Ever since the internet came around and reared its head, the world has become a much more interesting place. Suddenly, there was social media and ecommerce. These two combined to create one of the biggest leaps forwards since the Industrial Revolution.
Nowadays, anyone with an imagination, creative drive and passion can open up their own online store. With a wide variety of shopping carts and marketplaces to choose from, user-friendly options exist galore.
Once your store is up and running, the orders will slowly begin to trickle in. It is imperative during this interim part to integrate a progressive fulfillment process that tackles the logistics necessary. Along the way, you’ll certainly benefit from having the best shipping service for ecommerce.
Use these tips to find the one that’s right for your needs.
Multicarrier Support
With several major shipping carriers, you don’t want to restrict or limit your options. When choosing the best ecommerce shipping service for your online store, make sure that the software supports FedEx, UPS and USPS. Other considerations for support include: Endicia, Stamps.com, Express 1 and APC Logistics.
Ecommerce Integration
Not all shipping services are the same. Some may offer more integrations than others. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to find out; they usually list these on their website. Take the time to navigate the provider’s website to assure that the shopping cart or marketplace you are using is fully supported by the service.
Interface & Ease of Use
Software is a hot commodity today, but providers still offer perks to get new users on board. One of the most common perks is the complimentary trial usage period. Typically, this is limited to 14-days. This gives you a cushy window of time to test out the software and determine whether or not the interface, and the software’s ease-of-use, is suitable for your needs.
Shipping Labels & Digital Postage
You’ll need a software solution that can process digital postage and generate shipping labels. Be wary of solutions that force you to use proprietary labels. The best shipping service for ecommerce will allow you to generate standard thermal labels or custom shipping labels. So be sure to keep this element in mind along the way.
Useful Add-Ons
Certainly, having access to quality software is very useful. But being able to add-on other modules is even more useful. Think along the lines of things like accounting software add-ons such as QuickBooks, or returns management software, and even CRM. While not all providers can hope to offer these additions, the most premium providers almost always do.
Making Your Choice
Good things come to those who wait. In this regard, patience is the ultimate key to your success. Be prepared to spend ample time familiarizing yourself with a variety of software solutions before you can truly determine which one is the best shipping service for ecommerce.
When it comes down to it, the solution that you seek will need to work for you, the way that you want it to. The goal of this software is reduce the time and effort that you have to spend processing and fulfilling orders. It’s supposed to be a way for you to cut corners a little bit during your day without compromising quality.
If you use the simple steps that have been laid out for you here, you shouldn’t have any problem finding a great solution. Start by researching solutions at your preferred search engine. Next, compare features, functions, integrations and pricing. Then spend some time using the software to arrive at a final conclusion.
Lastly, breathe easy… shipping just got a whole lot simpler.
