They’ve seen your social media promotion and explored your brand online. Your marketing funnel has worked perfectly and landed them on a well designed and executed product page. Being intuitive and easy to use, they have chosen their preferences and added to their cart. They checkout and the order is confirmed. Their experience with your brand so far has been positive.
All that is left is to get your product into their hands. This is the part of the process that can leave you feeling like your brand image is now in the hands of a stranger. More than that, it is the only part of your customer’s buying journey that involves face to face interaction, making the impression given by your delivery partner a big deal.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make this pivotal moment in your customer’s experience a positive one.
Packaging matters
Product packaging is an excellent way for you to continue the unique brand experiences for your customers right up until they are holding their product. Whether your business image is associated with environmental sustainability, luxurious design, or homely touches, there is a packaging solution that will reflect and reinforce your company values.
Customised packaging also places marketing material in the homes of your customers. Providing them with something unique and worthy of mention will result in increased brand awareness.
Streamline shipping
Having a shipping strategy for your online store is crucial. Whether you offer staggered shipping rates depending on dollars spent, determine shipping by the weight of products, or opt for a free shipping policy, it is essential that your customers know early on in their purchasing journey what to expect.
One of the biggest reasons for abandoned checkouts is a reluctance by consumers to pay additional funds for shipping. By factoring shipping into the pricing of your products, you can cover the cost, whilst keeping the pricing transparent for your customer. Additionally, you can advertise free postage and potentially use this as a competitive advantage.
Choose your transport
Once you’ve got your product packaged and your shipping strategy sorted, you’ll need to look into the transport marketplace and choose a shipping provider that will best suit your business needs. There are many options to choose from, including services that will collect the product from your doorstep or warehouse, and deliver directly to your client. Alternatively, you may be able to cut some costs by transporting your deliveries to central depo yourself and having your client collect from their closest outlet.
However you decide to strategise your e-commerce business shipping and delivery, it’s important to remember that it is a crucial step for your customer in their buying journey with your brand. A negative shipping experience can tarnish even the most meticulously developed online platform. By taking the time to consider your packaging options, shipping strategy and delivery provider, you can make the journey from social media to product received a positive one for every customer.
