How to Plan for a Busy Holiday Online Shopping Season

Online shopping and shipping demands are expected to be “unlike anything retail has seen before”, according to this article by Forbes. To prepare, let’s plan for a busy holiday, and manage your packing and shipping workflow so that your products arrive on your customer’s doorsteps on time.

Determine How to Handle Shipping

Will you be processing and shipping orders yourself? If yes, you may want to think about hiring extra staff to help you process & ship orders. Retail stores like Target hire seasonal employees, to have enough staff to process all orders on time.

You can also utilize shipping services like Stamps.com, Shipstation, or Shippo. Compare shipping rates, print shipping labels, and other helpful services.

Re-Evaluate Your Processing Times

How long does it take you to get an order ready and on its way to your shipping carrier? Evaluating your processing times will allow you to help your customers know what to expect with each order. Try to find a processing time that’s realistic and attainable, while staying attractive to shoppers.

Share Estimated Delivery Dates

Most shipping services like USPS’ Click ‘n Ship, Stamps.com, WooCommerce, and Shopify’s shipping methods, allow you to print the labels right where you are! Customers usually want to see tracking information, so be sure the label you purchase includes that. If it doesn’t, you may want to find a way to add it.

Sharing estimated delivery dates will help increase sales because the customer will feel more comfortable knowing when their holiday presents are coming. No shopper wants to guess when the present they need for Christmas is coming, so make it easy for them!

Offer Curbside Pickup

The option of curbside pickup will allow customers the availability to receive their order and remove concerns of delayed shipping. This is also a great option for retail locations when customers are uncomfortable with shopping indoors/in-store pick up because of social distancing.

Offer Shipping Upgrades

If your shoppers are last-minute buying or need to purchase before a certain date, more shipping options will also help increase sales this holiday season. Make sure to check your online store’s shipping settings before holiday shopping is in full swing!

Consider Offering Free Shipping

Who doesn’t like to see Free Shipping when they’re shopping online? Help your customers complete their purchase by offering free shipping! If you’re worried about costs, be sure to work it out in your product pricing to help with some of the costs. And don’t forget to market your Free Shipping offers on social media!

What are the ways you plan to use for a seamless holiday season? Let me know in the comments below!