Launching an e-commerce store is an exciting venture, but the logistics side of the business, particularly shipping, can quickly become a major headache.
For a beginner, shipping mistakes aren't just frustrating; they can be expensive and, even worse, damage customer satisfaction. Therefore, learning from common errors is crucial to ensuring healthy growth for your shop.
1. Neglecting proper packaging (& ignoring volumetric weight)
Packaging is more than just a box. It is the first physical impression your client will have of your brand.
Firstly, choosing packaging that is too large or unsuitable not only increases your shipping costs (especially due to volumetric weight) but also heightens the risk of product damage.
Furthermore, using low quality materials hurts both protection and the perceived value of your product. The most frequent mistake of beginners is focusing only on the package's actual weight.
However, carriers often charge based on volumetric weight (which considers the space the package occupies). If you fail to account for this calculation, you risk incurring unexpected surcharges that will eat into your rentability.
How to avoid it:
- Use boxes or envelopes that are the appropriate size for your product to minimize empty space.
- Ensure the item is well cushioned with adequate padding materials to prevent any shifting during transit.
- In addition, familiarize yourself with your carriers' volumetric weight calculation formula and invest in a reliable scale.
2. Underestimating the importance of accurate addresses and labels
An illegible label or an incorrect address is one of the most frequent and costly shipping mistakes. This leads to delivery delays, reshipping fees, or even the package being returned to the sender.
Consequently, you lose time and money while generating frustration for the client. Even a small oversight (a missing apartment number or a typo) can invalidate the process.
How to avoid it:
- Verify the address with the client if you have any doubts.
- Use automation tools to generate clear shipping labels with high quality barcodes.
- Moreover, ensure the label is firmly affixed to a flat surface of the package to guarantee proper reading by the carriers.
3. Lack of communication and package tracking
In modern e-commerce, transparency is key. Failing to inform the client about the status of their order (lack of real time tracking) or a potential delay is a fatal error.
Indeed, clients expect to be kept informed at every stage of the shipping process. Poor communication leads to anxiety and increases calls to your client service. Package tracking is not a luxury, but a necessity for customer satisfaction.
How to avoid it:
- Systematically provide a tracking number immediately upon shipping.
- Set up automation notifications (email or SMS) for key stages (shipping, in transit, delivery).
- Finally, if a problem arises, inform the client proactively and empathetically.
4. Choosing only one shipping method or an unreliable partner
Limiting your shipping options to a single carrier or a single mode (ex: only home delivery) can be very restrictive. Furthermore, if that logistics partner has performance issues or excessive shipping costs, your entire business suffers, directly impacting rentability. Beginners must understand the importance of a multi carrier strategy.
How to avoid it:
- Offer multiple delivery options (home delivery, pick-up points, express, etc) to meet your clients' varied needs.
- Work with multiple reliable carriers (multi carrier strategy) to compare prices and performance, and crucially, to have a Plan B.
This is where solutions like YouCan Ship become essential for cost optimization, as they give you access to multiple reliable carriers such as Express Relais, Olivraison, Sendit, Speedaf, and Tawssil.
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