You put forth a lot of work to ensure that your consumers have a positive experience. You approve the pictures, bring alterations to your site, and send emails all with the motive of making your consumers happy.
However, when it comes to delivery, it might feel as though you're giving over your brand to a stranger.
However, with little effort and preparation, it doesn't have to feel the same way. It is a good thing because shipping is a critical element of your business.
It's the moment at which a consumer sees and experiences your goods for the first time, and depending on your shipping plan, it may also be a significant expense for your company.
That is why it is crucial to establish a clear shipping plan. Because the world of shipping and fulfillment might appear confusing if you are new.
We've compiled a list of everything you'll need to know to make the right decision for your online store.
Best e-commerce shipping companies in India
For startups in India, we would recommend you to start using an aggregator like Nimbus post or ship rocket—these shipping aggregators have a lot of collaboration with shipping companies.
The best shipping companies are Bluedart, Delhivery, Expressbees, DTDC, etc. In our experience, Bluedart has worked the best for us.
We also use Nimbuspost for this, and it's worked so well for us. If you want to ship abroad, go for DHL Express or FedEx.
Cheapest international shipping company from India.
It took us a while to figure this out. Until now, DHL e-commerce was the cheapest but they are shutting down their operations by the end of November 2021.
Currently, we are using DHL Express and FedEx. There are some services offered by courier companies where you can explore the shipping options. You can get a custom quote and compare it to find out what works best for your business.
How much does it cost to ship internationally on average?
It depends on the weight of the package and the size of the package. So when you are shipping internationally, first of all, the shipping company is going to consider the highest of either the product weight or the volumetric weight of the product.
The volumetric weight of the product is equal to the length x breadth x height divided by 5,000. So whatever the amount comes in grams is the volumetric weight of the product.
For example, if the length of the package is 20 cm, height is 20 cm and the width is 20 cm. The volumetric weight is 20 X 20 X 20 divided by 5000, which is 1.6 kg.
Let’s say the weight of the product when you weigh it on a scale is 500 g. So they're going to consider 1.6 kg as the actual weight which is higher and they'll charge you based on this weight.
Different shipping companies have different slabs for it, for example, currently with DHL express that we use, if you want to ship a package, which has a weight under 1 kg you can expect to pay close to $23 for it.
If the weight is less than 500 grams, you can expect to pay close to $16 or $17. So shipping from India, the shipping time is three to five days, but it could be less as well.
Shipping costs are set by shipping companies based on a number of criteria, including:
- Size of the package
- Weight of the package
- Origin country
- Weight of the package
- In addition, extra delivery options such as tracking and insurance are also taken into account.
It can be tough to evaluate services precisely because they all have somewhat different possibilities, and each firm will have its own set of characteristics.
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Challenges associated with same-day delivery
The biggest challenge associated with same-day delivery is the shipping price. It can take a good amount of money to actually provide the same-day delivery. Corporation expenses are another challenge.
If you manage to go for same-day delivery, then operationally you'll have to either hire more people or you'll have to uplevel your production, manufacturing, and sourcing, which is definitely going to cost more money.
The challenges could be in the level of shipping economy, the level of sourcing, or its current level of operations.
Another challenge is a commitment—if you commit to one-day delivery and due to some logistic issue, the delivery does not happen, it can lead to refunds and failed deliveries.
Overall, it's shipping price, then there are operational expenses, then there are sourcing expenses, and then there's expectation management or commitments.
Shipping— a fundamental component of your online business.
Shipping is undoubtedly a difficult element of any online operation. Every firm will have unique obstacles that must be worked through and conquered in order to build the best and most effective shipping plan.
It will take time and tweaking to figure out what works best for your new ecommerce site, as it will for many other aspects of building your new ecommerce site.
Understanding all of the parameters and adapting your shipping plan as your company grows is critical to its long-term health and profitability.
So, after you've found it out, don't let it grow stale. Reassess every six months to ensure you're providing your clients with the greatest possible service and experience at the best possible pricing.
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Nishkarsh Sharma
Nishkarsh Sharma has helped generate sales worth 20+ Crores across different e-commerce stores.
