Offering delivery sounds like a fairly obvious way to make life easier for customers. They buy something. You send it to them. Simple.
Well, not always.
Once you start looking at the practical side of delivery, there are quite a few decisions to make. How far are you willing to deliver? How quickly do customers expect their orders? Do they want to know exactly where the package is? And what happens if the product needs special handling?
Before choosing a delivery setup, it helps to get clear on what your business and your customers actually need. Even something as basic as understanding the carrier vs courier distinction can help you decide which type of service is better suited to the deliveries you’re making.
Keep reading on to learn three useful questions to ask before getting started.
1. What geographic areas must you deliver to?
Start with the obvious:
Where are your customers?
If most of your orders are going to people a few miles away, your delivery needs may look very different from a business shipping products across the country.
A local business might need same-day delivery or next-day delivery within a particular city. An online retailer with customers in several state may need a broader shipping network. Some companies need both.
It’s worth looking at your actual orders rather than guessing. Where are most customers located? Are you regularly getting orders outside your current delivery area? How quickly do people expect their purchases?
You don’t necessarily have to offer every delivery option everywhere. In fact, trying to do too much too soon make things unnecessarily complicated.
2. Do your customers expect real-time tracking?
Think about the questions your customer service team receives.
If people are constantly asking, “Has my order shipped?” or “When will it get here?,” better tracking could save everyone some time.
Real-time tracking isn’t essential for every type of delivery. But it will be particularly useful when customers are waiting for something important or time-sensitive. Being able to see that an order is on its way gives customers some reassurance without them having to contact you.
That said, tracking should actually be beneficial. A page that says “in transit” for three days doesn’t tell someone very much.
Consider what level of visibility makes sense for your customers and whether your delivery provider offers it.
3. What specialized packaging materials do you need?
Not everything can simply be put in a cardboard box and sent on its way.
If you’re delivering fragile products, food, temperature-sensitive items, liquids, or unusually shaped goods, packaging needs to be part of the conversation from the very beginning.
Think about the journey your product will take. Will it be stacked with other packages? Could it move around during transit? Does it need to stay upright? Does it need protection from cold or heat?
The right packaging helps prevent damaged goods, returns, and disappointed customers. It may also affect how much your shipment costs – particularly if protective materials make the package larger or heavier.
To conclude, choosing the right delivery approach becomes much easier when you understand the basics. The questions in this post will help you do just that. And, after this, you’ll be in a much better position to offer customers something you can actually deliver on.