The primary focus of our blog is to share expertise and provide tips on how to save on shipping. That being said, in conversations with our customers, we’ve seen proof of what we already knew: our customers are pretty smart and savvy shippers. With that in mind, we asked our customers to share some of their tips on how to save on shipping to see what strategies they incorporate into their day-to-day. Some of them were super helpful, while others were simply fun ways to break the monotony and actually enjoy shipping. Now, we’d like to share these tips with you.
ShippingEasy Customers’ Tips on How to Save on Shipping
Our customers’ tips on how to save on shipping ranged from operational to moving around personnel. They covered not only how to save on costs, but also time. We’ve broken out each one, with a shout out to our awesome customers for their help!
Be smart about your packaging
“I select mailers that just fit my product. That way I pay only for the size I have to.” —Sheila, Easy Peasy Polish
Though to some online sellers this is common sense, many just use any old box they have around the house or warehouse. When you’re not optimizing your package sizing, you could be spending more on weight caused by the need for more packing material. Also, in 2019 the USPS will be using Dimensional Weight for Priority Mail packaging for packages over a cubic foot, meaning if you have a large but light package, it could cost you more to ship!
Save your products, save the environment
“We use shredded paper as packing material instead of buying expensive peanuts or bubble wrap so it does 2 things, it recycles our shredded paper (most of our shredded paper has been used on both sides prior to being shredded), and it saves money on the overall shipping cost.” —Kathleen, Total Sports LLC
Why spend money on packing materials that could be potentially harmful to the environment and your bottom line? Chances are pretty good you have shreddable paper you can get rid of, and it makes for a perfect packing material for most products. Shredded paper easily fills in nooks and crannies while also offering sturdy support and cushion. Of course, be sure you’re not including shredded material that might include personally identifying or private information.
Two printers are better than one
“I have two printers hooked up to my computer to use one for the packing slips and the other for the labels. I am able to print much faster this way as I am not changing out plain paper for label sheets in between printings.” —Best Book Values
This tip is great because it can be a huge time-saver. As long as you have a system for making sure everything matches up in order, you can fly through your batch-printed labels and packing slips like the pros at Best Book Values. Speaking of printers, if you’re looking into printers and would like an in-depth analysis, we break down three of the top printers here.
Set up your workspace for success
- Set up your shipping area like an assembly line! It’s faster and more efficient to do all the things in order than go back and forth between individual orders.
- Make your shipping area pretty. If you enjoy the space, you won’t dread the work.
- Include your logo with the ShippingEasy tool right on the labels! It makes you stand out!
—Callie, Rocking and Roeing
The assembly line concept is one of those tips on how to save on shipping that is more geared toward keeping your sanity. No one wants to work in a bland, uninspiring work environment. Efficiency is key for saving time on shipping, which is why we love the assembly line concept. Personality also goes a long way in making sure you and/or your employees actually enjoy the time you spend in your shipping prep area. Make it well-lit, add some personal effects, and spruce things up a bit. We also love the bit about personalizing labels using ShippingEasy. It’s just one of those small touches that make the experience of receiving a package from your company a little bit different.
Always be shipping
This video isn’t quite a tip per se, but we found it so entertaining we just had to make it part of this article. Johnny at BUILT Apparel doesn’t let anything get in the way of dancing his way to shipping efficiency. Nothing….see what we mean in the video.
Keep your customers in the know
“When I drop ship an order from multiple warehouses, I split out the packing list and then print one page with both shipments to let the customer know that the order is shipping from different warehouses. This keeps the customer from thinking their order was shorted.” —Carolyn, The Zoo Factory
This shipping-based customer service detail can pay off in multiple ways. Any time you can avoid a customer service issue before it pops up, you’re already ahead of the game. Using the packing slips to communicate that messaging is an efficient way to put your get the most out of your shipping software by incorporating it into multiple facets of your business. Your customer stays happy and informed, and you are making the most of your investment in shipping software. Winning all around.
Bonus: create customer loyalty with behind-the-scenes content
Another submission we received wasn’t entirely about how our customer saves time and money, but rather how they build loyalty by showing their customers what goes on behind the scenes. With such a unique product and means of shipping, we have no doubt that their customers find it fascinating to see the work and attention to detail that goes into the amazing unboxing experience you get when buying from BoysSuits.com!
We hope you found these tips to save on shipping (and other parts of your business) enlightening and useful. If you’d like help further optimizing your shipping and business processes, our award-winning team is available for our customers via phone, email, and chat! Start your 30-day free trial and let us help you become a shipping expert.
Rob Zaleski
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