The Importance of Delivery Service in E-commerce

When you’re running an e-commerce business, one thing you absolutely need to get right is delivery. Customer’s needs have changed dramatically, with most now expecting a fast, reliable delivery service.

If you’re looking to improve your customer service and boost your business, paying attention to your delivery process is key. Here, you’ll discover why delivery service is so important in e-commerce and how to ensure it’s the best that it can be.

 

Why is delivery so important?

Delivery of goods used to take 7-10 working days, with very few options available to customers. However, as technology has evolved, so too have the number of delivery methods and options.

Customers today have a lot of choice when it comes to receiving the goods they buy online. This has led to a total change in attitude towards how delivery should work. Next day deliveries aren’t just a perk anymore, they’re actually expected. So, if your business isn’t providing a variety of delivery options, it could be missing out on a lot of potential customers.

Delivery is also the last impression a customer has of your business. So, if they experience a problem, it’s going to leave them with a negative view of your brand, and they’ll be unlikely to buy from you again.

There is even businesses offering same-day delivery in specific geographic locations. This delivery expansion is occurring in both the US and the UK with increased focus from the online grocery market.

 

Ways to improve your service

There are a lot of ways to improve your delivery service as an e-commerce company, the five key improvements are stated below:

1. Variety of delivery options

If you don’t already, make sure you add a number of delivery options for your customers to choose from. As mentioned earlier, next-day delivery has become the norm and any business not offering this will feel the repercussions in sales. The more options you provide, the happier your customers will be.

2. Choose the right logistics company:

There’s one costly mistake you can make with your delivery service and that’s choosing the wrong courier. Don’t simply look at the cost when choosing the right courier for your company. You need to ensure you’re using an affordable yet reliable courier service in order to keep your customers happy. Some small businesses may run their delivery service alone but once orders increase a courier is vital in order to take this stress away and allows you to concentrate on other parts of the business.

3. Tracking parcels:

A large amount of orders can cause confusion which is why it is recommended that parcels are tracked. This allows the business to monitor every parcel that is sent out and if a problem occurs this can be rectified quickly, as the last whereabouts of the parcel is known.

4. Delivery price:

Customers particularly appreciate free or discounted delivery options. Many companies offer free delivery if a customer spends a set amount. Special delivery offers can encourage additional spending and draw in more customers to your business. It could be the difference between a customer going elsewhere to purchase the same product. Although it may seem like you are losing out on money, reduced delivery prices could increase sales.

5. Customer Satisfaction:

Customers are the most important factor in e-commerce businesses and therefore customer satisfaction must be the main priority in everything you do. This is no different when providing a delivery service. Customers want communication from the beginning of their experience. This includes offering clear delivery service options on the website and acknowledgement of the order after purchase on screen and via email. Customers rely on updates and this highlights to them that a company cares about them receiving their delivery. Deliveries can lead to a customer planning their day around it, so providing a time slot for delivery can ensure customers are satisfied with their experience and will shop with you again.

 

In e-commerce, your reputation is everything. When you provide a poor-quality delivery service, it’s going to have a significantly negative impact on your reputation. Social media allows consumers to vent their anger, so ensuring you don’t offer a poor delivery service is as an important as ever. Even if just one customer writes a negative review about your delivery service, it’s going to put off other people from buying from you. So, if you’re looking to become successful, it’s crucial you follow the tips above and work on improving your delivery service as much as you can.

 

Contributed by Ed Smith, a freelance writer with expertise in logistics and retail industry with a key focus on the ever growing E-Commerce side of things. Ed has written for numerous high quality publication, while also using his expert opinion to help small businesses understand and implement these important aspects of business.