Your customers’ shipping experience can turn them into repeat buyers and word of mouth marketers for your brand. Or it can push them to your competitors.
Research shows that 89% of customers defect to competing brands because of poor customer experience. Connect this with the fact that 52% of consumers hold brands, not the shipping service, responsible for late deliveries.
Should you be scared? Not really.
These studies only prove that choosing the right carrier can help you shape memorable customer experiences and increase your retention rate.
In this article, we’ll show you four different ways your shipping service can make a difference to your business. Keep reading.
1. A Positive Shipping Experience Delights Customers
Your shipping carrier has a direct impact on your relationship with your customers. According to research, 62% of consumers think product shipping largely determines ecommerce customer experience. This means it’s not enough to have a great product to delight your customers.
You also need to partner with a world-class carrier that cares about your customers and also understands the stakes of your business in the shipping process because they’ll be the ones communicating with your customers and representing your brand at the time of delivery.
2. Satisfied Customers Leave More Online Reviews
Did you know that 72% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family? This is important because online reviews influence 90% of buying decisions.
When you delight your customers with a memorable experience (thanks to your shipping carrier), they’re likely to share a positive online review about your brand – especially if you ask them for it. And as the stats show, positive online reviews have a strong correlation with referral sales.
3. Free And Fast Delivery Drives Repeat Business
Timely and accurate product delivery is the biggest responsibility of your shipping carrier. It also has the greatest impact on ecommerce customer experience according to a study by eMarketer.
And that’s not all. Customers expect brands to offer fast shipping and are even prepared to pay more to receive their orders faster.
However, fast and timely delivery is also among the biggest challenges for shipping companies. Traditional and asset-heavy logistics companies often struggle to provide fast shipping because of their own business limitations. This is why it’s crucial that you closely evaluate a shipping service before partnering with them. The wrong choice can result in delayed shipments and dissatisfied customers.
4. Innovative Delivery Solutions Reduce Risk And Offer Flexibility
The alternate approach to hiring old-school shipping carriers is to go for more innovative non-asset-based carriers building tech that can serve your growing business, who leverages the power of APIs. These companies are fundamentally different from traditional shipping companies and offer a lot more flexibility to you and your customers.
Non-asset based carriers rely on their vast networks of specialized service providers connected through modern technology that allows them to deliver faster, with more precision, and at significantly cheaper rates. They also have better shipment tracking which allows them to offer real-time order updates to your customers. This is important because 89% of consumers are less likely to be upset about shipping delays or have a lasting negative perception of a brand that shares fast and honest updates regarding a shipping issue.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a shipping carrier is a strategic business decision with far-reaching implications. You can’t outsource it to a company without considering its impact on your customer experience. Instead, you need to own the process and view it as an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your customers. Partnering with a modern non-asset based logistics company is the first step in that direction.