Shipping Tips and Free Tools for E-tailers

Small businesses, online merchants and sellers frequently start small and work their way up into larger, more fully-featured and automated processes. Not only do their sites start on a smaller-than-Amazon scale, but the budget to set up your Web shop and market it is usually equally small.

Today free shipping and online shipping deals are more than just a trend; its a must-do for merchants to stay competitive. 

Editor's Picks

» Package Perfect: Free Shipping Without Going Broke » USPS Rate-Change Tips for E-tailers » Don't Go Postal: Shipping Rate Survival Plan » Setting Up Shop: A Checklist for New E-tailers » Unload Storage and Delivery Duties on Shipwire

Here are the details on several free and budget-conscious tools you can use to help ease the pain and cost of shipping, plus we offer tips to help keep customers happy when they receive their package.

Free Shipping Calculators
The first thing merchants new to the world of online selling will need is help figuring out what to charge customers for shipping products. After deciding your ship-to locations (e.g. within the Unites States, North America, International, and so on), the best way to decide on which shipping carrier to use is to do a little research.

Most domestic and international carriers offer free shipping calculators on their Web site. You can use these tools, not only to help you choose a carrier, but also to provide standard shipping rates and information to customers right from your own Web site.

To use the calculators, you will need to provide specific details to obtain shipping estimates including the parcel size (length, width, and height) as well as the weight. Some carriers may include insurance for items in their basic rates, while others may not.

Here is a list of online shipping calculators that you can freely use to help figure out which services fit in to your budget:

• USPS Shipping Calculator (Domestic and International)
• UPS: Shipping Time and Cost calculator
• FedEx: Rates and Transit Calculator
• DHL: Get a Quote For Shipping Charges
• Purolator Courier QuickRate Calculator

Shipping Comparison Services
Small businesses looking to save time on getting shipping quotes can also look to online shipping services such as RedRoller. Online services like this one let you compare shipping costs between multiple carriers, print authorized shipping labels (or postage), plus schedule a pick-up and track the package. Since these services are designed to help you save shipping costs, for those who plan to ship multiple packages each month, the subscription fee may be worth consideration.

Plans on RedRoller start at $14.95 for up to a 150 monthly shipping volume. Other online shipping services (some are free, while others require a subscription) you can look into include the following:

• RedRoller
• Shipping Sidekick
• iShip
• ShipGooder

Free Shipping Supplies
Some carriers will provide free smaller-size shipping boxes or sturdy cardboard envelopes when you send your item. USPS also offers four different sizes of shipping boxes and envelopes for free that you can use if you ship via the Priority mail service. If you are starting out small, you can also look to local stores and to your friends and family to start your supply of free shipping boxes and packing materials. Most stores (and people) are more than willing to pass these shipping items on rather than pay for recyclable removal.

It is extremely important, however, to remember that the more times a corrugated box is used, the more its original protective qualities will be lost. Be sure you choose only firm, quality used boxes if you go this route.

Other places to find free shipping and packing materials are through your local craigslist and Freecycle ads. If you decide to recycle as much of the shipping boxes and packing materials you can, for free, it's important to remember that your packaging will say a lot about your business to your customers. Be sure you use only clean, non-branded and professional materials.

If you choose to use new shipping packaging and packing materials, you can comparison shop on some of these sites: PackagingSupplies.com or AMShippingSupplies.com.

Location, Location, Location:Tracking Essentials
Some customers may be ordering for special occasions and immediate needs and they will want to know where their package is, and when they can expect it to arrive. For this reason, it is always best to choose a carrier that offers free online tracking for packages. When you ship, the carrier will provide a tracking number that can be entered on the carrier's Web site to find out exactly where your shipment is. This tracking number can be provided in a shipping notice to your customer so they can check on the item at any time.

Major carriers offer tracking numbers, and often, you may find that when you use their Internet services to ship, tracking numbers are not only provided for free, but are also provided on levels of shipping services online that are not available with tracking at a physical outlet.

Before choosing a shipper for your items, browse their Web site and look for "track a package" or "enter tracking number" forms to ensure your customers can quickly and easily track items once they have been shipped.

Package Well to Boost Customer Satisfaction
Shipping an item that has been poorly packaged is likely to sour your customer's buying experience. You also risk the cost associated with returns because items may arrive damaged or broken. Merchants and sellers can make a good impression by carefully packing items — this is not an area where you should use shortcuts in service. And, if you have the time and resources, it's always a good idea to include a flyer with your logo or other branded material, such as coupons for future discounts or a thank-you note, in the package.

Here are five tips to get you started on the right track:

• Always use corrugated boxes that are rigid, clean, unbranded (if reused) and have all flaps intact.
• Always pack the heavy items on the bottom of the box, with lighter items on top.
• Place sturdy cardboard on the bottom and top of the box to lessen the chance of damage when a customer uses box-cutters to open the package.
• Try and use recyclable materials where possible. Non-recyclable packing materials may be difficult for your customers to dispose.
• Ensure the package is firmly sealed with sturdy packing tape. Never use household tape or i twine or string to secure your packages.

For those new to the practice of packing items for shipping, the eBay Shipping Center offers lots of useful tips and hints (even for non-eBay sellers), and you can also learn more about using different types of internal packing materials on the UPS Web site.

Vangie Beal is a seasoned online marketplace seller, frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com and avid online bargain hunter. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com.

Do you have a comment or question about this article or other e-commerce topics in general? Speak out in the SmallBusinessComputing.com E-Commerce Forum. Join the discussion today!