Online retailers must ship their products to customers all over the world in order to sell to them. If you’re selling your own products or those of other vendors, you’ll need an affordable shipping solution that can get your inventory where it needs to be quickly and reliably at a low cost.
Whether you’re selling digital goods like ebooks, items that come in various sizes or require special handling, or even physical products like clothes and furniture, there are several affordable shipping solutions that can help you get everything where it needs to be at the right time at a reasonable price. Let’s take a look at some tips for finding affordable shipping forwarders.
Plan ahead and research your options
If you’re looking to ship products internationally, you’ll eventually need to find a shipping company that has the capability to send your items to the countries where your customers are located. If you can’t find a way to do this now, you’ll end up spending heaps of money on consultants and consulting fees when you try to arrange for this later on.
So, take some time now to research your options and plan ahead for the shipping requirements of your business. One of the best ways to do this is to create a list of all of the countries where you’d like to sell your products. Start with the biggest markets that you’d like to reach, such as the United States, Canada, and Europe, and work your way down the list in terms of how many customers you’d like to sell to in those markets.
Shop for discounts
While you’re planning ahead and researching your options for shipping, why not take advantage of all of the discounts you can find right here in the United States? Many companies charge a fee that’s based on the destination of your products, which can end up costing you a lot more than you’d like to pay.
Pick a shipping company that has a wide selection of carriers, a large network of drop-off locations, and the ability to ship to most countries. Also, make sure that they offer discounts for volume or have a flat rate that’s significantly lower than any of their rates based on the destination of your products.
Don’t forget about drop shipping
Drop shipping is when you buy inventory from a supplier and ship it to your customers as your own. This can be a great way for you to make money selling products on Amazon, eBay, and other online marketplaces without having to deal with the handling of shipping and logistics. The best part is that you don’t have to have a huge inventory of products to get started.
Instead, you can find suppliers that sell products in bulk and ship them directly to your customers. Find drop shippers who ship worldwide, offer free shipping, and who charge reasonable drop-off fees. If you have a larger-than-average order to fill, look for drop shippers with a volume discount.
Try parcel forwarding services
If shipping is a big concern for you, and you’d like a service that enables you to ship products to customers at a virtually cost-free rate, consider using a parcel forwarding service. Using a parcel forwarding service will enable you to ship products straight to your customers at their locations, without you needing to handle the logistics yourself.
You’ll find that using a parcel forwarding service can save you a lot of time and money, particularly if you have products that require a certain level of handling or have unusual requirements for the way they’re shipped.
Use a freight broker service
Another option for getting your products to your customers quickly and at a low cost is to use a freight broker service. These companies broker shipments for customers, arranging for them to be transported to their final destinations. You can use a freight broker to find a low-cost carrier, find a way to drop off your products at a location or find a way to ship your products to your customers.
Conclusion
Shipping is a significant expense for online retailers, but it can be made much more manageable and profitable by carefully choosing a shipping company. The best way to find a low-cost shipping company that can get your products where they need to be when they need to be there is to research your options.
Pick a shipping company that has the capabilities to get your products where they need to be at the right cost, and do your best to shop for discounts on shipping costs whenever you can. When it comes to shipping, less is often more.
Selecting the right shipping company to get your products where they need to go is important, but is also often the most difficult decision for an online retailer to make. This article will help you choose the best shipping company for your company and its products.
