With those considerations begs the next question: can this shipping software grow with you as your business grows? We know it can be difficult to make the transition from one solution to another once you\u2019ve reached higher volume, which is why our Enterprise level solution offers custom onboarding and a dedicated account manager who will assist in making the change and set up automation processes to streamline everything as you scale.
\n![\"automated](\"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/automate-shipping-feature-mock-1024x731.png\")
<\/p>\n
Understand what a shipping software platform really does for you<\/h2>\n
Modern shipping software needs to be more than just a place to print your shipping labels. With all the solution options out there, this is now table stakes. If you come across shipping software that\u2019s not offering you Commercial Plus shipping rates on a paid plan, you may as well exclude it from consideration, as you\u2019ll find the best platforms offer these rates now.<\/p>\n
Some questions to ask when assessing a shipping platform beyond label printing are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- How will this shipping software make my business more efficient?<\/li>\n
- Does this software accommodate my current marketplaces and stores<\/a>, as well as potential future places I could sell on?<\/li>\n
- Will I have an expert available to answer questions and solve problems when I need them, and how is that service rated in the market?<\/li>\n
- Can this software help me manage international orders easily and effectively?<\/li>\n
- Are there additional aspects to the software that solve other business needs and help me increase business?<\/li>\n
- Is this company a thought leader in the industry? Do they contribute to publications, have an active blog and knowledge base with the information I\u2019ll need to help with research now and in the future?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It might not even be bad to seek out current customers\/users of the shipping software you\u2019re considering (once you\u2019ve narrowed your choices down) to see if they can give you any insight into how the user experience is. One of the best ways to find current users is check reviews. Speaking of which…<\/p>\n
Check ratings and read reviews (many of them)<\/h2>\n
There\u2019s a statistic out there that says people trust reviews nearly as much as personal recommendations. Often, reviews are honest assessments of what the user experience is like for tech, and reading multiple reviews across sites can give you a good general idea of what it\u2019s like to use a shipping software solution in your day-to-day business.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the major review sites out there, most of whom vet the reviews and do their best to ensure that they come from real people and experiences.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Capterra<\/strong><\/a> – Capterra is a free resource to help you find the right software for your business.<\/li>\n
- G2 Crowd<\/strong><\/a> – G2 Crowd has real-time and unbiased user reviews help you objectively assess what is best for your business. Leverage the crowd, limit your risk, and get what works.<\/li>\n
- Fit Small Business<\/strong> – Fit Small Business is the leading digital resource for small businesses, providing the information they need to succeed.<\/li>\n
- Shopify App Store<\/strong><\/a> – Powerful new features, services and plugins for your Shopify store, with reviews from real users.<\/li>\n
- SoftwareAdvice<\/strong><\/a> – Software Advice\u2122 is the leading online service for businesses navigating the software selection process.<\/li>\n
- GetApp<\/strong><\/a> – GetApp is an ecosystem of business app and software discovery platforms. Its mission is to advise professionals to help them find the software and apps that best meet their needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This is by no means a completely exhaustive list, but does represent some of the major review sites out there for shipping software customers.<\/p>\n
Assess how shipping software supplements other needs<\/h2>\n
When you can bring multiple business solutions under a single platform, you\u2019re immediately increasing efficiency and accuracy. Trying to tie external applications together with your shipping software leaves room for error, miscommunication, and lost efficiency. Plus, when you can immediately tie your order and shipping data back to other elements of your business, you open up the opportunity for personalization, faster turnaround times, and saved money. Let\u2019s look at a few types of integrations and add-ons you should be seeking out.<\/p>\n
Email Marketing\/Customer Marketing<\/h3>\n
You should be looking for a seamless integration with an email service provider (ESP) like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Emma Email, Constant Contact, or an in-app add-on like ShippingEasy\u2019s Customer Marketing<\/a>. Either way, what you\u2019ll want to see is the ability to take your order data, customer data, purchase history and more, and turn that into actionable email campaigns.<\/p>\n
Look for features such as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Audience segmentation tools<\/li>\n
- Email templates<\/li>\n
- Product recommendations and reviews<\/li>\n
- Abandoned cart emails<\/li>\n
- Automated email marketing campaigns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When you can turn your customer purchase habits into campaigns that walk them through your post-purchase funnel, you can begin to create repeat buyers. This is crucial to building your business, as repeat buyers can become lifelong customers. It costs five times more to attract new customers<\/a> than to nurture and maintain current customers, so you\u2019re vastly increasing business efficiency.
\n![\"shipping](\"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/ae_mockup-1024x731.png\")
<\/p>\nIntegration Options<\/h3>\n
A shipping software platform does you little good if you can\u2019t tie it to your stores, marketplaces, and systems necessary for building your business. It should ideally feature as many integrations as possible<\/a>. A quality shipping platform, once integrated, will provide automation to help you streamline as many of your shipping processes as possible\u2014processes like shipping automation, selecting carriers and shipment methods, label printing, and rate comparison\/selection. Once your shipping software is connected, you should be able to expect seamless connections that provide automatic order downloads and tracking updates back to your stores and marketplaces.<\/p>\n
Another business integration you should look for is accounting. Proper accounting requires meticulous tracking of all your costs, expenses, and revenue, and you want to make sure that you don\u2019t miss a thing by manually entering and tracking everything. If your shipping software doesn\u2019t have a direct connection to something like Quickbooks, make sure they at least have a partner that assists in that. For example, ShippingEasy partners with Connex<\/a> to offer end-to-end automation for shipping and accounting.<\/p>\n
Inventory Management<\/h3>\n
Along with shipping, inventory is one of the highest costs of selling goods online. You don\u2019t want to leave anything to chance when it comes to managing your supplier relationships, creating purchase orders, and managing your stock.<\/p>\n
![\"shipping](\"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/IM_Dashboard_Email_Images_overview.png\")
<\/p>\nAgain, you\u2019ll want to look for a shipping solution that has an integration with a robust inventory management platform, or one that has an add-on built in.<\/p>\n
Look for features such as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Inventory automation<\/li>\n
- Supplier and purchase order management<\/li>\n
- Low-stock alerts<\/li>\n
- Accommodation for Fulfillment by Amazon<\/a> and Multi-channel Fulfillment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We know choosing the right shipping software can seem like a daunting task at times. But we hope these four directives make it easy (it\u2019s in our name, after all). Of course, we also hope you choose ShippingEasy so we can make your life easier and help you grow your business. If you\u2019d like to try us FREE for 30-days, just click below to get started!<\/p>\n
- G2 Crowd<\/strong><\/a> – G2 Crowd has real-time and unbiased user reviews help you objectively assess what is best for your business. Leverage the crowd, limit your risk, and get what works.<\/li>\n