Say you’re running an eCommerce store. It’s going well, but the order fulfilment admin is starting to get overwhelming! Now’s the time to start looking at eCommerce shipping integrations.
A shipping integration software works with your existing eCommerce platform (like Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy) and automatically creates things like courier labels, order sheets and customs documents. It can drastically reduce human error while improving your customer purchasing experience, all while saving you money, time and stress.
In this article we’ll go through what eCommerce shipping integrations do, why they’re so important for scaling your online store, how to choose the best software and how to start integrating it as soon as possible.
What is eCommerce shipping?
You probably already have an eCommerce platform where customers can make a purchase (e.g. Shopify, Cin7, Squarespace). eCommerce shipping solutions take care of processing the order, getting it ready to be shipped, and keeping the customer updated with parcel tracking.
eCommerce shipping includes basically every step from when a customer hits “buy” to them receiving the product in one piece. It covers things like:
- Receiving and confirming orders
- Creating labels
- Picking and packaging orders from shelves/inventory
- Sending tracking updates to customers
- Processing returns
You might be doing this manually yourself as you grow. With a shipping integration platform, shipping is automated and streamlined and reduces errors whether you do it from your home office or through a third-party fulfilment center.
Importance of end to end shipping integrations
Shipping integrations help you to maximise your ecommerce customer experience. By simplifying the delivery process, speeding up your behind the scenes systems and making it easy for customers to track their order, shipping integration is the secret ingredient for a first-class post-purchase strategy.
Simplifies the delivery process
Integrating shipping directly into your eCmmerce platform simplifies delivery for you and your customers. From your end, it means that picking and packing orders, creating labels, and choosing the right courier is organised automatically. It also means that your customer can keep track of their order without you answering hundreds of emails per week.
Real-time tracking
Shopify shipping tracking helps both you and your customer. 27% of customers expect parcels to arrive before 48 hours if you promise “fast” delivery, and 40% would expect it by 48 hours.
Giving customers the ability to track their own parcel in real-time will reduce the number of inquiries you get and show them how fast you are getting parcels to them. If you deliver, you are building trust and repeat customers!
Accurate shipping prices
Charging a flat rate for shipping could be costing you thousands over time. Shipping integrations give customers accurate data based on their address, order size and other factors. This means no surprises for them and accurate postage for you.
This is especially important if you have both local and international customers.
As well as ensuring your bottom line is met, giving customers a range of options means they can choose a shipping price based on their budget. Blanket prices might be seen as steep! For example, Starshipit shows a range of prices that integrates directly with your different couriers to ensure customers get the best price.
Lower shipping costs
For around 70% of consumers, convenience and free shipping are the biggest online shopping incentives. Using shipping integration platforms usually means that you can either negotiate a lower, more accurate rate with your couriers, or give customers the option of free shipping if they meet a spend threshold. It is all about reducing barriers for your customers to buy from you.
Customer service and order admin can take up a lot of precious time without shipping integrations. Automatic shipping can reduce jobs like:
- Organising returns
- Quoting customers for shipping
- Copying and pasting addresses
- Logging into multiple courier platforms
- Calling to book pickups
- Responding to “where’s my parcel?” inquiries
The more efficient your admin process is for shipping, the happier your customers (and your schedule!) will be.
Increase overall efficiency
eCommerce shipping platforms can help you save time, and therefore money. For example, Starshipit saves hours of time spent on manual labour by automatically generating packing slips, shipping labels and manifests. If you ship internationally too, no problem! Starshipit can automatically handle your customs documentation for you. Say hello to free time in the evenings again!
Steps to picking the best shipping app for your eCommerce store
Shipping isn’t one size fits all- and neither are eCommerce shipping integration platforms. Primarily, it is important to find a shipping service that takes care of deliveries from end to end and that integrates seamlessly with your existing eCommerce platform.
Here are a few tips to find the best shipping app for your eCommerce store.
Integrating your ecommerce store with your shipping software
The next step is to start integrating shipping software into your ecommerce store.
Depending on which software you choose, it will integrate seamlessly as a plugin without any website dev.
Once a customer places an order, the shipping software will:
- Give your customers live, accurate shipping calculations before they place an order
- Get a notification of an order
- Automatically allocate the order to one of your courier providers (e.g. DHL for international, Aramex for local)
- Let you run everything from your ecommerce platform (e.g. if you have Shopify and Starshipit, you would only need to run Shopify)
- Keep customers updated on their order
Starshipit talks directly to your eCommerce platform so every time a customer buys something from your online store, their order is automatically imported into Starshipit. From here, you can bulk-print shipping labels, complete shipping documentation, and auto-correct invalid addresses.
Order fulfilment gets to be that easy with a shipping integration app!
Take home message
If you are overwhelmed by order fulfilment and your eCommerce business is growing steadily, shipping integration is the next step! By integrating shipping directly into your eCommerce platform, you can reduce errors, improve customer experiences, and give yourself back valuable time. Looking for the best eCommerce shipping app to start with?
Starshipit offers end to end shipping solutions and integrates directly with your existing online store and courier providers. Order fulfilment has never been so simple!
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David Renwick
David is Starshipit's Product Marketing Lead. When he's not whipping up a fresh new product update or chatting to customers for a new case study, you'll typically find him scoping out coffee spots and talking about what's on at the movies. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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