How International Shipping Solutions Can Help Your Ecommerce Business

International shipping is a crucial part of any ecommerce business. It can help you build customer trust and increase sales. However, it can also be complex and expensive.

Make sure to research your options and find the best shipping solutions for your needs. You should consider factors like: cost, time, reliability and customs.

Cost

Expanding to international markets can be a wellspring of new opportunities, but it also presents operational and logistical challenges. Shipping globally requires specialized knowledge and processes, and it adds an additional layer of complexity to your business. Fortunately, advanced shipping automation solutions can simplify the process and make it easier to navigate the unique requirements of each country.

Among these requirements, you must know how to properly pack your products for international transit. This includes having the right box sizes and cushioning, which can be purchased online or at post offices and office supply stores. You should also consider adding insurance to each shipment to protect your product in case of damage or loss.

Another important factor to consider is the cost of shipping. It’s essential to be transparent with your customers about shipping costs and any duties or taxes that might be paid upon delivery. This will help build trust and prevent cart abandonment due to unexpected costs. You can do this by clearly stating on your policy page how much shipping will cost for each destination.

You can use Shippo to compare rates international shipping solutions from multiple international shipping carriers and find the best option for your business. With deep discounts on UPS, DHL and more, you can save up to 89% on your international shipping costs.

Time

Shipping is at the core of global trade and connects production, people and companies all around the world. It is an industry that is incredibly complex and highly time-sensitive, requiring millions of tons of cargo to be shipped every day across the globe. As such, ecommerce businesses that do international business must have efficient, reliable and cost-effective shipping solutions in place to ensure their success.

A fast international shipping solution can help you grow your business by reaching new customers and generating vibrant revenue streams. But it’s important to remember that international shipping is typically more complicated than domestic shipping, with a longer delivery chain and more parties involved in the process. This can lead to unexpected gaps in visibility, resulting in a dissatisfactory customer experience.

To help you avoid these issues, consider implementing an automated shipping solution such as Calcurates for your ecommerce store. This ship ping software can monitor the fastest international carriers for each order, ensuring that your customers receive the best possible shipping rate and service. It also streamlines your fulfilment management and saves you both time and money.

Reliability

As a shipper, you need to make sure your international shipping solutions are reliable. They should have the capability to connect with different international carriers and calculate rates for each shipment. They should also provide a variety of options for customs forms. Look for solutions that offer customization of print-outs to include your company’s logo and contact information. Some solutions also allow you to add return labels to shipments. This will help your customers save money if they need to return items.

Shipping internationally entails transporting packages to buyers in foreign nations, many of whom are not situated near major cities. You should find out if your carrier delivers to these remote, rural areas. If not, you may want to know if they work with a third-party carrier that handles last-mile delivery in these regions. If so, you should understand how this can impact service quality and package tracking capabilities to avoid dissatisfied consumers.

Besides ensuring reliability, you should also choose a shipping API that offers a clear pricing structure and a high uptime during peak shipping seasons. international shipping solutions Some shipping APIs even offer a status page to highlight incident reporting and transparency, which can be a significant factor in choosing the right one for your business. Having a shipping API that is reliable during these peak times can make the difference between satisfied customers and churned ones.

Customs

Customs clearance is a vital part of international shipping. It is crucial to have a partner that can guide you through the process of clearing customs and help you avoid fees and penalties. In addition, you want a customs clearance service that provides multilingual capabilities and helps you communicate with your customers to resolve problems quickly and efficiently.

A good shipping solution will allow you to customize your international shipping methods and timelines based on the needs of your customers. They will also offer a wide range of global logistics services and warehouse management solutions that can increase your company’s efficiency. DB Schenker is one of the best international shipping companies and offers a variety of delivery options, including express air and ground delivery and door-to-door pickup. They have more than 2000 facilities worldwide and can ship your packages from any location in Europe to any location.

Regardless of which shipping solutions you choose, you should be able to provide your customers with transparent tracking information. This will allow them to track their shipment in real-time and ensure that it arrives at its destination on time. This will also improve customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty.

When preparing for peak season shipping, you should consider the impact of customs delays and port closures. These challenges can cause delays in your supply chain, so it’s important to work with a global freight forwarder that can handle these issues. An all-in-one shipping solution like IBC can create customized solutions for your business to mitigate these issues and reduce the risk of lost shipments.