Choosing Your Shipping Method

You have a number of different methods to choose from to ship your orders. Each requires that you set up an account with the shipping company you choose. Consider which options your customers would like to use and whether they're viable for business. Don't base your decision on just whether its convenient for you. Many shoppers abandon orders after seeing shipping costs, so anything you can do to make rates cheap(er), fast(er), and accurate will cut down on customer contacts, complaints, and most importantly, increase conversion rates and repeat shoppers.

The most popular shipping services include the U.S. Post Office (USPS) and the different types of mail they offersuch as regular mail, Express Mail, Priority Mail, and so onand Federal Express (FedEx) and United Parcel Service (UPS) who offer next day, second day, and ground services. Let's take a look at each one and the service they offer.

USPS

The United States Postal Service is the granddaddy of all shipping services. They have managed to compete with the johnnycomelatelies such as FedEx and UPS and offer next day and priority delivery services.

• Express Mail This is USPS version of FedEx and UPS guaranteed next day delivery. Merchandise is automatically insured up to $100.

• Priority Mail This type of delivery is in the two to three day range. The good news is that USPS supplies you with free Priority Mail boxes and is not as expensive to use as Express Mail.

• Parcel Post Though inexpensive compared to Express Mail and Priority Mail, it can take up to a week or more for a package to reach its destination.

Tip: Got Media? Send It Cheap.

The USPS has a shipping rate called Media Mail. If you are selling and shipping different types of media items including CDs, DVDs, video tapes, and any kind of printed media such as books and magazines, this rate can save you money. It used to be called "book rate" and the rates are much lower than Priority Mail and delivery times range between First Class delivery and Parcel Post, typically less than a week.

You can find out more about the shipping services of USPS at www.usps.com. You can also view their domestic calculator at www.postcalc.usps.gov to calculate postage for all levels of service. Also, USPS has a great online mail label service called Endicia, where you enter the address and weight and print the labels right from your PC.

UPS

UPS is a good service if you are shipping large packages that the U.S. Postal Service will not accept. The USPS does have a size and weight limit, but UPS does not. UPS offers several different shipping options including Standard Ground, Next Day Air, and Second Day Air. They also have a service called Next Day Air Saver. It's an affordable delivery option for those important shipments that require nextbusinessday delivery, but doesn't have to be there in the morning. UPS also has "print the labels right from the PC." All you do is print and tape it on the box. Then just drop it off at the nearest UPS or Mail Boxes Etc. store.

They are a bit pricey on small packages but the service of choice for large and heavier ones. You will have to set up an account with them and they will supply you with the necessary shipping forms.

UPS Online Tools is also integrated with Yahoo! Merchant Solutions at no extra cost. With UPS Online Tools, you can process shipments without leaving your store manager, autoinsert tracking numbers into orders, and autopopulate shipping labels. Also, merchants can print shipping UPS labels with a standard printer. With the UPS Online Tools module that plugs into the checkout pages, you can do the following: display official UPS services selected for use by you; display realtime rates from UPS; use the Time in Transit module to display the length of time each shipping method will take; and use UPS Address Verification to catch any inputs errors from shoppers.

Learn more about UPS Online Tools at promotions.yahoo.com/ups/static/merchant_center.html. You can also establish an account in the Shipping Manager control panel in your store. Establishing an account through the Shipping Manager will ensure that the UPS Online Tools is integrated with your store.

FedEx

FedEx is most probably the fastest shipping service but you pay for that result. Their rates are higher than USPS and can be higher than UPS.

They offer guaranteed overnight, second day, and ground shipping. You will need to set up an account with FedEx to ship packages with them. Once you've signed up, they will provide you with the necessary shipping forms, and if you have many packages to ship at a time, they will pick up at your home office. One advantage, as we said before, is that FedEx will supply you with an assortment of free shipping boxes.

For more information on FedEx, go to their website at www.fedex.com and establish an account there. You also access their domestic rate calculator at fedex.com/us/rates.

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