Delivery services have become a fundamental part of online shopping. If you’re like most consumers, you’ve probably ordered something on Amazon that arrived sooner than expected because of their fast and convenient delivery options.
However, not all delivery providers are created equal. Even though Amazon seems to be the gold standard for great shipping options, there are some smaller companies out there that can provide better delivery services for your brand.
To build a solid foundation for your company’s brand loyalty, it’s essential to consider all aspects of your shipping process, including time-to-delivery and cost savings.
This article will dive into why it is so important to have exceptional delivery services for your WooCommerce store as well as how they can help boost your brand without costing too much money.
The Critical Importance of Online Shopping Shipping & Delivery
The delivery of your product is a critical part of ecommerce. It’s what separates you from the competition and can be the difference between brand loyalty and lost revenue.
Customers will go elsewhere if you don’t provide reasonable shipping and delivery. The importance of shipping and delivery isn’t necessarily on your mind when establishing your business model, but it should be—especially as you grow from a small operation into an international brand with millions in revenue per year.
Your company’s ability to meet customer expectations (and exceed them) will go a long way toward establishing trust between you and your clientele—which means repeat business instead of lost revenue down the road.
While you may think consumers will only accept same-day, next-day, or two-day delivery like with Amazon Prime, that isn’t the truth. Consumers want convenience and reliability just as much as speed. So they will be willing to wait a little longer if it guarantees service for high-in-demand products.
Why Brand Loyalty Matters?
Brand loyalty is important because it helps build trust. When a customer has brand loyalty, they are more likely to buy your product than someone who doesn’t know you or your company.
Brand loyalty can help you gain new customers. If people like the way your company operates and the products you offer, they may tell others about it or even tell their friends to use your service. This will draw in new customers for you.
Using a reliable delivery service to build this brand loyalty typically involves:
Allow Package Tracking
There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting for a package to arrive and wondering where it is. If you’re using a delivery service, one of the first things you should ask them is whether they offer tracking. This feature allows your customers to see exactly where their packages are at any given time, as well as when they’ll arrive.
Transparent About Delivery Providers
Next, consider transparency. You don’t want to hide the fact that your delivery provider is a third party and not part of your business. This can be tricky if you’re working with multiple services, but customers need to know exactly who is delivering their order and why.
Offer Convenient Time/Date Delivery Options
Customers love having options. When it comes to delivery, they want to be able to choose their own time and date. Make it easy for your customers to choose their favourite delivery option by creating a range of delivery times and offering them the ability to change those times at any point until the order is delivered.
Create Value Between Delivery Speed and Cost Savings
You can also create value by offering free shipping or discounted shipping if customers choose slower delivery. That includes offering free upgrades, such as faster delivery options or additional services like gift wrapping.
This creates an experience where the customer receives more than just the product they ordered, but something that was tailored specifically to their needs and desires. Not to mention those auxiliary services may mean more revenue potential for your ecommerce store.
Exceptional Delivery Services to Build Brand Loyalty
An excellent shipping service can help you build brand loyalty and customer retention. WooCommerce shipping plugins are the perfect way to make your store a place where customers feel comfortable making purchases, which will, in turn, increase sales and revenue.
Building Brand Loyalty from Niche Shipping Services
A good example of this is an online shop owner who offers free tune-ups for all their products, ships internationally, and gives their customers access to exclusive discounts on future purchases. This helps build trust between buyer and seller by showing they care about their customer’s experience with them.
At OPMC, we work with a wide range of delivery providers based on the geographic region they serve and their reputation for outstanding customer experiences. These include:
1 – WooCommerce Colissimo Shipping
If you’re looking for a reliable, affordable shipping option for your WooCommerce store, Colissimo is an excellent choice.
This French-based postal service is one of the largest providers of parcel delivery in Europe and has been delivering packages with features like returns, 48 hours delivery within France, and bespoke delivery configuration. They currently offer 21 different shipping options, which can be used to ship from any country in Europe to any other country in Europe.
The best part about this service is that it’s easy to set up and integrate into your ecommerce store if you’re using WooCommerce. You can even use the Colissimo API if you want. However, the simplest solution is to try our native plugin to easily integrate the many shipping features of Colissimo with your ecommerce business.
2 – Spee-Dee Delivery
Spee-Dee Delivery is a small company specializing in delivering business packages and documents. They deliver to businesses of all sizes, including large corporations around the upper Midwest region of the United States. They offer a wide range of delivery services, including same-day and next-day delivery.
To keep track of their packages, they have developed an app that allows customers to sign up for notifications when their package arrives at the destination address. This helps businesses avoid having packages sit around uncollected for days or weeks at a time as they wait for someone in the office to come to pick them up on time.
You do not need a Spee-Dee account to use the service. All you need is the integration through a bespoke WooCommerce plugin, and customers can calculate the rest automatically when they finish up their purchase order.
The best part is Spee-Dee focuses on in-person, real-time customer support. That creates a real down-home feel to the delivery provider and helps reinforce the brand loyalty you are trying to build with your ecommerce store.
3 – Purolator Shipping Method
If you’re looking for a courier service that can help you get your products where they need to go, Purolator shipping is an option worth considering.
This company started as a small business in Ontario and has since grown into Canada’s largest delivery service. They provide mobile app integration, package tracking, and small business support for time-sensitive, critical shipments.
They also offer a wide range of holiday, custom-themed packaging and shipping services that help build nostalgia – a powerful marketing tool to enhance the customer experience with your online store brand.
4 – New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post is a great option for shipping to New Zealand. With competitive prices and an excellent reputation for customer service, New Zealand Post will not disappoint.
It automatically calculates shipping rates for NZ-based orders and offers a full suite of services to local communities, businesses, and individuals.
NZ Post allows for bespoke return services and provides international services through collaborative partnerships. This is our preferred service for working inside the country where we began our service.
Choosing Smaller Delivery Companies Over UPS & DHL
The delivery service you choose for your brand can have a profound impact on your company’s bottom line. One of the best ways to increase loyalty and customer satisfaction is by selecting a smaller delivery company over UPS or DHL.
Smaller companies have several advantages over their larger counterparts, including:
- They’re more nimble
- They can be more responsive to customers’ needs
- They can offer competitive rates
- They’re more innovative with new technologies and services, like “delivery at a time that works for you” or “deliveries where you want them.”
While big international providers offer more intrinsic services for SMEs, they do not deliver the small-town feel you want to cultivate with your customers. The more personalized an experience potential buyers have with your WooCommerce online store, the more likely they will return time and time again.
While it’s true that delivery services are often talked about as a way to improve customer satisfaction and retention, they can also help you build a loyal customer base. This is especially true for new customers trying your brand for the first time.
If you provide good customer service, quick shipping times, and reasonable shipping costs, you will see an increase in sales as well as increased brand loyalty among your current customers.
Wrapping it Up
We hope that by reading this blog post, you will feel inspired to try out some of the delivery services we’ve discussed. If you have any questions about how these companies work or how they could benefit your business, please contact us. Our team has successfully partnered with each of these providers and knows firsthand the value they bring to our customer’s brand loyalty!
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