2023 US Shipping Deadlines

November 16th, 2023 Comments off

In order to keep your customer satisfaction high during the busiest time of the year, it’s crucial to communicate holiday shipping deadlines to your customers. As a quick reminder, holiday shipping deadlines are the last dates to send a package with your chosen carrier for it to reach its destination by the holidays.

Applying these holiday shipping deadlines to services allows carriers to account for the higher shipping volume, ensuring your customer’s orders are under the tree and into stockings on time. The earlier you let your customers know, the better the customer experience…and the better the chance of getting great customer reviews and engagement during the holiday season. 

When do packages need to be mailed for Christmas delivery 2023?

Shipping deadlines will vary by the carrier and service, but most carrier deadlines range from 6-12 days before December 25th. It’s also important to note that domestic and international services each have their own set of shipping deadlines, so keep this in mind when preparing your holiday shipments. The domestic shipping deadlines for USPS, UPS, and FedEx can all be found below.

UPS® Holiday Shipping Deadlines

  • UPS 3 Day Select®: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
  • UPS 2nd Day Air® services: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 or Thursday, December 21, 2023 with Saturday Delivery options
  • UPS® Ground: Check ups.com/ctc for details
  • UPS® Ground Saver: Check ups.com/ctc for details
  • UPS Next Day Air® services: Thursday, December 21, 2023, or Friday, December 22, 2023 with Saturday Delivery options

As a commitment to Stamps customers, UPS will not apply the recently announced Demand Surcharges†. Take advantage of discounts of up to 78% off on UPS® Ground shipments, up to 73% for UPS Next Day Air® and UPS 2nd Day Air® service, and up to 82% off on international services, with rates that include Fuel Surcharge and Residential Surcharge for all services and Delivery Area Surcharge for domestic services.*

*Discounts off UPS® Daily Rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice. Terms and conditions apply.

†Demand Surcharges are not applied to accounts opened on Stamps. 

USPS® Holiday Shipping Deadlines

In addition to these dates, USPS has confirmed that there will be no additional surcharges during the upcoming holiday season. This means that customers can fully enjoy the benefits of USPS services without worrying about unexpected costs.

  • USPS Ground Advantage™: Saturday, December 16, 2023
  • First-Class® Mail: Saturday, December 16, 2023
  • Priority Mail: Monday, December 18, 2023
  • Priority Mail Express*: Wednesday, December 20, 2023

USPS® Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Alaska and Hawaii

  • USPS Ground Advantage™: Saturday, December 16, 2023
  • First-Class® Mail: Saturday, December 16, 2023
  • Priority Mail: Monday, December 18, 2023 (Alaska), Saturday, December 16, 2023 (Hawaii)
  • Priority Mail Express*: Wednesday, December 20, 2023

FedEx® Holiday Shipping Deadlines

  • FedEx Ground Economy: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
  • FedEx Ground:  Visit FedEx’s website for more information about shipping deadlines for FedEx Ground® 
  • FedEx Home Delivery: Visit FedEx’s website for more information about shipping deadlines for FedEx Ground® 
  • FedEx Express Saver: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
  • 2Day & 2Day AM: Wednesday, December 20, 2023
  • FedEx SameDay: Friday, December 22, 2023

USPS, UPS, and FedEx shipping holidays 

All of the wonderful individuals who sort, handle, and deliver our mail and packages deserve a break during the busy holiday season too! Shipping holidays are designated days where postal workers, delivery drivers, and other people within this field are given time off and most or all services are suspended for the day. The shipping holidays for USPS, UPS, and FedEx are all outlined in the lists below. 

USPS shipping holiday schedule 2023*

  • Thanksgiving Day: November 23, 2023 
  • Christmas Day: Monday 25, 2023 

*Note: We’re only including the USPS holidays for the holiday season. A full list of USPS shipping holidays can be found on their website. 

UPS shipping holiday schedule 2023*

  • Thanksgiving Day: November 23, 2023 
  • Christmas Eve: December 24, 2023
  • Christmas Day: December 25, 2023

*Note: We’re only including the UPS holidays for the holiday season. A full list of UPS shipping holidays can be found on their website. 

Some of The UPS Store® locations may have modified business hours. Check with your local store for specific hours of operation.

FedEx shipping holiday schedule 2023*

  • FedEx shipping holidays vary by service and by date throughout the holiday season. Visit FedEx’s website for a complete list of FedEx shipping holidays. 

Unwrap branded notifications with Stamps.com 

You’ve communicated shipping deadlines to your customers. How else can you continue to improve customer satisfaction during the busiest shipping season of the year? Stamps.com merchants can enable branded ship notifications and branded tracking to give customers a personalized experience. 

Branded ship notifications allow your business to customize emails with your logo, preferred color scheme, and more. Additionally, your business can add social media links and promo messages to give customers access to special deals. Similar to branded ship notifications, branded tracking is a more personalized alternative to a traditional carrier tracking page. Our branded options can be enabled and customized throughout the year, so you aren’t limited to one specific message. Create shipping notifications in advance and cross another item off your to-do list, all while keeping the holiday season merry and bright for your customers. 

Make the holidays merry and bright with a 30-day trial to Stamps.com.

 

Creating a Successful Holiday Shipping Strategy

October 24th, 2023 Comments off

As the holiday shopping season quickly approaches, our recent study in partnership with Retail Economics shows that 44% of US customers are still concerned about inflation going into the holiday season. According to our partner, Retail Economics, North American customers will spend $183 billion on holiday shopping through online marketplaces. And your business deserves to be included in those sales! Customer preferences for the holiday shipping season have been made known, and your business still has time to incorporate their feedback before the holiday rush. 

Start your holiday preparations early 

It may seem early, but 41% of shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping before October. With early bird shopping well underway, your business needs to start holiday preparations as soon as possible. Marketing to early holiday shoppers is beneficial because it not only has the potential to boost current sales, but it also gives your business the opportunity to test marketing strategies. Pay close attention to which coupon codes seem to be redeemed more than others and which items they’re being used for. It’ll come in handy when more customers begin their holiday shopping and during big shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

If you aren’t sure where or how to begin, we recommend customizing the branded ship notification emails feature within your Stamps.com account. Branded ship notifications let your business add promo materials to shipment confirmation emails. Adding exclusive sales to reward early shoppers increases the likelihood of a repeat customer base. Additionally, testing sales materials early is a good way to see what works and what doesn’t before the holiday season officially begins. 

To personalize branded ship notification emails: 

  1. Select the Settings button. 
  2. Click the Branded Features button, followed by the Brand Settings button.
  3. Once selected, the Branded Settings dashboard will open. 
  4. From here, you’ll customize the color scheme, logo, social media links, and other information. 
  5. After you’ve completed all of these steps, find the Emails tab. 
  6. Choose which settings you would like to change i.e., if emails aren’t sent until tracking is available for customers. Also, confirm the reply-to email and display name are both accurate. 
  7. Click Publish Now.   

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Include expedited shipping options for customers

With Christmas landing on a Monday, there may be an increased demand for expedited shipping options. Our study found that 61% of customers are willing to pay $9 more for same-day delivery when placing orders between $40-$60. Many customers are buying stocking stuffers, family gifts, friend gifts, and more, meaning this purchasing threshold isn’t uncommon. 

Expedited shipping options are carrier services that offer a faster delivery window than traditional services. These services include overnight shipping, where a customer receives a package the day after it’s ordered (or two days if the item was ordered after the shipping cutoff on the first day). We understand that offering these options may not be available for your small business. As a compromise, it might be worth offering services with guaranteed service delivery options. This way, there’s an available refund option if a package doesn’t arrive within the guaranteed delivery window.* 

Additionally, communicating shipping deadlines is crucial. Shipping deadlines are the last dates a package can be shipped and still arrive in time for Christmas. Offering premium shipping options is expensive. But, if your business shares shipping deadlines for the carrier services you provide customers, it’ll decrease the chance of customer dissatisfaction, increasing the chance for repeat business. 

*Note: These delivery guarantees might fluctuate during the holiday season, so we recommend reaching out to your carrier directly.

Rate Advisor 

To determine the best shipping options for your business, Stamps.com users have access to our rate advisor. Our rate advisor allows you to compare rates through three different categories: cheapest, recommended, and fastest. These rates are populated based on the shipment information entered, and you’re able to filter by carrier, delivery window, packaging, and price. This way, you can find the best rate for your business and still meet customer expectations. 

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Expand to marketplace and store selling 

Our study shows that holiday purchases made through online marketplaces have the potential to reach $253 billion globally, with, as we mentioned earlier, $183 billion of this amount coming from North America. If you’ve been hesitant to sell on marketplaces like Amazon in the past, now’s the time to start. Stamps.com users can easily integrate stores and marketplaces into their accounts so that eligible orders show on the orders screen. 

With eligible orders automatically imported to your Stamps.com, it’s easy to create labels and packing slips. After your labels are printed, we’ll send the tracking information to Amazon, so they can send shipment confirmation emails to your customers. Amazon offers seller support within the seller portal for additional help with Amazon questions, and Stamps.com users can reach our support team via phone from Monday-Friday, 6am-6pm PT at 1-855-889-7867 or via email, with a 1-2 business day response time. 

Amazon Prime Days 

Amazon has announced that October Prime Day(s) will return this October 10th-11th, giving your business the opportunity for a test run. Early holiday shoppers will more than likely take advantage of Prime Day deals, so it’ll also help your business predict popular holiday items. Keep an eye on which items are flying off the shelf vs the ones that are collecting dust, and use these trends when planning holiday inventory. 

Prioritize shipping insurance 

All of the upcoming holiday gatherings may mean your customers aren’t home whenever packages are set to arrive. Our study found that 37% of customers are worried about packages being stolen, so it’s time to make shipping insurance a priority. Most carriers include either insurance or declared value with their services. These insurance options are usually around $100-$200, depending on the service, but some services do come with the option to purchase supplemental coverage. If a package is damaged or lost, you can file a claim to see if you’re eligible for reimbursement. 

ParcelGuard™

For high-value items, it’s also worth considering extra third-party shipping coverage from providers like our partner, ParcelGuard™. The cost of ParcelGuard will vary by the amount of coverage added to a shipment and can be added in the Mail or Orders tab; it’s also charged in the cost of your label, so there’s no need to worry about invoicing or surprise charges. ParcelGuard claims are filed electronically and through your Stamps.com account. Give your customers the gift of security this holiday season and offer shipping coverage options. 

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Holiday shipping tips for ecommerce businesses 

This holiday season is on track to be a big one for ecommerce merchants. Customers are already preparing their shopping lists, and some are already shopping. Here are a few ways you can make sure this holiday season is a prosperous one: 

  • Include detailed information about tracking shipments 
  • Expand your online selling to marketplaces like Amazon 
  • Offer expedited shipping options whenever/wherever possible 
  • Enable branded tracking shipment emails to avoid unattended packages 
  • Utilize carriers with included insurance options and consider purchasing more insurance for more expensive items 

Keep the holiday season merry and bright with a trial to Stamps.com.

How to Ship a Package from Home

August 28th, 2023 Comments off

Commuting from work to home and vice versa does give you time to catch up on your podcasts (you know we love podcasts), but at what cost? We spend so much time commuting to different spaces, and it adds up. Stamps.com gives merchants the ability to create and print labels with a few clicks and schedule carrier pickups. Additionally, creating a workspace to ship packages from home provides more flexibility for your workday. Build up your podcast backlog and start shipping from home. 

The benefits of shipping from home 

Over the past couple of years, many businesses and entrepreneurs have shifted to work-from-home and/or hybrid operations. Shipping from home gives you more flexibility throughout the workday, as you aren’t stuck in a communal office space and can create a more personalized workflow. You also don’t need to worry about renting an office space, which can be costly. 

Additionally, Stamps.com merchants can save up to 84% on USPS shipping rates. And when you ship UPS on Stamps.com, you get access to deep discounts of up to 82% on UPS international services, 78% on UPS® Ground services, and 73% on UPS Next Day Air® and UPS 2nd Day Air® services*. Shipping from home with Stamps.com provides you with more freedom throughout the day and saves your business time and money with affordable carrier services and no daily commutes. 

*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any
applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.

Tips for organizing a workstation 

If you’re new to shipping from home, the most difficult part is knowing where to start. There are supplies to be purchased and organizing to be done. Let’s start with the basics. Here are a few supplies we recommend keeping on hand: 

  • Tape 
  • Scissors 
  • Free supplies from carriers 
  • Thermal Printer 
  • Bubble wrap 
  • Kraft paper 

Be sure to take note of your supply list and use it as an inventory guide. Which supplies do you run out of faster than others? Which supplies never seem to be used? Avoid overstocking and understocking by using the handy list above. 

Utilize cost-efficient organizational supplies 

Creating an organized workspace doesn’t need to break the bank. Discount stores often have crates, organizers, and even some shipping supplies available. Also, check your utility closet, garage, and other storage areas for unused storage tubs, as they’re a great resource for staying organized. If you’re strapped for space, utilize your wall space! Purchasing racks and hanging shelves gives you more space while keeping supplies visible, decreasing the chance you’ll buy supplies you already have. 

Speaking of visibility, designate specific workstations for each step in the shipping process. Creating an organized space for label creation, printing, and packaging will help prevent applying the wrong label to the wrong order and boost customer satisfaction. It’ll also save time in the long run, as you’ll already have a system in place for the holiday season and other busy times. 

Creating shipping labels through Stamps.com 

You’ve created the workplace of your dreams, so it’s time to start shipping from home. You’ve logged into Stamps.com, and you’re ready to print your first label. The question is, how do you create a label through Stamps.com? The answer will depend on whether or not you plan to integrate your store or marketplace through Stamps.com. If you have integrated your store or marketplace through Stamps.com, follow the steps below. If you plan to create manual orders, skip down to the next section. 

Printing an ecommerce shipping label**

Select the checkboxes for the order or orders you would like to create labels for. If you’d like to create labels for all orders, click the Select All box. 

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Locate and select the Print button. 

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Choose how your labels will be printed from the Printed On menu. 

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We also recommend selecting the Email Tracking Details to Recipients box to send customers a tracking link if an email address was provided. 

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If this is your first time printing labels, you can select Print Sample to confirm your labels are printing correctly. 

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Once you’ve printed a sample, click the Print button. 

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Congrats! You’ve officially printed a label. 

**Note: These are directions for Stamps.com Online merchants. You can find the directions for Stamps.com PC Software merchants in our Learning Center. 

Creating a label for a manual order***

Click on the Orders Tab.  

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Next, select Add from the Action Control Bar. 

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Find and click the Manual Order button. 

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Your manual order will appear on the order screen, and the order details panel will be visible. Enter the shipping address, package weight, and select your carrier service. 

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Once all of your package’s information has been entered, click the Order Details icon. Then, select the Collapse Panel button. 

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Your order will then appear on your order dashboard and is ready to be made into a label! To print your label, you’ll follow the last few instructions from the previous section. 

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***Note: These directions are for Stamps.com Online. For directions on creating a manual label through the Stamps.com PC Software, visit our Learning Center.

Available carrier options 

Stamps.com provides merchants with carrier services from USPS and UPS for domestic and international shipments and GlobalPost for international shipments. With this variety of carrier services at your fingertips, shipping from home has never been easier. Available services for each carrier include: 

USPS: 

  • First-Class Mail® (Domestic and International)
  • Priority Mail® (Domestic and International)
  • Priority Mail Express® (Domestic and International)
  • Media Mail
  • Certified Mail™
  • USPS Ground Advantage™ 

UPS 

  • UPS Next Day Air®
  • UPS Next Day Air Saver®
  • UPS Next Day Air® Early 
  • UPS 2nd Day Air®
  • UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®
  • UPS 3 Day Select®
  • UPS® Ground 
  • UPS Worldwide Saver®
  • UPS Worldwide Expedited®
  • UPS Worldwide Express®
  • UPS® Standard to Canada 
  • UPS® Standard to Mexico

GlobalPost 

  • GlobalPost International Economy 
  • GlobalPost International Standard 
  • GlobalPost Plus
  • Canada DDP 

If you aren’t sure which carrier service works best for your order, use our rate advisor to compare carrier rates in real-time. Stamps.com allows merchants to see the cheapest and fastest carrier options available as well as our recommendations to select the best options for your business. 

Available carrier pickup options  

Once you’ve established a ship-from-home workflow that works, you’ll want to stay in the zone. The good news is that Stamps.com also offers USPS and UPS pickup options, so you can keep working with minimal interruptions. 

USPS pickups 

USPS pickups can be scheduled through Stamps.com for free if at least one of your packages uses Priority Mail Express®, First-Class Mail International®, or Priority Mail® as the service. Merchants also have until 2AM CT to schedule a USPS pickup for the same day. After this time, a pickup will have to be scheduled for the next day. If you aren’t home or can’t be present for a USPS pickup, don’t worry! Just let your carrier know where to find the packages when scheduling your pickup. 

UPS pickups 

On-call UPS pickups can also be scheduled through Stamps.com for an additional $4 per pickup. You can also drop off both USPS and UPS packages at The UPS Store® if you find yourself out and about or need a break from shipping. You can find the nearest location through The UPS Store® locator. 

Tips for shipping from home 

  • Create an organized workspace to prevent any shipping errors 
  • Schedule USPS and UPS pickup services when and where available 
  • Utilize Stamps.com to create labels at home and access affordable shipping rates 
  • Pay attention to which shipping supplies are used more than others to avoid overbuying supplies 

Start shipping from home with a free 30-day trial to Stamps.com today!

How to Avoid Post-Billing Adjustments

May 18th, 2023 Comments off

Additional shipping costs can be stressful, especially when charged after your package has shipped. Carrier adjustments can add up, but fortunately, you can work to avoid them. Learn where to find adjustments, how carriers calculate these fees, and what you can do to prevent fees

What are carrier adjustments?

Adjustments are extra fees or credits added to your shipping cost after a carrier processes a package. The additional charges are calculated by subtracting the amount of postage paid for a shipment from the shipping costs that should have been paid. For example, you may have paid $10 in shipping costs. However, your shipment reaches USPS, and they find the shipping costs should’ve been $13. Your adjustment charge would then be $3. 

Where to find adjustments

USPS and UPS adjustments can be found in your Stamps.com history. Keep in mind that there’s a delay between when an adjustment is given by a carrier and when the adjustment is shown in your account. To view adjustments, follow the steps below. 

  1. Click on the History tab to view recent shipments. If a shipment was given an adjustment, it will be listed in the Adj. Amount column.  Once you click on the shipment, you’ll see more information on why the adjustment was issued. 
  1. To find these additional details, select the shipment to open the Order Details panel. In the example below, the adjustment was issued because incorrect dimensions were entered when the label was created. 

USPS adjustments 

Some of the most common reasons for adjustments include entering incorrect dimensions and weight as well as using/entering the incorrect packaging. As a reminder, the maximum weight for Priority Mail Flat Rate® Boxes (all sizes) is 70 pounds. Additionally, weight is rounded up. For example, if your shipment weighs 70.2 pounds, it will be rounded up to the nearest pound, making it too heavy for the service. Dimensions for Priority Mail Flat Rate® Boxes will need to be entered when creating your label as well. 

Non-machinable surcharges 

Another type of surcharge given by USPS is a non-machine surcharge. This surcharge is applied to pieces of mail and packages that aren’t able to be automatically sorted through USPS machines. Reasons a non-machinable surcharge might be issued include illegible addresses or non-traditional sizes that require these items to be manually sorted or assessed. 

UPS adjustments 

UPS® shipments can be up to 150 pounds and have a maximum length of 108.” However, if your package is over 50 pounds, it’s subject to UPS Additional Handling fees. UPS Additional Handling charges are extra fees applied to your shipping cost for shipments that need different handling. Some of these include: 

  • Packages with the longest side over 48” or the second-longest side over 30”
  • Domestic shipments over 50 pounds and international shipments over 70 pounds 
  • Packages with a combined length and girth [ (2 x width) + (2 x height) ] of 105” 

Common UPS surcharges 

Three avoidable UPS adjustments are Over Maximum Size surcharges, Large Package surcharges, and Shipping Charge Corrections.

Over Maximum Size surcharges are extra fees applied to your shipments that exceed UPS’s sizes of 150 pounds, 108” long, and have a combined length and girth of 165”. 

Large Package surcharges are extra fees applied to your shipments when: 

  • A domestic package’s length + girth are over 130”, or its length is over 96” 
  • An international package’s length + girth are over 130”
  • Packages with a minimum billable weight of 90 pounds (except for UPS Ground®)

Shipping Charge Corrections are extra fees applied to each shipment with incorrect dimensions and/or weight. These charges are $1 per shipment, along with the additional shipping cost needed for the corrected dimensions and/or weight, and these shipments are also still subject to other surcharges like Additional Handling charges. 

How to dispute adjustments 

The steps for disputing an adjustment will vary by the carrier. It’s also important to note that approval is at the carrier’s discretion. We’ve included the process for disputing adjustments with USPS, UPS, and DHL below. 

Disputing USPS adjustments 

USPS adjustments will be disputed with USPS directly through email by contacting VerifyPostageHelp@usps.gov. Before sending your email, confirm all of the following information is included: 

  • The tracking number associated with your package 
  • The adjustment ID from the Order Details panel 
  • The reason the adjustment is being disputed* 

Note: We recommend adding as many details as possible. 

USPS will follow up via email if they need additional information. Once USPS has reached a decision, they’ll reach out to Stamps.com, and we’ll forward their email response to you. 

Disputing UPS adjustments 

To dispute UPS adjustments, contact our Customer Care team via email or phone at 1-855-860-7867 from Monday – Friday, 6am to 6pm PT. Adjustment disputes need to be made within 180 days of billing. 

Disputing DHL adjustments 

Similar to UPS, you’ll contact our Customer Care team via email or phone for adjustment disputes. Our team can be reached via email or phone at 1-855-860-7867 from Monday – Friday, 6am to 6pm PT. 

Tips to avoid adjustments 

As previously mentioned, incorrect weight, dimensions, and packaging are some of the most common reasons for adjustments. You can decrease the likelihood of adjustments through: 

  • Measuring shipments multiple times for accuracy 
  • Rounding dimensions up to the nearest weight or pound 
  • Confirming your scale calibration is correct before weighing
  • Checking carrier websites for service restrictions and dimensional limits 

Conclusion 

Don’t let shipping adjustments catch you off-guard. Checking all of your measurements multiple times before creating a label will minimize the risk of additional fees. Familiarizing yourself with carrier dimensions will prevent sending shipments through the wrong service. Adjustments can be costly, so understanding how to avoid them is crucial. Keep your shipping budget intact by bookmarking this blog.

Start your 30-day free trial with Stamps.com today.

Categories: Shipping, Uncategorized Tags:

Three Ways to Align with Ecommerce Customer Expectations

September 8th, 2023 Comments off

Customers have plenty of shopping options at their fingertips, so you need to make your business stand out from the competition. There are many ways to get your business in front of a larger audience, but a few simple tweaks will make your brand shine. In our study, Protect Your Growth Strategy: 2023 Consumer & Merchant Benchmark Report, we surveyed customers and merchants alike to help your business align with customer expectations. Opening your store to social media sites, providing free returns, and communicating shipping information can be game changers. While they may sound small, these three changes show customers that you value their input and preferences. 

Sell on social media channels  

Social media platforms are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers; Facebook is leading the pack with Instagram not far behind. In our study, we found over 50% of customers stated they purchased products through Facebook and almost 40% purchased through Instagram. While TikTok proved to be the third most popular social media sales channel, Gen Z (those born between 1997-2013) seems to be the main age demographic purchasing from the platform; other age groups are more likely to purchase from Facebook. 

Consumers are buying on social media platforms. Your business has the chance to showcase products to an entirely new audience. Additionally, the benefits of social media platforms are two-fold. Not only can you sell products through Facebook and Instagram, but you can also promote your store by posting reels, stories, and photos

Winning strategies for engaging on social media

Social media posts are more impactful than you may think. Remember the last time you scrolled through your Facebook or Instagram account. How many ads and/or posts featured product links? More importantly, how many of those links immediately led you to the product listing or started a cart for you? 

Customers browse social media in the same way. Highlight products in a way that would catch your attention. Create posts with links to your store or the social media platform’s selling channel to make shopping convenient. Encourage shoppers to enable notifications for product releases. When it comes to selling on social media, help your business stand out by keeping your posts eye-catching and the shopping experience as easy as possible.  

The benefits of multichannel selling 

Don’t let the connotation of multichannel selling scare you away from meeting your customers where they’re shopping. Whether it be on social media platforms or marketplaces like Amazon, follow consumer trends. Marketing products on social media is only one piece of the puzzle; it showcases your products to those already following. However, expanding your selling channels to the likes of Amazon and eBay opens your business up to more opportunities. For example, Amazon shoppers are given recommendations based on their buying habits, so your products can be shown to a much larger audience. 

Additionally, both Amazon and eBay can be integrated into your Stamps.com account. Once integrated, orders with payment received will automatically sync into your account where labels can be created. After your label is printed, Stamps.com will post the tracking information back to each marketplace for shipment notification emails, and the orders will be marked in each marketplace as shipped. You can keep track of all of your orders in one place instead of multiple windows, making multichannel selling all the easier. 

This is how the Amazon store will appear in your Stamps.com account. 

Offer easy and free returns 

Return policies are becoming an increasingly important deciding factor for customers. In fact, our study showed that 44% of customers stated they’re less likely to shop from a store with a difficult returns process. If you haven’t revisited your return policy recently, walk through the process from a customer’s perspective. Update any information you find confusing or unclear. Chances are, if something doesn’t make sense to you, it won’t make sense to your customers. 

Customers also prefer carrier drop-off options for returns. One way to include this option is to offer prepaid returns through a QR Code or printable label. This way, your customers can simply package their return and drop it off at their local carrier. 

This is an example of a return QR Code from Stamps.com

Along with a clear returns policy, customers also expect free returns. With 81% of customers in our study stating businesses should offer free returns, it’s worth considering. Stamps.com merchants have access to affordable rates that can help offset the cost of free returns. 

Also, USPS offers free shipping supplies you can order directly from your Stamps.com account. These supplies can then be sent to your customers for returns or used for your shipments. Either way, Stamps.com provides you with options to help offer free returns to customers. With our study showing 66% of merchants not offering free returns, you can rise above the competition by meeting customer expectations. 

“The consumer started expecting free outbound shipping, albeit at a threshold, about a decade ago. Now, free returns are an expectation, and the consumer need for free returns is growing. In some ways, this makes sense – consumers have to do quite a bit more work when returning a shipment, whether it is initiating the return itself with the retailer, printing the shipping label, finding packaging, scheduling the pickup or dropping off the package.” – Krish Iyer, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Industry Relations at Auctane

Tips for crafting a better return policy

  • Be clear and concise with all of the information included in your return policy
  • Consider how long packages take to arrive when determining the return window 
  • Test available support options for functionality to see how easily your customers can ask questions
  • Update your return window and policy during the holiday season to accommodate customers

Increase the number of shipping notifications 

When asked in our study, 42% of customers would like to receive daily communication about their shipment moving through transit — regardless of whether or not there are any new updates. If you’re unable to send daily tracking notifications, consider using tracking pages for real-time tracking updates or utilizing shipment notifications for major updates. 37% of customers in our study also reported they’d like to receive updates for major events, including: 

  • When their package is shipped 
  • When their package is in transit 
  • When their package is out for delivery 
  • When their package has been delivered 

However, you aren’t limited to traditional shipping notifications. With Stamps.com you have access to customizable branded tracking and branded ship notification emails! Sending customized emails to customers is another way to promote your brand during the shipping process. 

Branded ship notification emails are personalized emails sent to update customers as their order moves through transit. You can choose a color scheme and include your business’s social media platforms, among other options, to create an email that represents your business. A customer’s impression of your business isn’t over when they complete their purchase, so branded ship notifications emails are a great way to continue a positive shopping experience. 

This is an example of a branded ship notification email. 

Branded ship notification emails also include the shipment’s tracking number. Instead of sending customers to a carrier tracking page, you can customize a tracking page with the help of branded tracking. Like branded ship notification emails, the branded tracking page is customizable and provides customers with their tracking information. You can even include new products, so customers can start planning their next purchase. On average, this sees at least three visits per shipment, so it can be a great source of traffic for your store and increase your engagement. 

This is the desktop preview of a branded tracking page. 

This is the desktop preview of a branded tracking page. 

Don’t be afraid to let customers influence your communications and policies. For example, customers are more likely to complete their purchase if you offer free returns. Providing updates during the shopping and shipping experiences for your customers will improve the chances of standing out against other stores and marketplaces. An increase in social media marketplaces gives you the opportunity to show products to a larger audience. Sending shipping updates as a package moves through transit establishes trust with your customer base. Our research is giving you the information needed to boost your sales by aligning with customer expectations. All that’s left is to utilize your Stamps.com account to help implement these strategies. 

Start your 30-day free trial to Stamps.com today. 

Acknowledgments

Retail Economics, which includes economic modeling and data-driven insights developed from a nationally representative consumer panel survey comprising over 8,000 households across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Auctane-driven research, including insight from 1,000 consumers in the U.S. 

Auctane-driven research, including insight from over 300 merchants in the U.S

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