Tailoring shipping options to your customers

Providing a choice of shipping options, services and delivery times is essential for catering to all your potential customers and securing their orders - and it can be the difference between growing your sales or staying where you are.

We’re taking a look at the different types of shoppers you might encounter, and what delivery options you should offer to make sure you are making the most of your websites traffic.

Loyal customers

It’s a well known fact that it costs far more to attract new customers than it does to keep existing ones so a loyal customer is an ideal shopper. They often already have their favourite, familiar brands that they go back to again and again. It’s important that you immediately impress shoppers as a reliable, trustworthy business that can offer a great delivery experience.

Be open about your pricing, delivery cost and returns policy - and when it comes to the delivery, offer them a range of options, including express and tracked services with reliable couriers. For 63% of shoppers, information about estimated or guaranteed delivery dates is crucial to their buying decision, and 88% of shoppers will track the status of their order online. Offering a tracked service that allows them to keep an eye on their parcel ensures that they’ll have a great delivery experience, living up to their expectations.

Impulse buyers

Impulse buyers often have no real, immediate need for what they’re buying - they won’t have spent much time considering and researching the purchase, and they’ll probably want it as quickly as possible. They’re also likely to be fairly open to any offers, upsells and quick but cheap delivery options.

An express/next day delivery option, or even a threshold for free express delivery to encourage them to spend a little more, is key to securing impulse shoppers’ orders.

Last minute shoppers

Anyone looking for a last minute gift will immediately check whether you offer a next day delivery option. It’s an essential delivery option for all retailers, especially around key holidays such as Christmas.

Overall, next day delivery is becoming the preferred option for most shoppers; 46% of deliveries in 2014 were next day, rising to 52% in 2017. Make it very clear that you offer express delivery, and include cut off deadlines for a guaranteed next day delivery - don’t let someone order something they need for the next day if you're unable to fulfil it in time.

Bargain hunters

Not all shoppers are on the lookout for a quick delivery service, there’s a large number of shoppers that will only make a purchase if they don’t have to pay for delivery. For most retail businesses it’s unrealistic to offer free delivery on all orders, but a minimum spend threshold can encourage higher order values and persuade them to place an order.

Using multiple couriers with Zenstores

Offering a range of shipping options to suit different customers doesn’t have to complicate your fulfilment and dispatch process: it’s simple to connect multiple couriers to your Zenstores account then manage your orders, print shipping labels in bulk and mark orders as dispatched.

By giving shoppers the choice to pick a delivery service that meets their requirements, there’s a much higher chance they’ll complete their purchase. Zenstores offers direct integrations with Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DPD, DPD Local, APC Overnight, MyHermes, Yodel and Parcel2Go and will import orders from eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. Find out more about how Zenstores could help you ship your orders with multiple couriers here.