Around the globe, technology has changed the way people go about their daily lives. With digital advancements and increasingly complex social networks, activities such as shopping can now be easily done online and new experiences can be created. With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a decrease in foot traffic, e-commerce has become the go-to channel for many retail businesses and startups.
Indeed, e-commerce has proven itself to be a robust strategy. According to a study, 62.8% of Singaporeans make an online purchase every week. In this tech-savvy era, online shopping can quickly be done with a few taps. Coupled with a low barrier to entry and relatively low startup costs, this has attracted many small entrepreneurs to ride on the e-commerce wave.
If you are an e-commerce startup, here are some ways you can gain a competitive edge when you partner with DHL Express.
Common Logistics Challenges Faced By E-Commerce Startups
1. Customer loyalty
Studies have shown that attracting new customers will cost you five times more than retaining an existing customer. Additionally, the success rate of selling to an existing customer is also 60% to 70%, while selling to a new customer only gives you 5% to 20%. Why so? Since existing customers have already made purchases with you previously, they would already be more familiar with your company.
With this in mind, new e-commerce startups should focus on solidifying their relationship with customers whenever they make a purchase. Apart from simply providing excellent customer service, you can also consider providing perks such as same-day delivery for returning customers. DHL Express delivery offers several delivery and pick up services which provides flexibility for their customers. Some of these options include deliveries outside of normal working hours and on the weekends. If you are in need of fast international shipping, you can choose our Express 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00 time slots to get your item delivered by the next possible business day. This comes with proactive real-time tracking to give you the assurance that your goods will reach on time as promised.
2. Product returns and refunds
Returns and refunds are inevitable, especially when you are in an e-commerce business. Having a good return policy that satisfies your customers puts them at ease when making purchases. A website that states ‘no refunds or returns’ makes shoppers less likely to trust it. Therefore, it is necessary to have a transparent and flexible returns and refunds policy to give customers a peace of mind.
Businesses with poor return logistics are more likely to lose customers as it can be a struggle for shoppers to find ways to return their items, also known as the reverse logistics process. When you partner with DHL Express, we will help you to create return labels for your customers and make sure the returned goods arrive at its destination safely. All you have to do is print and place the return airway bill within the parcel or document. When your customer decides to make a return, all they need to do is to contact our customer service or use MyDHL+ to schedule a collection.
This convenient and efficient process has helped e-commerce startups like AnotherSole streamline operations workflows and react satisfactorily to rising customer demands.
3. Shipping costs
The cost of shipping remains one of the biggest challenges e-commerce startups face. Many businesses struggle to find a way to save on shipping costs, especially when importing or exporting goods overseas. So how can you reduce shipping costs?
A way to overcome this is to reduce the size of your packages. For example, if you are shipping a light item, use a smaller box to decrease its dimensional volume and weight. Another way is to ship during off-peak periods. With a DHL Express corporate account, you will enjoy further discounts on all your import and export shipments.
Choose The Right Logistics Partner For Your Startup
As a reputable international logistics brand, DHL Express provides e-commerce delivery solutions to many businesses that want to bring their brand across the border. Our reliable and flexible delivery services have also enabled them to deal with rising expectations better.
Operating an e-commerce startup can be daunting and filled with many challenges. By partnering with DHL Express, companies can focus on their growth without worrying about logistics matters. Create an account with us and get your orders safely delivered to your customers within the quickest time possible.
