How The Right Shipping Plug-In For You And Your Business Can Make A Huge Difference To Sales

Shipping is possibly the most important part of any online sale, yet it is often the most overlooked; many businesses only think about it once the site is up and running and it can become a last minute, rushed solution. In fact, research has shown that inaccurate or expensive shipping rates are the number one cause of customers leaving their shopping carts and purchasing items elsewhere. Getting the shipping costs right will equate to additional sales and more satisfied customers.

Shipping is actually a very complicated field; rates are based on package size, weight, destination, service type, and even the number of packages going to a certain place. Every product on your website must have a weight associated with it in order for these variables to be calculated. You cannot rely on potential customers contacting you for a shipping quote; this wastes their time and will ensure they go to a different supplier.

The Plug-in

There are many software companies and resellers which offer shipping plug-in. These are packages which can be quickly and easily integrated into your current webpage; the parameters will need to be set by confirming which shipping carriers you use and the software will do the rest of the work.

Choosing a Plug-in

Manufacturers of plug-in will often offer their product directly to the market; whilst these can be exceptionally good products it will be unlikely that these providers will offer viable comparisons as they will favor their own product. For this reason it is better to use the services of a third party, such as auctioninc.com WooCommerce Shipping Plugin, which will offer several products and should offer helpful advice on which product is right for your business. One of the best shipping plug-in on the market at the moment is:

• The WooCommerce Shipping Plug-in

This product can be used with the majority of websites; whether created from a template or from scratch. It has a comprehensive list of features which should be useful to any business. These include drop-shipping from multiple products or origins, insurance, weight calculations, packaging or handling charges, a variety of service types and can even be used to arrange the pick-up of goods. A huge benefit is that you do not need to set up a carrier account with any of the main carriers; the software will handle everything for you. It is quick to set up and has a very user friendly interface which makes the software a pleasure to use.

This software is especially good if you regularly despatch multiple items in multiple boxes. This can be a difficult calculation as each box can only handle so many products and you will wish to minimize the number of boxes being despatched in order to keep the costs as low as possible. The WooCommerce Shipping plug-in has been designed to handle this issue effortlessly, the only information it needs from you is the weight and approximate dimensions of each product.

How it can transform Your Sales

• Accurate pricing for the shipping needs of your customers means that they will pay the best price possible. The software links to all major carriers and will automatically update prices as they change and this will ensure your prices are always accurate. This means that your customer’s will be offered the best price that you can deliver their goods for and they will be able to access a breakdown of this price; they can even opt to adjust the price depending upon the service level they would like. Alongside this you will be able to justify the price, if required, and show that you are not making a profit from the carriage charges. Customers will respect this and return to you with more business simply because they trust you; this can be one of the most powerful tools in building customer loyalty.
• A shipping plug-in will also ensure your potential customers do convert to actual customers. This product will allow you to access the rates and services offered by all the major couriers without needing to set up an account. Establishing an account with each individual carriage firm is a time consuming process and they are not likely to provide you with the best rates until you have traded with them for a while. Using the plug-in will mean your shipping rates are competitive and you can offer a huge range of services. Both of these factors will contribute to an increase in sales and to building your reputation as a good company to interact with.
• Additionally the use of a plug-in is a valuable time-saver. Establishing shipping rates, designing the calculations on your webpage and ensuring they remain up to date can take a large amount of time and effort. The plug-in will remove the need to expend this valuable time on shipping and allow you to spend your time improving your website, increasing your product range or targeting potential new customers. Time is possibly one of the most difficult to find resources and the most important whether your business is just starting out or has been established for many years.
• It is possible to add extra software to the shipping plug-in with very little effort. The extra modules can be easily added to any site and will offer a wide range of additional features, one of the most useful modules will allow you to create memberships and even subscriptions for your customers. This will ensure they repeatedly purchase a product from you and will allow you to easily track their purchases and offer appropriate discounts.

Conclusion

Shipping plug-in will provide you with time and cost savings which will allow you to manage your business and customers better. It will remove the hassle of constantly monitoring and updating shipping charges whilst ensuring your potential customers have all the information to hand to make the right decision and actually purchase your product. This will ensure your sales increase. The majority of the plug-ins available on the market will offer a free trial period and an excellent support package; this will ensure a smooth transition from your current method to the new plug-in. This is one of those purchases that will help to transform your business and leave you wondering how you ever managed before!

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