Which e-commerce delivery solutions should I choose?
Optimising delivery solutions on your e-commerce site is a necessary part of maximising customer satisfaction. Just like payment solutions, prospective customers often need a choice of different delivery solutions to encourage them to make a purchase. The goal of this post is to set out all the options, but above all, the most popular e-commerce delivery solutions.
Which delivery options are available for e-commerce?
There are many e-commerce delivery options. This refers to the various methods of transferring parcels from the warehouse or physical shop to the customer.
Here are all the possible delivery solutions for your e-commerce business:
- standard home delivery (3-5 days)
- express delivery (for example, in 24 hours)
- delivery during a chosen time slot
- delivery to a pick-up point
- international delivery
- parcel lockers
- Click & Collect.
You don’t have to offer all these delivery solutions for your e-commerce business. It is preferable to adopt an online delivery strategy. To develop this, you need to know what your customers are looking for.
What are internet users’ expectations when it comes to delivery options?
Internet users are becoming increasingly demanding when it comes to delivery. 45% will abandon their shopping cart if the delivery is not fast enough. It’s worth noting that most online shoppers expect delivery in around 3.3 days.
So, if you offer a 5-day delivery option, that is too long?
The most popular delivery methods are, in order:
- standard home delivery (50%)
- next day delivery (34%)
- scheduled delivery (31%)
- same day delivery (23%)
- weekend delivery (21%)
- local shop pick-up (21%).
It should be noted that the carbon-emission factor of the transport was important for 19% of survey respondents.
Let’s conclude with an essential point: internet users’ expectations about tracking.
In this survey, 67% of people questioned said that they preferred to track their delivery by email. SMS took second place with 42% (66% in France). Next came the shop’s mobile app with 32% (41% in the Netherlands). Finally, being able to track your parcel is essential for 23% of online shoppers.
Why offer several delivery solutions on your e-commerce site?
As we have seen, various factors come into play with online shopping. When browsing an e-commerce site, it is easy to get frustrated.
To limit these negative feelings, it may be a good idea to offer as many delivery solutions as possible. For example, you could offer delivery to a pick-up point, such as Evri or DPD, as well as home delivery. Some customers prefer to pick up their parcels in a neutral place, rather than receiving them at home, especially when they contain a gift.
However, 85% of online consumers in Europe say that a bad experience with delivery would stop them from buying from the same online supplier again.
It is therefore essential to offer an optimal delivery experience, from the choice of delivery method to the moment the parcel is opened (and even including return options).
Let’s compare the possible e-commerce delivery options and their advantages and disadvantages, so that you can make an informed decision.
E-commerce delivery solutions: case by case
standard home delivery
Home delivery is still one of the most popular delivery options. However, this is not always practical.
Most parcels are delivered during the day, during work hours. If customers work from home, this is not a problem. But for others, this usually involves a trip to the nearest Post Office to collect the parcel. It’s the same problem if you’re going to be out.
Even if you are planning to be at home, you don’t always know what time the delivery will be attempted. So, you have to stay in all day “just in case”. This could lead to frustration and anxiety, especially if the purchaser is expecting several deliveries during a week and has no delivery estimates.
We advise you to offer this delivery solution on your e-commerce site all the same. This is the standard option and consumers expect to be able to choose it.
Express delivery
Express delivery can take various forms:
- delivery on the same evening
- delivery within 24 hours
- next day delivery.
In any case, implementing this delivery system is bound to be more expensive than standard delivery.
Couriers will need to give their stock pickers and drivers last-minute notice, which will create more stress.
On the other hand, your customers will be delighted to receive their parcel so quickly, especially if they are going away for the weekend or on holiday.
Our pro advice: since the delivery cost is more expensive for you, you should feel free to pass on the extra cost of express delivery to your customers. This is a very common practice in e-commerce.
Delivery in a time slot
This e-commerce delivery option is the perfect alternative to standard delivery. It allows the customer to book a delivery slot in advance. Consumers are therefore sure to be present on the day of delivery and can go about their business the rest of the time.
This delivery method is particularly recommended to e-sellers who sell heavy furniture (for example: tables, fridges, televisions) or fragile objects, which cannot go through a letterbox.
Delivery to a pick-up point
Delivery to a pick-up point has several advantages. Thanks to this delivery method, those consumers who work will no longer have to queue at the Post Office to collect their parcel. They can choose to have their parcel sent to a newsagent, a supermarket, or the closest physical store to their home or on the way to work.
Another advantage of delivery to a pick-up point: it is generally cheaper than delivery by the Post Office via a private courier (such as DHL or FedEx). Sometimes, it is even free of charge. If you have a small delivery budget, or you are just starting out in e-commerce, this is an ideal delivery solution.
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85% of pick-up points are located 3 miles from customers’ homes. And in cities, consumers generally only have to go 500 metres to collect their parcels.
International delivery
Do you want to develop your e-commerce sales internationally? If so, you will need to offer international deliveries. Of course, you’ll need to look at the prices charged by international carriers before offering this delivery method on your website.
To go into more detail, here are 6 factors that influence the cost of delivery abroad.
Parcel lockers
Growing in popularity, parcel lockers are often found in front of supermarkets. They allow consumers to collect their parcels from secure lockers with a code at any hour of the day or night. This is very practical, particularly for night workers or digital nomads who have no fixed address.
Click & Collect
Before you read on, a reminder that this delivery option is only for merchants with physical stores.
Here are 6 reasons to choose Click & Collect:
- it saves the customer delivery costs
- it generates traffic in the physical store and the potential to make another purchase on the spot
- it offers the customer an additional choice
- it allows the item to be collected within 2 hours if it is available in-store
- it meets the needs of e-consumers’ purchasing behaviour
- it is less polluting for the planet.
Buying a product online emits 12g of CO2, or 0.6 miles by car, not counting the carbon impact of the delivery. By picking up the parcel themselves, the consumer’s ecological footprint is likely to be better, particularly if they use their bike, public transport or an electric car/scooter.
E-commerce delivery solutions: a summary
How about one last tip on choosing delivery solutions for your e-commerce site?
Visit your competitors’ sites to see what delivery options they offer their customers. That way, you’ll have data to fall back on, and you’ll be able to make the most of your opportunities by offering more options. For example, if your competitors do not offer international delivery, make sure you offer it on your site!
But before offering delivery abroad, think about getting your site and product descriptions translated.
This is a good way to ensure that all your visitors understand the site content and find their favourite delivery method when they get to the checkout! 🎊
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