Today, online businesses are becoming more competitive day by day. More people are buying products online. Thus, e-commerce entrepreneurs must come up with ways to make sure customers who visit their online store ends up purchasing products. Expedited shipping is a way to entice them.
Do you know 77% of online cart abandonment happened due to unsatisfactory delivery options? As an e-commerce entrepreneur, what ways can you use to ensure a high conversion rate?
Well, you can reduce such abandonment and increase your sales by using expedited shipping. Do you know what is expedited shipping and how long does expedited shipping take? Read hear and understand what it entails and how it can help your business.
Table of Contents
- Expedited Shipping – What Is It?
- How Quick Is Expedited Shipping?
- Why Should Online Stores Offer Expedited Delivery?
- How Can You Set Expedited Shipping For Less?
- Final Thoughts!
What Is It Expedited Shipping?
Online buyers have high anticipations when it comes to ordering products. Most of them want to know how fast, flexible, and reliable your shipping process is before they place an order. Expedited shipping comes to reassure faster delivery than the average timeline.
To expedite means, ‘to perform something quick.’ As the name suggests, expedited shipping implies a delivery option. It promises to complete all orders faster than the standard shipping. In the end, it is what customers want. Online stores that offer this option to the customer have 43% chances of increasing sales through repeat sales.
Big companies are offering different shipping options, including free shipping services. So, small entrepreneurs should lift their game too. That’s a way to ensure customers visiting their store also have a reason to shop. Expedited shipping gives customer assurance of faster delivery of what they order.
How Quick Is Expedited Shipping?
When you promise an expedited shipping service, then what does that mean? Well, expedited shipping options vary by companies and stores. Expedited shipping in one shop may be the standard shipping time in another. So, what is the average expedited delivery time?
In many places, the standard shipping time of orders, including the USA, is 3-7 days. You can count it from dispatch time to the time the order arrives at the destined customer’s doorstep. Any time less than that can be expedited shipping time depending on the destination of the parcel.
Average Timeframe of Expedited Shipping
The expedited shipping involves the same-day delivery, overnight, next day, or 2-day delivery period. The goal of expedited shipping is to get the order to the customer as fast as possible. While deliveries in the same state take less time, what happens during the far deliveries? Far deliveries can pose a challenge to a business owner, but it is possible.
Let’s understand the average timeframe of both domestic and international shipping.
· Domestic Shipping
In domestic shipping, the parcel moves within the nearby area, only from the source place to the destination. Thus, expedited shipments can typically reach their target location in 2 to 3 business days. Take United States domestic expedited for example, some expedited shipping delivery time for package to arrive is as following: USPS Priority Mail (1.79 days on average) , UPS Ground (2.75 days on average ), FedEx Home Delivery (2.21 days on average ). UPS offers a full range of express shipping services including same day, overnight, and next day shipping.
· International Shipping
Statistics say that 70% of online buyers prefer to buy internationally. Shipping your products to the international market can give vital growth to your business. International shipping cannot be as fast as the domestic one. Expedited shipping usually takes 3-12 business days to reach the destination. Besides, custom processing may add a few extra days. For express service (DHL/FedEx/UPS), it takes about 3-7 business days from China to US.
Remember, shipments going to various states or across the country can still give expedited delivery. It needs the right planning and logistics. What is vital here is being reasonable with the timeline. For example, overnight or next day delivery might not be possible across the country.
Why Should Online Stores Offer Expedited Delivery?
To drop cart abandonment and increase conversion rate, every online retailer has to give different shipping options. Expedited shipping promises enough and lures customers into making orders from your store. The following are the benefits of expedited delivery:
· Remove Customer’s Second Thought
Setting an online store is time-consuming. It is discouraging to see the customers leaving a cart halfway the process. Remember, an unsatisfactory delivery option can lead to the abandonment scenario. So, taking care of the shipping method with a fast and reliable option can cut such possibilities.
· Meet Customer’s Expectations
Customers expect to receive their orders fast. For instance, customers who order perishable goods want them fresh just as they request. So, if you have a fast and flexible mode of shipment, then you can meet your customer’s need. In short, it will get you ahead of other stores.
· Build a Customer-Store Relationship
Giving customers a swift buying process gives them a reason to come back. Customers trust a store that make the right orders arrive on time. Most of the sales in an online store come from repeat sales. Expedited shipping makes your customers happy and comfortable enough to push them to place a repeat order.
How Can You Set Expedited Shipping For Less?
It is a fact, standard deliveries are cheap and sustainable, and that is why many online businesses use it. You want to be ahead of your competitors by offering expedited shipping. But, how will you reduce costs and maintain your profit margin? You can use the following tips:
1. Set a Threshold Value
Always set a threshold value that customers can pay to get the option of expedited shipping. You can set it in a way that customers must pay an amount higher than the average order value. That way, you won’t have to touch your profit margin for offering expedited services.
2. Look for Global Warehousing
Shipping an order for overseas customers can be expensive. When it comes to expedited, you can use various delivery companies from varied points in different provinces or cities. But is it reliable? Of course, no. Instead, you can look for an order fulfillment company that has more warehouses across the world.
3. Outsource Your Order Fulfillment
Outsourcing offloads you the stress of delivering orders fast to clients. The right order fulfillment company gives you facilities, technology, and expertise that an express delivery needs. They integrate a lot of carriers & shipping option for you to Fulfillment Companies save your cost on shipping, offer cost-effective fulfillment solutions. In short, you spend less, track your orders, and meet customer’s expectations under one roof.
4. Make Your Evaluation and Judge
It all narrows down to what you want for your business. Express shipping brings in repeat sales, reduces cart abandonment percents, and also makes the customer trust your business. But are you getting what you want for the company? If the answer is yes, then give your customers the offer and don’t look back.
Final Thoughts!
The promise of expedited shipping is an option that most customers choose for the quick delivery of their goods. Online stores are scaling up their shipping methods after seeing the increasing demands for fast and reliable deliveries.
E-commerce entrepreneurs must have shipping options to lure and win customer’s trust. Want to connect your online store with expedited shipping? You can always send us a note to know the best options.
