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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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Locate and select the Print button.
Choose how your labels will be printed from the Printed On menu.
We also recommend selecting the Email Tracking Details to Recipients box to send customers a tracking link if an email address was provided.
If this is your first time printing labels, you can select Print Sample to confirm your labels are printing correctly.
Once you’ve printed a sample, click the Print button.
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.
Click on the Orders Tab.
Next, select Add from the Action Control Bar.
Find and click the Manual Order button.
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.
Once all of your package’s information has been entered, click the Order Details icon. Then, select the Collapse Panel button.
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.
***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.
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:
UPS
GlobalPost
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.
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 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.
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.
Start shipping from home with a free 30-day trial to Stamps.com today!
Are you looking for an affordable and reliable way to ship lightweight, low-value items? Look no further! With UPS® Ground Saver, you can send your items within the 48 contiguous states of the US cost-effectively. With its variety of features and benefits, UPS® Ground Saver is an economy, residential, ground delivery service. It’s perfect for your lightweight, non-time sensitive packages.
UPS® Ground Saver is a shipping solution that helps small businesses and consumers save on shipping costs without sacrificing reliability or speed. UPS® Ground Saver combines the consistency and reliability of the UPS network at an extremely competitive price.
With UPS® Ground Saver, you’ll get the convenience of seamless door-to-door tracking, which means you can keep track of your package every step of the way. This feature can be especially important for small businesses that need to keep an eye on their inventory and customers who want to know exactly when their packages will arrive.
Secondly, UPS® Ground Saver offers flexible delivery times that include Monday to Sunday, which means you don’t have to wait for a specific day of the week to receive your package. This feature is perfect for customers who have busy schedules or businesses that need to receive shipments outside of traditional business hours.
Finally, if you frequently ship small items that weigh less than 1 pound, you’ll appreciate the affordable rates that UPS® Ground Saver offers.
When it comes to shipping lightweight residential packages, traditional shipping methods can quickly become expensive. With UPS® Ground Saver, you can enjoy cost savings while still receiving reliable delivery services. This can translate to significant cost savings for small and medium-sized businesses and consumers alike. Plus, with the added benefit of package tracking and delivery confirmation, you’re always in the know.
If you’re not already a Stamps customer, the first step is to sign up for a Stamps account. Once you’re logged in, you can start using UPS® Ground Saver right away. All you need to do is select the UPS® Ground Saver option at checkout and enter the weight and dimensions of your package. The shipping label will then be generated with the discounted UPS® Ground Saver rate.
If you’re already a Stamps customer, you’re in luck – you already have access to UPS® Ground Saver! Simply select the UPS® Ground Saver option at checkout and follow the same steps as outlined above. It’s that easy!
So don’t hesitate to start saving money on your shipping costs with UPS® Ground Saver and Stamps today.
It’s commonplace to think about a destination in miles. You usually have an idea of how far you’re traveling, even if it’s only by the number of cities and states you’ll pass through. Shipping a package follows the same principle. You are aware of the distance between you and your customer, but you might not be familiar with how shipping carriers, such as USPS, calculate this distance to determine your shipping expenses.
USPS divides the US into shipping regions called zones, and this mileage is used to determine the cost of certain packages. Depending on the carrier service used, the distance your package will travel is then used to help determine your shipping costs. TL;DR: the further your package is traveling, the higher the shipping cost. The USPS services that use zones to determine cost include:
However, flat-rate package costs are not determined by USPS zones. Instead, flat-rate packages can be used for shipments up to 70 pounds and will be charged the same price per box size, regardless of the destination.
USPS has broken down the US into nine zones called Zone 1-9. These zones range from within 50 miles to 1801+ miles. Each zone and the mileage it covers can be found below.
*This doesn’t apply when shipping to between the three-digit zip codes of 962-969.
Shipping adjustments are additional fees added to your shipping costs. These fees can range from entering incorrect shipping dimensions to using the incorrect packaging for a shipping service. When it comes to zones, adjustments and penalties can be given if a package isn’t shipped through your local post office. There’s also the risk of a package being incorrectly routed if an incorrect address is entered or the address is ineligible, and ultimately, the package can even be returned. Here are a few tips to avoid adjustments:
Fortunately, Stamps.com merchants don’t need to memorize and manually enter zones because zones are automatically accounted for when a label is created. However, it’s crucial to find the best shipping rate for your package, especially when packages are traveling long distances. Whenever you create a label on Stamps.com, simply select the Compare Rates and Services option from the Carrier drop-down menu.
Once selected, you can browse rates through our rate advisor with three different categories: Cheapest, Recommended, and Fastest. The cheapest category filter lists the available rates and services from cheapest to most expensive. The recommended category shows the Stamps.com recommended shipping methods. And finally, the fastest category filters rates by the fastest available carrier rates. You can compare rates in real-time and find the best deal for your business, especially when it comes to long-distance shipping.
Start your 30-day free trial at Stamps.com today!
Clicking the checkout button on a fun purchase is a great feeling. When customers visit your store, they want a user-friendly experience that leads to an even smoother checkout. The faster a customer can complete their purchase, the sooner their order will be on the way. How can you create the best customer experience and also decrease cart abandonment?
We’re going to take you step-by-step through a successful checkout flow, so your customers can easily purchase products. Say goodbye to cart abandonment and hello to boosted sales.
All a checkout flow boils down to is the process to purchase a product. From the time customers visit your website to the time an order is placed, they’re involved in a checkout flow. The full checkout process is typically broken down into seven steps:
Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)
The goal of your checkout flow is to encourage customers to complete their purchases and gain opportunities for repeat customers through gathering information like email addresses. Giving customers the ability to enter their email addresses allows them to sign up for future marketing emails and gives them easy access to their tracking information. And, as our research shows, 42% of customers are looking for daily shipping updates, even if there aren’t any major tracking updates.
Cart abandonment and checkout abandonment are sometimes used interchangeably. However, the difference between the two lies in where a customer leaves your site without completing a purchase. Cart abandonment occurs when a customer leaves a site after adding products to their cart. On the other hand, checkout abandonment occurs when a customer enters their billing information and/or previews the orders and then leaves a website.
Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)
Knowing the difference between cart and checkout abandonment is crucial because it helps identify where and why customers aren’t completing their purchases. These 7 tips are designed to help with both types of abandonment and create the best customer experience. Boosted sales and heightened customer satisfaction await!
Be transparent about shipping costs, taxes, and other fees as soon as possible. In fact, 48% of customers are more likely to abandon an order because of last-minute fees. Make a banner for the top of your website to showcase free shipping or a free shipping threshold. Additionally, show the total cost whenever customers create their cart to avoid miscommunication.
Image source: Baymard Institute
Imagine seeing an ad for a really cool product, only to find the website doesn’t load or doesn’t have a stable connection. You’d be less likely to click on an ad for the same business in the future, right? Regularly check your website’s performance to avoid losing customers. Free resources like Google Pagespeed Insights can save you major headaches down the road. Identifying the problem(s) now will decrease the likelihood of crashes during the holiday season.
Don’t make your customers create an account before checkout; this option only leads to additional clicks, meaning an uptick in cart or checkout abandonment. Let customers choose whether or not to sign up or check out as a guest. If a customer is in a hurry, they’ll appreciate the faster option.
We live in a fast-paced society. And, oftentimes, customers don’t want to enter full card information to complete a transaction. Consider adding payment options like Apple Pay and PayPal, so customers can pay through touch IDs or logging into a digital wallet. If your business is able, it’s also worth looking into a mobile app and updating the mobile version of your website. This way, customers can easily access your store and save their preferences for future purchases, creating an easier checkout experience.
Additionally, offering options like Klarna and Afterpay give customers the ability to break purchases down into payments. These options will make it more likely for customers to complete purchases on more expensive items because they don’t have to pay the full cost upfront.
Unfortunately, ecommerce scams and fraud are still common. Customers purchase from stores and either never receive their orders or receive items that are completely different from how they were shown. Let customers know they can trust your business, and include trust badges on your website. Some recommended trust badges include:
Customers want increased communication throughout the shipping process. With an increase in wanted communication, sending emails to customers who have abandoned their orders can help them revisit potential purchases. Also, be creative! Include promotions if customers complete their purchase within a certain time frame and include eye-catching subject lines.
Say you need more time to contemplate a purchase. You finally decide to go for it, only to find your cart has timed out and emptied itself. If you were already on the fence, this could be taken as a sign that you didn’t really need those items. Keep the decision and checkout processes easy for customers and add an auto-save feature. Customers can easily revisit their carts, so they’ll be more likely to complete their purchases moving forward.
Get ready, because Amazon Prime Day 2023 is just around the corner! Scheduled for July 11-12th, this year’s Prime Day is expected to surpass last year’s remarkable $3.5 billion in sales for third-party sellers. Top-selling items are predicted to include post-pandemic essentials such as luggage, makeup, and apparel, along with in-demand products that faced shortages during the pandemic, such as fitness equipment, home-office essentials, laptops, and gaming consoles. Notably, the competition will be fierce, with major retailers like Walmart and Target hosting their own annual sales events. It’s clear that Prime Day 2023 is poised to be a massive retail extravaganza. The question is, are you fully prepared? To ensure your business enjoys a successful Prime Day, we’ve compiled five invaluable selling tips. Read on and get ready to seize the opportunity!
Tip #1 Optimize Your Product Listings
There are many ways to optimize your product listing to increase traffic and sales:
Your product image also plays an important role in optimizing. Take a look at top-selling products and observe the quality of their images. Your first image should show the product set against a white background while the other images highlight the product’s features. Customers always look at images before text, so make them look appealing.
Tip #2 Don’t Raise Your List Price
Savvy shoppers already use a variety of browser extensions to hunt down deals and track pricing. Raising your list price to show a greater discount not only looks suspicious to customers but can raise a red flag with Amazon, resulting in your account possibly getting suspended. If you can’t provide a discount, it’s better to highlight your product’s superior qualities.
Tip #3 Run Amazon Sponsored Ads
It’s good to have your product fully optimized before creating an Amazon PPC campaign. A PPC ad will increase visibility of your product by showing up when people search for similar items. Automatic campaigns can help you find popular keywords that can be used for your manual campaign with higher bids. To increase the chances of your ad getting seen, avoid bidding on overly popular keywords like “Prime Day.” Make sure to download search term reports and check your maximum bids regularly to ensure your ads are performing.
Tip #4 Run Off-Amazon Promotions
There are many different platforms you can use to drive external traffic to your Amazon Prime Deals:
If you don’t have a Facebook group or audience, Facebook Ads can help you reach potential customers. Something to keep in mind with Facebook Ads is that if you send the user straight to your product listing it can be difficult to track ad progress as well as can potentially undermine your Amazon keyword ranking. Instead, send traffic to a custom landing page that has the ability to capture email addresses.
Tip #5 Take Advantage of the Halo Effect
The halo effect of Prime Day can significantly help your business long after the event ends. Draw attention to your non-Prime Day deals with targeted ads for popular keywords. This can boost your products in the queue. Notice if your item is included in a “frequently purchased together” category and capitalize on the traffic overflow. Consumers are already in shopping mode during this time, so take advantage of it.
In conclusion, Prime Day 2023 holds immense potential to become the standout shopping event of the year. With thorough research and careful planning, this event can yield substantial profits for your business. So, make sure you are fully prepared, stay focused on your goals, and implement the tips provided above to ensure that Prime Day 2023 becomes your most successful sales event to date! Get ready to seize the opportunities and thrive during this remarkable retail extravaganza.
Did you know? Stamps.com has a direct integration with Amazon!
Stamps.com allows Amazon.com third party sellers to easily print shipping labels at discounted rates for UPS® and USPS® shipping services. Get more info on Stamps.com’s Amazon Integration.
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