Shipping strategy is one of the most important ingredients for maintaining a strong and viable eCommerce business. Simple, affordable, and quality shipping leaves your customers happy and increases return business!
Each year, we recommend you take some time to review your previous year’s shipping results and determine:
1) What worked well?
2) What could be improved?
3) What was your shipping spend?
4) What is the correct mix of shipping providers to deliver a simple, affordable, and quality shipping experience for you and your customers?
As you review your plans moving forward, we also encourage you to take another look at the services and savings of the U.S. Postal Service. Below are some of the reasons you should choose to include the USPS in your strategy for eCommerce package delivery:
· No surcharges Unlike private carriers, USPS never adds a fuel surcharge. The price you see on the label is the price that you pay. Also, there are no surcharges for residential or rural deliveries. These surcharges can be substantial when using other carriers
· Saturday delivery USPS offers delivery 6 days per week with no additional charges. In some urban locations, your Priority Mail may be delivered on Sundays.
· DIM weight If you ship large, lightweight items, USPS has better dimensional weight calculations than the private carriers. By using USPS for these packages, you can significantly reduce your spend on these types of packages.
· Flat Rate Packaging For small heavy items, the USPS flat rate solution may offer you high-quality at a great rate. With this solution, you pay a single rate regardless of distance or weight, as long as the items fit into the flat rate packaging.
· Regional Boxes A & B If you are shipping packages a short distance (zones 1 through 4), try this free USPS packaging and save money as the price is determined by the combination of box size and destination.
· Free packaging and free package pickup USPS provides free packaging supplies for Priority and Priority Express shipments. For added convenience you can hand your packages to your mail carrier when he or she delivers your daily mail. Or you can schedule a free package pickup for a time that is convenient for you. If your packages are small enough to be deposited in a standard mailbox, you can induct that was as well. (With ePostage, you are not limited to the “13-ounce rule” posted on the mailbox.)
· Military APO/FPO/DPO and Post Office addressesn USPS is the only carrier that delivers to military addresses. And when shipping to military addresses, you pay domestic rates – not international.
blue™ is a Postal Qualified Wholesaler offering the largest discounts for USPS services, an API solution for high-volume shippers, and an online ePostage platform for eCommerce providers. We know that shipping can be complex, and our goal is to simplify your shipping workflow, operations, and decisions.
Check out blue™ today to create the best-priced shipping labels with no subscription fees. Contact us today (sales@myib.com) and learn more about saving time and money while shipping with blue™.
