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It seems that the more ways of delivery in the online store, the better for sales. Each customer will be able to choose the appropriate option for the price and timing. But to organize the shipment in ten different ways and control delivery will have to the seller, that is, you.
It is more convenient to choose for your store 2-3 ways of delivery, following the advice:
One of the ways should be as cheap as possible. Payment for delivery always seems to the buyer to be an additional unjustified expense (even if the buyer knew about them in advance). Therefore, for those who are very economical, it is worth to offer an inexpensive option. And to warn about terms - it is possible, it is necessary to wait a week. Buyers who want to get an order urgently, offer a courier delivery.
Be sure to add self-delivery. Some people prefer to pick up their own order at a convenient time, rather than adjust to the work of the courier. Self-pickup does not necessarily have to be organized from your offline store, there are other options that we will talk about in this article.
Important: make a page on the site with a description of all methods of delivery, so that the client can find out the conditions in advance, and not be surprised by sudden payments in the process of registration of the purchase.
To calculate the cost of delivery, you can use postage and courier rates, calculate the cost of delivery yourself, assign a fixed amount or choose a free delivery.
Choice of the delivery method
It all depends on the product you sell. If these are bulky and fragile things, such as flowerpots, they may be cheaper (and safer) to send by courier rather than mail. Explore the different options, taking into account the approximate weight and size of your parcels.
Calculating shipping costs
How much to charge for the delivery, so as not to scare away the customers and not to go at a loss? We offer several strategies:
Use delivery service rates
This option works great if your site has integration with the delivery service and the cost is calculated automatically (with the help of shipping suite by mageworx) when the buyer places an order. Or you can set up the cost of delivery in the store on your own based on the rates of the shippers.
Make free delivery
A nice option for clients. They make only one decision: whether to buy the product at the declared price. And you need to set such prices so that you don't go broke on delivery.
The strategy is perfect if you sell the original product and buyers can't compare your prices to anyone else. Or make free shipping your competitive advantage and lure customers.
Set a fixed rate
In this case, the delivery amount is the same for all. For both small orders shipped to the other end of the country and large orders from neighboring cities.
You don't have to spend time calculating several tariffs. But you may find it unprofitable to deliver parcels to remote regions.
Conclusion: A fixed delivery fee can be set if you sell the same type of goods (for example, only sweatshirts). Or you work only for the nearest regions.