6 Shipping Tips to Start Your Own Dropshipping Business

by Stanley

6 Shipping Tips to Start Your Own Dropshipping Business

We hear complaints about shipping all the time from dropshippers. If you’ve had a bad delivery experience, you’re not alone.

For us, shipping can be one of the most time-consuming, energy-draining aspects of running an online business.

If you are torn between shipping methods, you are in for a treat!

We’ll go through some methods you can use in your dropshipping business. That might be enough to solve your shipping problem once and for all. Let’s get started!

ePacket Delivery

For international shipping, ePacket delivery is one of the most popular shipping methods.

It was offered by merchants from mainland China and Hong Kong. For a good reason – it’s one of the fastest delivery options for international shipping. With the ability to monitor your ePacket tracking numbers through China Post.

Parcels delivered by ePacket will go to China Post’s postal office and be sent to the mail processing centers. It will then be handed to the site of international transport.

Delivery Process Captured

After the destination country receives the parcel, it will go through customs.

Once the customs release the parcel, a local carrier will be in charge of the delivery.

The ensuring part of ePacket is that it allows you to track the parcel through the whole shipment. With a trackable promise, Customers will be much assured.

Suppose you take price plus speed as a priority, as well as the reassurance of receiving a tracking number. ePacket is clearly the best option.

How to Calculate ePacket Shipping Rate?

The shipping rate calculated by ePacket is based on destination country and package weight. You can check our shipping calculator to get the current shipping rate of ePacket once registered.

DDP Shipping

DDP shipping is also known as “Delivered Duty Paid” shipping. It prevents customers from having to pay a secondary fee when the items arrive.

You may want to consider DDP shipping if you are shipping products to different countries or locations.

Since most of the buyers will avoid paying tax when shopping overseas.

However, before you provide anything, be sure you’ve done your homework. This duty calculator will give you an estimate of how much tax you’ll have to pay when shipping to various countries.

duty caculator

Contact Suppliers with Shipping Questions

Whenever an issue occurs about shipping, you need to reach out to your supplier for help. It’s critical to ensure that your suppliers are capable of solving the shipping issues and give you feedback in time.

Contacting vendors allows you to assess their responsiveness and dependability firsthand.

If you ask shipping questions and their reply is slow/unprofessional, that might be a sign that you should ditch that supplier. Or that they can not deliver a proper solution regarding the shipping issue.

Place a Test Order

You don’t have to order each version of each product to get a sense of how the delivery process works. But, at the very least, order one item from each provider to get a sense of how they manage delivery and packaging.

testing order

Placing some test orders will allow you to have a better understanding of how suppliers handle shipping. And which ones you can trust with your client’s demands.

Charge Flat Shipping Rates

The exorbitant logistics expenses may frighten customers away. Especially for international businesses, if they’re taken aback by high shipping costs when they get to the checkout. The way you charge customers for shipping can make or break a deal.

The best solution is to offer free shipping. Adding a little extra to the product’s price and charge zip for shipping services.

If you can not offer free shipping, using a flat fee for every order’s shipping is a great way to set your customers’ expectations.

The term “flat rate” refers to the fact that the cost of shipping is unrelated to the weight, shape, or size of the transported object.

It’s determined by how much you can fit in the box. They’ll be able to figure out how much they’ll have to pay right soon.

Flat-rate shipping allows you to be as open and honest with your customers as possible. It also eliminates specific time-consuming calculations.

Choose a Shipping Company

Now, We’ve talked about some shipping tips for your dropshipping business; how can we choose a suitable shipping company? There are a lot of options out there like DHL, USPS, etc.

shipping company

Let’s talk about the main factors you should consider when selecting the right one.

Delivery Speed

Of course, it’s the very first factor we consider. Not only for its average shipping time. Sometimes an overnight service or expedited air freight service for emergencies can be a life-saver.

However, Keep in mind that using the quickest international shipping business will result in higher shipping costs. Whilst using the cheapest global shipping company will result in more affordable prices but slower times.

Tracking

Tracking is the key factor to keep your customers assured. Since international shipping takes longer than domestic deliveries.

The long wait can turn out into a nightmare of frustrations for your buyers.

If they are not updated on what’s happening in transit, package tracking capabilities are an essential consideration when choosing the finest international shipping services. Though almost all carriers will provide tracking to avoid conflicts.

Shipping Rates

To save money for your online business, You must be aware of and compare the many sorts of rates. Also discounts provided by different international shipping couriers.

Make sure to create a balance between shipping costs and other factors. Since the cheapest solutions may not provide the same level of service or quickness as the more expensive ones.

Shipping rates also vary for different countries. Calculate all elements that will affect your business before deciding.

Shipping Restrictions

Carriers have their own rules regarding shipping restrictions, and they take several forms.

You’ll want to consider material handling. As not all companies will work with products containing materials deemed dangerous. Some are much more strict with liquor.

In addition, there are size and weight restrictions. You should be aware of the size and weight restrictions imposed by the shipping firms. With which you are considering doing business.

Insurance

International shipping is regarded as a higher risk than domestic shipping. Its nature makes insurance coverage a necessity.

What happens if your package is lost or damaged during delivery? Many shipping companies offer insurance coverage; compare your options. If the company you chose does not provide one, it’s wise to take out your policy.

shipping insurance

Remote Area Delivery

Your products can be purchased from people all over the world. And not all of them are in close proximity to major cities.

You must determine whether or not your carrier delivers to remote, rural locations in the various countries to which you wish to send.

You need to know whether the delivery could be affected when they ship to a remote area, and will it affect the package tracking capabilities.

You’ll also need to know up front whether they will work with a third-party carrier to handle the deliveries in rural areas.

Conclusions on Shipping

Dropshippers have a number of obstacles, including shipping.

You have to rely on suppliers to process orders and deliver products. That’s how the whole thing works, and that could be terrifying.

Dropshipping suppliers aren’t always forthcoming with this information. So you need to do your homework about shipping times.

Put yourself in the shoes of your customers. And get a firsthand look at how your suppliers handle shipping.

Allow us to assist you in fulfilling orders and determining the optimal delivery option for your company. 

About the Author

stanley nieh ceo

Stanley​

Over 10 years of experience in foreign trade
Helped 2k+ customers improve their dropshipping businesses

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