based in Dubai. Shipa Freight is a new online platform powered by Agility that makes it easy to get air and ocean freight quotes, book, pay and track shipments online. Shipa Freight empowers small and medium-size businesses, taking the complexity out of International Freight Forwarding, making it easy to manage legal, regulatory and compliance issues, and offering convenient ways to pay to move their goods.

How can we help?

We’re all ears. Drop us a line and we’ll get in touch!

See It to Believe It.

Get started with a sample CompanyBox mailer.

Order Sample