Shipping is a cost neither business owners nor their customers enjoy having to shoulder. It is, however, impossible to avoid in e-commerce. Shipping costs often leave the affected parties no choice but to learn how to deal with it. Fortunately, there are effective strategies you can employ to reduce your e-commerce store’s shipping costs. Here are six you should try:
Use Shipping Platforms to Access Discounts
Shipping platforms assist e-commerce businesses in automating their logistics processes to boost productivity and improve customer satisfaction. They handle most of the burden of shipping, from cost calculation to rate comparison, carrier selection, parcel pick-up and scheduling, order tracking, billing, and analytics. These platforms generally negotiate rates with carriers and offer pricing discounts or accessorial fee waivers based on shipping volume. However, you do not need to send thousands of packages monthly to enjoy these price reductions. Many shipping platforms specifically offer discounts and flexible payment options to businesses with smaller shipping volumes. This is to help lower their freight costs and boost profitability.
Shipping platform options
There are various digital shipping platforms you can use to access discounts and reduce logistics costs. A perfect example is GoShip, a self-service freight marketplace that directly connects small to mid-sized businesses. With over 45,000 professional freight carriers, the platform offers instant quoting (FTL or LTL freight quote.) In addition, GoShip offers competitive rates, discounts, online shipment booking tools, 24/7 shipment tracking, custom shipping solutions, and many more.
Check USPS Rates For Options to Reduce Shipping Costs
Checking USPS rates for possible ways to reduce shipping costs can be incredibly beneficial for your e-commerce business. For instance, shipping fees generally depend on a package’s actual or dimensional weight (whichever is greater). Therefore, sending heavy items can send freight costs through the roof and eat into your profit margin. USPS has a flat-rate shipping option for packages under 70lbs. It allows you to send items of any size using LTL shipping USA to any state and pay a fixed rate.
Flat rate shipping
Flat-rate shipping is a freight pricing method where shippers pay a fixed rate, irrespective of the package’s size, weight or shape. Here, the shipping fee only depends on the size of the box or envelope in which the package is shipped. Flat-rate shipping keeps logistics costs consistent and predictable since there’s no need to adjust the fees in response to a change in weight. It is an excellent option for businesses that regularly ship small, heavy items, as it helps them avoid the higher rates typically associated with shipping weighty items.
Print Your Own Shipping Labels
A shipping label is a piece of paper with all the necessary information to ensure your package reaches its destination. This information includes the recipient’s name and address, sender’s name and address, contact number, content description, proof of postage payment, and tracking barcodes/QR codes.
Printing your shipping labels can significantly reduce freight costs, as many carriers offer discounts to shippers that create their own labels. Carriers like USPS provide tools that can be used to generate shipping labels from anywhere in the world. You can also use third-party tools to create labels for multiple carriers. Contrary to what you might think, you do not need fancy equipment to print a shipping label. With an internet connection, a browser, some regular paper, and a basic printer, you can print your labels and attach them to packages using packing tape or glue.
Reuse Packaging From Orders You’ve Received
If you’re searching for ways to lower your shipping fees, you should look beyond just freight rates. Consider other costs that go into mailing your orders. For example, try reducing the amount you spend on packaging supplies. This will take a sizeable chunk out of your total shipping costs. One of the best ways to do this is by reusing packaging from orders you’ve received. When you order inventory or supplies for your e-commerce business, the items come in packaging that can be used for orders you ship as long as they are in optimal condition. This will help tremendously save costs. It also reduces the amount of packaging that ends up in landfills and lowers environmental pollution.
Include Shipping In the Price of Your Product
Consumers love free shipping, even if they have to spend more money to get it. In a 2019 survey of 3000 consumers, a staggering 84% admitted to adding items to their cart to qualify for free shipping. Offering free shipping on your e-commerce platform is a surefire way to attract more customers and increase order quantities. However, note that shipping is never truly free. If customers are not paying for it, that’ll leave you to bear the costs. If you want to offer free shipping without eroding your bottom line, try adding shipping costs to the price of your products. This way, you can enjoy the benefits free shipping holds for your business without bearing the full brunt of freight costs.
Choose an Affordable Carrier
Working with an affordable shipping carrier keeps your logistics costs to a minimum without depleting the quality of your order fulfillment process. When choosing a freight company to ship your orders, look for options that will help you save on shipping costs while providing fast and reliable services. Different couriers will charge different rates for the same package with similar destinations. The easiest way to get the best prices is to use shipping marketplaces to find and compare rates from multiple carriers.
Find affordable carriers with GoShip
GoShip is a digital shipping platform that helps e-commerce businesses find affordable, efficient, and innovative shipping solutions without needing a broker. It is an online marketplace that enables you to get instant wholesale shipping prices. Additionally, you can compare rates, and book shipment upfront in less than a minute. Enter your shipment details in our online quotation tool to get free FTL or LTL quotes and connect with certified carriers around you.