How to Offer Same-Day Delivery for Your Online Business (in Miami and Beyond)
By Space Coast Daily // January 31, 2022
Nowadays, customers expect same-day shipping, but just over half of businesses offer it. There’s no denying that most online companies want to include same-day delivery, but doing so can come at a high price. However, if planned appropriately, fast shipping can save you money.
How to Offer Same-Day Delivery and Save Money
Same-day delivery and “save money” aren’t two phrases you hear in the same sentence, but it is possible to offer this service without it severely affecting your overheads. Here’s how.
1. Use a Reputable Local Courier, e.g., in Miami
Unless you have multiple fulfillment centers across the United States, you won’t be able to guarantee same-day delivery for all of your customers. However, if you use a Miami based courier service in Miami, you’ll be able to get your customer’s orders out to them quickly.
This hinges on the fact that your courier service and fulfillment center are equally close to each other. Otherwise, your courier service won’t be able to make it to your customers in time.
2. Code Your Website to Send Shipping and Inventory Alerts
You have to stay on top of your inventory and website to make sure your products arrive on time by dropshipping. Instead of checking on your website, fulfillment center, or products every few minutes, set up alerts that tell you you’re out of a certain product and when someone selected “same-day.”
Or you could completely automate your process. Dropshipping automation software can ping your suppliers as soon as a product is sold, ensuring your products are shipped immediately.
3. Train Your Staff to Handle the Shipping Complexities
Once you add same-day shipping at checkout, you need to train your staff to act as a well-oiled machine. They need to be confident in your processes, put orders together, and speak directly with your couriers if you’re a non-dropshipping business. Everything has to have a process.
If you’re well organized, your employees should be able to complete and send out batch orders without your input. If they’re really good, they can handle business operations without you.
4. Ensure Your Site is Well-Coded and Optimized
Even if you use an eCommerce site like Shopify to handle the bulk of your online business payments and shipment, you still need a virtual storefront. Anyone can make an eCommerce store, but it’s much harder to make one that’s optimized, user-friendly, and easy to use.
We recommend hiring an experienced programmer who knows how to decrease your site’s loading times and buff out the glitches because a great site will increase customer satisfaction.
5. Communicate Quickly With Your Customers
The moment your customer places an order, provide clear details about when their items will be dropped off. If your customer selects same-day shipping, they’re likely at home and waiting on your word. By not updating them, you risk losing their loyalty, and you may receive a bad review.
To avoid this issue, either send them an email or a direct message explaining their package will arrive between “X and X” time. Give yourself a big enough window to avoid disappointing them.
6. Set Clear Cut-Off Times for Same-Day Delivery
You can code cut-off times into your online site based on your customer’s local time zone. If your customer hits the cut-off point, you could suggest next-day shipping at checkout instead. Most couriers will cut off same-day shipping at 4 PM, so they can finish up their previous orders.
If there are times when same-day shipping isn’t possible, for example, if your store is closed, be clear on your website why that option is blanked out to set your customer’s expectations.
