Online shopping sales have increased dramatically in the last year. The January sales in 2021 on the internet alone made up over a third of retail sales in the UK. This was an increase of 81% from the year before. With the eCommerce industry at peak demand how can pick and ship and drop shipping businesses keep up with the pace?
Director of the Cigar Club, Paul Futcher, saw a 32% increase in his revenue between 2019 and 2020. Here he provides his guidance on how others can withstand growing customer demand and the higher standards that are now expected of pick and ship businesses.
The market growth in online sales in the last 12 months has risen significantly. The Increased demand has lead to Supreme Freight seeing a growing number of customers looking to import goods for resale, many of which are new to the eCommerce world.
We have seen a lot of new customers with enquiries around handling the import from drop ship and pick and ship warehouses from across the globe. Many new customers are either using services like alibababa.com or alternative drop ship and pick and ship warehouse. Initially this looks like a straightforward business model but it can be a minefield when you first enter into the import and export industry especially since leaving the EU. Supreme Freight is on hand to make sure that your air, sea & road freight are handled quickly professionally and effectively.
Below we have outlined a few pointers to look out for when you start selling products from pick and ship warehouses and drop shippers alike.
Refine your Delivery Process
With many advances in technology across the delivery process and so many eCommerce businesses needing to stay competitive, customers are coming to expect a top-notch retail experience. They expect to be kept updated from the moment they make their purchase to the product arriving on their doorstep. The quicker the company can make this process the better.
The Cigar Club considered each stage of a customer’s experience to improve how they could organise their orders and refine their pack and ship process.
Paul says: “It is important to us that our customers receive the product exactly as it is described on our website, in perfect condition and in protective packaging. We’ve tested out a variety of boxes over the years and have come to a size and shape that keeps shipping costs as low as possible without sacrificing quality or protection. We keep the line of communication between us and our customers strong, by being quick to respond to queries, and using delivery technology that updates the customers on the status of their package as well as exact delivery times.
Show Off Customer Feedback
Customer reviews are extremely important! According to Podium, 93% of consumer purchases were influenced by online reviews. There is a lot of choice when it comes to online shopping and people are looking for reassurance that they’re making the right decision before committing to the purchase.
The Cigar Club collected over 730 company reviews and 166 product reviews through using the platform ‘REVIEWS.io.’ Their efforts to ensure efficient delivery and the quality of products are up to a high standard have led to an impressive overall review rating with some of the most common phrases including ‘excellent service’, ‘efficient service’ and ‘prompt delivery.’
Once these positive reviews were collected, The Cigar Club created a widget displaying the reviews on their homepage of their website building trust with customers browsing their site. Actions like this really drive home the quality of service that customers can come to expect from your company.
Paul says: “These customer reviews have really helped us grow as a business, as with so many options for products to choose online, our positive reviews help communicate to new customers that we really do care about providing a high-quality product with efficient service. Also, by putting these reviews on our homepage we have been able to create a personal feel for those browsing our products. We’ve also tried to keep this personal touch there in all our transactions, as this is what makes our cigars unique. Particularly when online shopping is a wholly solo task, adding in real-life perspectives on our products really makes a difference.
Final Points
Implementing changes and refinements to business operations can be an intimidating task; however, by paying close attention to logistics processes and boosting online visibility, businesses can place themselves into a better position to stay competitive and successful.
