It’s that time of year again—where it’s important for online retailers to work on formulating the perfect recipe for holiday sales. Whether you’re adding a pinch of social media or a dash of an email marketing campaign, there’s a lot to be done to make this season your most successful of the year.
However, there’s one area that usually goes overlooked—holiday shipping. It’s always important to consider this aspect when attempting to bring in new and excited customers. But what if Christmas shipping deadlines were moot because you offered free or low-cost same-day shipping?
Our awesome team here at CAKE has put together this quick guide on the pros and cons of same-day shipping, including why you should at least consider it for your online store.
What is Same-Day Shipping?
Let’s first define what we mean by this term. Same-day shipping is essentially exactly what it sounds like—the customer places an order and receives the purchased items within a few hours.
Usually, this means by courier or in-house delivery. It can also include utilizing personal shopping companies like Shipt, Postmates, or a variety of other companies that offer similar delivery from retailer to consumer. Even major shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL are taking advantage of the value of this same-day shipping by offering this service in select zip codes.
Taking part in same-day shipping usually requires getting in touch with one of these organizations and signing up for their program. There’s usually a small fee associated with private companies and a separate shipping rate schedule for major carriers. Check with each one individually for details.
Why Consumers Expect Same-Day Shipping This Holiday Season
In order to determine if this process is right for your eCommerce store, you have to look at why consumers expect this type of service. Many so-called big-box retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy now offer same-day shipping. Several other large chains and even local brick-and-mortar stores alike are starting to offer the service, too. In fact, it is easy to assume that same-day delivery could be an industry norm within a few short years.
Simply put, shoppers love the convenience and quick turnaround time. As a small retailer, now is a perfect time to figure out your strategy when it comes to offering this type of service before it becomes a requirement for customer loyalty.
The Benefits of Offering Same-Day Shipping
If you’re considering same-day shipping, now might be the right time to get started. In short, this is a great way to stand out from the competition while offering customers the advantage of time. When holiday shopping deadlines loom close, you can be assured that items are delivered on time. Best of all, the holiday season is a great time to test out whether same-day shipping is a worthwhile option for year-round sales.
Why Same-Day Shipping Isn’t Always a Good Idea
Of course, same-day shipping isn’t always possible for every eCommerce store. If you’re based in a small metropolitan area or warehouse products in locations across the country, it might not even be possible to offer instant delivery.
And sometimes same-day shipping won’t be right for each of your customers. Don’t feel as though you have to bend the laws of physics in trying to get an item from the warehouse to shopper within the few hours. In certain cases, it’s just impossible to offer this type of service to certain individuals. If this scenario encompasses most of your target market, then it might not be wise to offer same-day shipping or to keep qualifications fairly specific.
How to Make Shipping Deadlines a Beneficial Marketing Tactic This Year
So, how do you make same-day shipping a beneficial marketing tactic for your online store this holiday season? There are tons of different ways. First, consider doing an email campaign directed to those who live locally to your warehouse locations. You can also advertise with flyers in shipment boxes, through paid social media, or by posting it on your product pages.
You can also opt to only do same-day shipping a day or two before Christmas instead of the whole season. Where other retailers offering similar products to yours might have to turn away customers due to holiday shipping deadlines, you can offer nearly instant delivery and snag a few people who might not have become paying customers otherwise.
Test Out the Possibilities
In short, standing out from the competition and creating happy customers this Christmas shopping season might be as easy as offering same-day shipping. At any rate, looking into the possibility for your business now before it becomes industry standard in a few years might be a wise idea.
Are you ready to learn more about taking your online store to new levels this holiday shopping season? Our knowledgeable and experienced team at CAKE is here to make the process a treat. Please contact us today for more details.
