Monday, September 28, 2015

Monday, 28 SEP 2015 :: What matters in SHIPPING online?

I am beginning to make purchases more often at Etsy because I actually have money now and have been trying to budget for supplies.  It helps me to see the buying process at Etsy, the difference between shops, and the details that matter most.

The first thing I noticed is the shops that don't provide tracking for their shipments.  I just assumed everyone provided tracking.  Not having a place to check on your package left me hanging as a customer... wondering where it was, what day to watch for it, how long it would take to travel from another part of the country, and more.  This is all a learning experience for me as a seller as much as it is a learning experience for me as a buyer.


After the first few packages, I began to notice the shipping labels on the packages when they arrive.  I began to see Etsy shipping labels, and which carrier was chosen to deliver it, and what kind of shape the packages arrived in.  I tried to see the actual costs of mailing to compare with the charges I paid (not really available, and a wise route to go in because shipping is also about the packaging).

The product was part of the equation for packaging, so I had to keep that in mind.  The better packaging made me think of gift delivery, offering choices with a listing, and considering it a "branding" effort.  I am really working toward better solutions for my products and shop/s.


With the newest crime (especially at holiday times) being package theft at the delivery door, this issue of package tracking is very important.  We like to think that our neighborhoods are safe, but thieves don't care where you live or even know what is in an unwatched package.  I imagine the "nicer" neighborhoods are targeted more than poverty neighborhoods, but I don't really know.  Poor-on-poor crime is just as bad in some statistics.

Thieves steal first, and then discover what they got.

Wherever you live, the main problem is that YOU are the one that loses the item you have been waiting for, you or someone else paid for, and you want (hopefully).  As cybercrimes increase, thieves may begin to know what is coming and follow your tracking themselves.  I don't know what the perfect solution is, but tracking helps me.


A bad shopping experience really leaves a bad taste in your wallet.  It makes me not want to buy from any stores on the site.  I found it hard to buy online again after I had a bad purchasing experience.  What we do affects everyone else on our sales site.

It takes time to find the sellers you want to continue doing business with.  I am thinking that once I do find those online stores I like and want to buy from, I may not venture too far from them.  I won't have to worry about a new shop, if it's a fake, if it's a scam, etc.  I may only need to browse for items when I don't already have a source for it. 

Know this in myself makes me want to make sure my shop is consistent and trustworthy in lots of ways, including policies, shipping prices (and methods), listing details, and sales processes.  Once I get it all figured out, I want to be able to build on that foundation, to find permanent customers for my products. 

I think that is part of the reason I have been moving so slowly to build my Etsy shop and other online sales points.  I want income, I desperately NEED income, but I am hoping for long-term benefits instead of instant sales.  I am trying not to fret at the time it is taking, and hoping it will work out better in the future.



If you have a shop, I hope you provide package tracking for your customers.  I think it is a great investment.


1 comment:

  1. Nice article. We've been through a similar testing process. I don't always state that I offer tracking because certain types of shipping come with tracking automatically. However, I guess stating it would make it clear that the purchase will include tracking.

    SLC

    ReplyDelete

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