Have you ever been overwhelmed by the shipping process? Are there are too many different carriers? Is it too expensive? What do you need to fill out to ship internationally again?
With good shipping management software, you should handle growing customer expectations and challenges in the shipping industry with ease. The opposite could be the case too. If your shipping management software is lagging or producing errors rather than solving them, it keeps your business down rather than helping you thrive.
Is your shipping management software helping you to drive your business? And what features does it need to be supportive?
The bare minimum
The most important feature, and probably why you are getting shipping management software in the first place, is that you want a system that includes all your shipments and gives you the best rates for all the major carriers. With such a system, you can decide what carrier you want to go to based on your preferences. Do you have a lot of small items? Hermes might be a fit for you. If these items are high value, DHL is probably a better fit. To make these decisions, your shipping software should include all the major carriers. In fact, the more, the better. The more courier services are available on the platform, the more options you can offer to your customers.
77% of people have abandoned a purchase due to unsatisfactory shipping options, and 84% have specifically made a purchase just because shipping was free.
Offering your customers different shipping options at check-out doesn't only convert people who otherwise would have abandoned the purchase to buy from you, but it also attracts people to shop from you in the first place. Give your customer a choice if they want their item fast or cheap. Allow your customers to choose and take the responsibility off your shoulders. This is what shipping software should do for you and your customers. The happier the customers and the more loyal the customer, the quicker your business will grow.
Customisability
Every business is different. It is not surprising that there is not a one fit's all when it comes to shipping software. There are too many differences in terms of requirements, products, and even delivery places. To make sure your shipping software benefits you, you should be able to customise the features you need. This way, your shipping management lets you drive your business the way it benefits you. Everybody has different approaches to complex problems. Instead of you having to solve problems the way the shipping management software requires you to, you should be able to solve problems your way with the support of your shipping management software.
Customisability isn't only essential in your work process but also in your branding.
Most companies have a standard tracking page from the courier. So every time the customer checks their tracking, they get reminded of the carrier you're using, but not of you.
With Siid, you can customise your branding page. Every time your customers open their tracking, they are reminded of who they have this outstanding post-purchase experience from.
Scalability
When driving your business, the ultimate goal is to grow. This growth won't happen linear straight up. You'll have ups and downs throughout the year. Especially during festive seasons, sales can go through the roof. In such a situation, the last thing you need is for your shipping management system to lag. No matter how high your spike or how big your business might get, your shipping management should be able to handle it all.
Driving your business while constantly switching shipping management systems doesn't help you in the slightest. It just holds you back.
No matter how many orders are flying in, your shipping management software should be able to process them in a heartbeat.
Delivery notifications
If there is one thing that is predestined for holding you back from your work, it's WISMO calls. WISMO calls make up 30-50% of the average retailer's incoming call volume.
Allowing your customer to track their order will reduce this number immensely, which saves you time and money. After all, one inbound call costs roughly 5$ in labour. So if you ship 50.000 orders per month and have a pretty low WISMO rate of 15%, you're still spending up to 630,000$ in annual labour.
Your shipping management software should save you from this amount. Not only by reducing errors and late deliveries but also by allowing tracking. And if an error happens, it should make it as easy as possible to contact the buyer and inform them about the delay. Make sure your shipping management software makes it as easy as possible to notify the buyer. With Siid, for example, you can inform the buyer right in the order overview. This saves you from dealing with an angry customer later and improves trust. Transparency is essential when handling customers. Be proactive.
International shipping
As a small business, shipping internationally for the first time can be scary. Especially after Brexit, loads of documents need to be filled out to ensure a seamless shipping process. Your shipping management system should know about these documents and offer you templates to use. You don't need to worry about filling out the wrong forms. Your shipping management system provides you with the right ones.
All in one solution
What is better than shipping management software? It's a whole system that covers the entire post-purchase process. From the moment the customer clicks on 'order' to the moment they receive their parcel.
When choosing a shipping management software, don't only look at the software itself but also into the company offering it. Do they have other features that benefit your business and can be implemented effortlessly?
With Siid, you have all the major eCommerce platforms integrated into your order management system. This order management system communicates with the shipping software, so all the data and information can be transferred automatically. During the whole process, Siid offers you a branded tracking page for your customer. Now you save time and money when organising your orders, shipping your orders, and keeping your customers updated.
Safe time, nerves and money
Your shipping management platform can help your business in ways you might have not even thought of before. It has the potential to save you time, nerves and money in the long run, but to do so, it needs to have a few basic features:
- All the major carriers should be included.
- It should have Integrations that allow you to pull the orders right from the eCommerce platform into your shipping management.
- A branded tracking page helps not only reduce WISMO calls but also reminds your customer of your business whenever they check their tracking.
- By contacting the customer right in your shipping platform, reduce errors and WISMO calls.
- Your shipping platform should have customisation options.
- Make sure your shipping management platform can handle all the orders without delays.
- Let your shipping management software take care of all the necessary documents you might need for international shipments.
If you want to know how to get such shipping management software, Siid is there for you and provides you with all these features while offering it for a price every business can afford.
Get shipping management software that helps you drive your business. Get Siid.
