by Robert Gilbreath
The holiday season is busy enough without having to worry about shipping all your business orders. But don’t fret—we have some tips below to help you stay on top of holiday shipping this year:
1. Ship as early as possible.
Remember the Polar vortex? It should come as no surprise that December’s winter weather can really mess with your shipments—just when your customers need them the most. When in doubt, always ship items as soon as you can. Keep an accurate list of your carrier’s pickup times and when their offices close, in case of emergency, to ensure your shipments are mailed at the earliest possible opportunity.
2. Keep ample supplies on hand.
Sales are great, but running out of packaging materials to ship them adds unnecessary stress and time. Make sure to keep a large inventory of shipping supplies on hand to manage projected orders and then some.
3. Prepare in advance for shipping deadlines.
Check out our Holiday Shipping 2014 infographic to help determine the last possible dates for shipping items through USPS, FedEx or UPS. Make sure to pass these dates along to your customers.
4. Pre-Pack orders during business lulls.
Package popular items in advance so they’ll be ready to go during the unexpected rushes.
5. Communicate with customers.
When a purchase is made online, customers want to know their packages are on the way. Make sure your shipping system can automatically send out a shipment notification email that includes a link to the tracking number. This will help dramatically reduce the customer support burden and make for happier customers.