These days, e-commerce is a major business. Though the majority of the business is online, there is one major component that happens offline: delivery. As an online business, you need a way to get your products to people. This is easy if they are in the same country, but some e-commerce businesses deal with international customers. If you are having trouble with international shipping, here are some tips that should help you out:
This is a contributed post and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
Know Your Products
When you are running a big e-commerce business, chances are you sell your products all over the world. But the problem is that not all places have the same laws for your products. You need to know whether a particular product is illegal in a country or it has special taxes on it.
With this knowledge, you should be able to tailor your shipping and selling processes.For example, some countries don’t tax certain items such as books or they only tax after a certain amount is bought. Being aware of these laws can ensure that when you sell to customers in that country, they get the best deal possible.
Know Where Your Customers Are
One of the best ways to prepare your international shipping needs is to figure out where exactly most of your customers are from. This information should be easy to find. Your website will be able to keep track of your customers. When you check your website every week, identify from which countries you are getting the most customers the do some research. This will also allow you to reach out to local contacts in the appropriate countries. This can go a long way towards making shipping easier.
Work With Local Contacts
One of the main problems you face when shipping is the various laws of individual countries. Different countries have different tax schemes and laws. Your delivery might face delays as they have no one to stand up for them. This is why it is a good idea to have a local contact that will handle receiving your deliveries. For example, reliable cargo service providers in the Philippines and other countries would know the specifics of the country you are shipping to. This ranges from customs to procedures. This ensures that your delivery will push through as quickly as possible.
Use Automation Software and Tools
E-commerce is all about volume and speed. To get that for your own business, you will want to automate much of your processes. This means when a person orders on your site, the processing starts immediately. You can have a warehouse running 24/7 if you automate it as Amazon does. Additionally, it is much easier to pack things if you have tools to help. This is why investing in automation can ensure that your processes are working at their best.
Always Be Honest
When it comes to the internet, your reputation is your life. E-commerce businesses need to be as upfront as possible. Avoid shorting your clients and trying shortcuts. It is better to do things legally to ensure that your operations don’t get a bad reputation. This is what encourages customers to keep coming back.
The great thing about e-commerce is that you can reach people all over the world. Your main obstacle is how to ship your products to your customers. With the tips above, you can be sure that no matter where the customers are, they will get their orders.
