The elements of your shipping fees to take into account
Many customers think that shipping only consists of bringing a package to the closest post office. Well, not exactly. Many elements regarding shipping must be considered when you start an online store.
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First, let’s start with the shipping area. It can sound silly, but if you are shipping something from France to Spain or Belgium, it will not be the same price. Of course, you do not have to check all countries and have a specific price for all of them. It would be better to look for an average shipping price. Do the same for countries in South or North America if needed.
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Second, let’s talk about the weight or size of the package. The more it is heavy or big, the more expensive it is. You might think that IKEA’s shipping fees are costly; however, did you ever think of all the furniture you ordered, the needed employees, the truck, and the gas used to bring these goods to your house? It may seem not that expensive after all. These are all criteria you must consider when you want to offer home delivery.
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A thing people seem to forget often is the packaging fees. You will not take a used box to send the clothes your client just purchased. Most customers do not know it, but they also pay for the packaging. The box, paper, or decorations are not free.
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In the same vein, you need to consider the time taken to prepare the order, whether it is done by an employee or yourself. If you wrap your order like a Christmas present all year long, it takes some time, and you need to include it in your fees. Please do not say that packaging is not that important; we are always happy when the vendor adds special attention or sends a neat package. It has a direct impact on credibility and customer retention.
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You should also consider the transport fees, especially if you deliver the local order yourself. As mentioned above, the price of gas, the traveling time, and your mode of transportation can be taken into account. Of course, it will also take you time and gas if you need to bring the package to a post office that is not close to your home. The transport fees are also linked to the speed of delivery. Express delivery will not be the same price as standard delivery.
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Moreover, order returns can also happen. Whether it is in Canada or France, the vendor must pay the return shipping fees. In France, the Hammon law says that you must refund the shipping fees while using the less expensive delivery service. For example, you only need to repay a standard delivery price even if the person paid for express delivery.
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Finally, insurance is sometimes necessary. The post services are not perfect. Nobody is. Therefore, it could be relevant to take the insurance if your package is lost or broken during the delivery. It is something you should also consider.
As you can see, shipping is not as simple as bringing your package to the post office. Before setting your shipping fees, you need to make some choices and see all available options.
Shipping fee options if you have an online store
The first option is to offer free shipping. It is something to consider if you do not want to bother yourself with calculating shipping fees. This option is not relevant because it can quickly become very expensive, especially if you have just started your online business. Therefore, why not add conditions to your shipping offer? For some specific products or exclusive clients, you could offer free shipping when the order has reached a minimal amount. International shipping is expensive, but why not offer free shipping for local orders?
Another option could be to add fixed costs for shipping. It is likely a less expensive option if you do not ship internationally. You could also have a fixed price for orders sent in your country and another fixed cost for international shipping, whatever the country.
The last thing we want is to have a shopping cart abandonment. A way to avoid it is to show the shipping fees right from the start so your potential customers will not be surprised. When a client is on your product’s page, they could choose a country and automatically access the shipping fees.
Of course, you can mix the different options. You can also test them to see which ones are the most relevant to your business.
How to manage your shipping fees on WebSelf
When you create an online store with WebSelf, you have the possibility to manage your shipping fees. Go on the shop manager and click on the Shipping tab. It is the place where you can choose your shipping fees and options. You can select the countries where shipping is available, add shipping methods (by weight, fixed cost, free, or pick up in store), the delivery time, and the price. Repeat this process as many times as needed.
As you can see, you will have to search a lot of information and calculate the fees before finding the best prices for your shipping fees, especially if you are planning to do international shipping. If you want to offer free shipping, you could try to increase your revenues by using other solutions. Why not take this opportunity to learn more about making money with your website?