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Tag: website

Meeting The Demands Of Fast And Free Shipping In E-Commerce

Posted on by Will Priestman

Fast and free shipping has become a cornerstone of success in e-commerce with 75% of consumers prioritizing it when making purchasing decisions. Offering this service presents significant challenges, however, from rising operational costs to balancing customer expectations with profitability.

In this article, we explore these hurdles and the strategies businesses can employ to meet growing demand for fast, free shipping while maintaining operational efficiency.

The Psychology of Free Shipping

Free shipping has a powerful impact on consumer behavior. In fact, roughly half (48%) of consumers abandon their shopping carts at checkout when faced with unexpected shipping fees. The word “free” creates an immediate sense of value, reducing friction in the buying process and increasing the likelihood of purchase.

The “Amazon effect” has further solidified this expectation.

Amazon’s model of offering free shipping as part of its Prime membership has raised consumer standards. Today, customers anticipate free shipping from all online retailers, pressuring smaller businesses to meet this demand without sacrificing profitability.

The Challenges of Offering Free Shipping

You understand the importance of free shipping — most retailers do. But offering it comes with substantial challenges that make it far from automatic:

• Rising operational costs, especially due to inflation, are a major obstacle. Fuel prices, labor shortages and packaging costs continue to climb, pushing profit margins to the brink.

• Balancing profitability with customer satisfaction is tricky. While consumers expect free shipping, offering it can eat into profits, forcing businesses to raise prices or set minimum order thresholds.

Smaller retailers also struggle with the logistical challenges of meeting fast shipping expectations. Without the resources of larger e-commerce giants, staying competitive becomes much more difficult.

Strategies for Implementing Free Shipping

Retailers can adopt several strategies to offer free shipping without sacrificing profitability. Here are several proven approaches:

• Threshold-based free shipping: Encourage customers to spend more by setting a minimum order value to qualify for free shipping. This boosts average order values, helping offset shipping costs.

• Membership and subscription models: Offer free shipping as part of a subscription service, such as Amazon Prime. This generates recurring revenue and strengthens customer loyalty.

• Optimizing shipping and fulfillment: Use efficient packaging to reduce dimensions and lower shipping costs. Implementing a conveyor sorting system helps streamline operations. Zone skipping can also consolidate shipments, reducing the shipping distance and cost. Negotiating better rates with carriers based on shipping volume is another effective way to cut expenses.

• Leveraging data analytics: Use customer data to optimize free shipping strategies. Analyze purchase patterns, average order values and shipping costs to tailor threshold-based free shipping offers. For instance, if data shows customers often abandon carts just below a certain price point, adjust your free shipping threshold accordingly.

• Setting expectations: Transparency is key, with 74% of consumers expecting to see shipping costs before purchasing. Additionally, educating customers on delivery times and potential delays helps manage expectations and maintain customer satisfaction.

• Offer in-store pickup: Provide buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) options. This eliminates shipping costs for local customers while driving foot traffic to physical stores. It’s a win-win strategy that can help offset the costs associated with free shipping for other orders.

By combining these strategies, businesses can offer free shipping in a way that meets consumer demands while protecting their bottom line.

Conclusion

As inflation and rising operational costs continue to challenge e-commerce, businesses must find creative ways to maintain free delivery without compromising profitability. Meeting consumer demands for fast and free shipping will remain essential, and companies that can balance cost control with customer satisfaction will thrive.

Adapting to these pressures and keeping a close eye on shifting trends in consumer behavior will be critical to staying competitive in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.

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Fulfilment Service gets Robots to Boost Warehouse Efficiency

Storage Direct launches new website   

Posted on by David Priestman

Storage Direct, the online retail destination for UK-manufactured storage products and solutions for home, warehouse, industrial, office and retail environments, has launched a newly designed and rebranded website.

The new website, with over 2,000 products available to buy online, is more than just a refresh. Based on ongoing research and direct user feedback, it has been rebuilt with the customer in mind. The site features a new brand identity, a modern design and improved functionality, with direct and easy access to help and support for customers engaging online.

Storage Direct has a wealth of experience in serving business customers and consumers. The ecommerce site showcases an extensive range of storage solutions, warehousing equipment, industrial shelving, storage bins, lockers and much more. This online one-stop-shop provides customers with a quick efficient way to order regular requirements like pick bins, plastic boxes, step ladders, warehouse steps, metal lockers, plastic lockers, metal shelving, pallet racking or industrial racking.

With this rebrand and rebuild, Storage Direct has introduced a new generation of technology and ecommerce that underpins a streamlined online customer experience. It is easier to use and navigate, with clear product information, increased online payment facilities and an improved help and support service, complete with online chat available during office hours and new enquiry forms.

The new Storage Direct website reflects insights and in-depth analysis of the ways customers engaged with the online shop over the years. A key requirement was an upgrade of the search function for ease-of-use while on the website. A new filter system directs customers to find exactly what they’re looking for, quickly and easily. There is also immediate help available from expert sales support: customers can use the new reinvigorated online chat platform or engage using traditional methods of contact such as digital enquiry forms or telephone.

Logged-in customers have better visibility of their orders, with the ability to track the order status from their redesigned profile. While logged in, they can also update contact details and edit their basket with a few clicks. Other new features include a “recently viewed” slider for customers to go back to products that they had discovered previously. Best sellers and popular items are clearly visible across the site for easy access, and customers will see the latest deals, offers and competitions as soon as they visit the website.

Storage Direct says its new website is faster, easier to use and much more efficient for customers. It reinforces Storage Direct’s position as a leader in online high-quality storage solutions, showcasing an extensive range of storage products manufactured here in the UK and their approach to supporting clients. It also brings the power of storage through Whittan to support a wider variety of projects. Storage Direct is offering a free bespoke site survey service for customers with larger requirements.

Whittan’s Product Marketing Manager, Tom Campbell, said: “Customers using the new Storage Direct website will immediately see and feel the benefits of the new site. The technical architecture is next generation, providing an enhanced user experience with improved features for better online shopping. At Storage Direct, we want to ensure that all our customers, regardless of their fluency with ecommerce, are provided with the best and most intuitive and efficient service that we can provide.

“As a leading online one-stop-shop we are also increasing our general online presence and engagement to provide the best offers for the highest quality product on the market. We are present on social media, where you can find all our latest deals, offers, information and competitions!”

The new Storage Direct website is accessible online across all laptops and devices, bringing the direct power of storage to customers. Customers can browse through favourites – such as the Linbins range, garage shelving and personal effect lockers – as well as new storage products and offers across shelving, lockers, racking, Linbins, cabinets and cupboards, workbenches and workstations.

The new site reflects the rebranded Storage Direct which forms part of the Whittan Group. Whittan launched a group-wide rebrand with a new look and website earlier this year consolidating storage brands, products and solutions within one unified approach to provide extended capabilities in storage.

Johnston Logistics unveils new website

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Leading logistics provider Johnston Logistics UK has unveiled its new website. The growing company’s new online presence better represents its growing reputation as a provider of warehousing and logistics for leading brands and retailers.

“When I look back at recent years, we’ve developed a lot; both as a business and as a team. We want to continue this journey and it’s important to have a website that better reflects both where we are and where we’re going,” says Rob McIndoe, Director of Johnston Logistics UK.

With an increased focus on its 40 years of experience and use of new technology, the website reflects the growth in Johnston Logistics UK’s reputation and was built by Full Mix Marketing who deliver all the logistics expert’s marketing.

“In the almost four years we’ve worked with Johnston Logistics UK, it’s clear they’ve grown in stature, capabilities and success. We wanted to ensure their website helped communicate just that to all the visitors driven to the website by marketing,” says Sarah West, Managing Director of Full Mix Marketing.

Through search engine optimisation (SEO) and content marketing, the B2B marketing agency reports that the existing Johnston Logistics UK website has received a four-fold increase in impressions on leading search engines over the past 12 months.

Johnston Logistics UK was formally established in 2010 but can trace its history back to 1978. It now handles over 320 million individual items each year. As a Primary Consolidation Centre for ASDA, over 50% of the wine sold in their supermarkets passes through Johnston Logistics UK’s Snetterton site.

As well as investing in digital marketing, the logistics expert has recently made a significant further investment in technology with a state-of-the-art Warehouse Management System (WMS). The new software has enhanced efficiency and the ease with which Johnston Logistics UK can integrate with its customers’ own systems and provide them with real-time information.

“It’s been an unprecedented 12 months with the pandemic. Our team has worked exceptionally hard to support existing clients and a growing number of leading businesses. But it’s still been important to invest in our future and the website is one way we can show clients we’re always developing and looking to become even more supportive,” continues Rob McIndoe.

From its 700,000 sq ft of warehousing in Norfolk, Johnston Logistics UK delivers storage, logistics and fulfilment for businesses in sectors including wine, food, other fast-moving consumer goods and commercial products. It offers a complete range of services including palletised warehousing, HMRC customs and bonded warehousing, eCommerce fulfilment and complete third-party logistics.

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