Welcome back to another edition of Shipping Unboxed! It\u2019s officially time to get into the holiday spirit, so we\u2019re here to unwrap all of your holiday shipping-themed questions. From holiday return policies to shipping deadlines, we\u2019ve got you covered! So grab a cup of hot chocolate and get cozy for Shipping Unboxed: FAQs about Holiday Shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Question Quick Jump <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What a perfect place to start! Shipping deadlines<\/a> are the latest date you can ship a package and still have it arrive in time for Christmas. The holiday season has a higher shipping volume, so carriers need additional time to get packages delivered. It\u2019s also a good idea to communicate these deadlines with your customers as soon as possible, so they know how much time they have to order gifts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can offer free shipping<\/a> during the holidays, we recommend it! Your customers may expect free shipping, or at the very least, free shipping over a certain threshold. Offering free shipping can also help your business compete with bigger marketplaces like Amazon<\/a>. Free shipping might not be feasible for your business, and that\u2019s okay! Consider adding a free gift or additional discounts where you can as an incentive instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news about holiday return policies<\/a> is you can also use this as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a solid year-round return policy. Confirm all of the information in your returns policy is accurate, and update any information that isn\u2019t. The biggest thing to include for the holiday season is whether or not your return window will be extended. Also, check to see if your returns policy is easy to follow. The person who is returning the order might not be the same person who ordered it, and you have the potential to gain a new customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Way to think ahead! Be proactive<\/a> and let your customers know to contact you immediately if a package arrives damaged. Tell them to take photos of the package and hang on to all of the packaging and items until you\u2019ve filed a claim and received any compensation available. Also, encourage them to bring packages in as soon as they arrive if possible to avoid theft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our recent study with Retail Economics<\/a> shows that 37% of customers are worried about lost or stolen packages this holiday season globally. With this much concern, it\u2019s definitely worth offering carrier services with included insurance options and\/or offering additional insurance options for customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ShippingEasy merchants can purchase additional insurance options for shipments through our partner, Shipsurance.<\/a> The cost of Shipsurance will vary, depending on the coverage you need, and it can be used for domestic and international shipments. Give your business and your customers more peace of mind this holiday shipping season, and provide insurance options at checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Absolutely. The holiday season is the time to review every section of your website to see if your customers are getting the best shopping experience<\/a>. Look at all of your products and walkthrough your checkout process. Here are a few questions to keep in mind: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about the things that you look for from a business when you\u2019re online shopping. Your customers will most likely have the same expectations, so use this time to update your website wherever needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Great question! You can offer your customers promo codes and exclusive deals through a few different channels. You can create a coupon for all customers to share on your social media or on the landing page of your website. This way, all of your prospective customers will have an immediate discount. However, you can also share coupons and deals with your loyal customers or customers you\u2019d like to win back through email campaigns. These deals are more exclusive, so you can make your customers feel valued. <\/p>\n\n\n Holiday marketing campaigns<\/a> are one of the best ways to broaden your customer base during the busiest shopping season of the entire year. You can use social media, email campaigns, and videos to showcase your products and your small business. Also, it\u2019s a wonderful time to get creative! Show customers why they should keep your business in mind for gifts during the holiday season and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As long as your gift order is from an eligible store,* you\u2019re able to filter your gift orders on the Orders page! You can also view gift messages from your customers and create a gift message on one of our packing slip or email templates where you can hide the cost of an order as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n *Amazon, AmeriCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, PayPal, and Volusion <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping an open and honest line of communication with your customers<\/a> is key. Communicate any potential shipping delays or supply chain issues that might impact the delivery time of orders. Be honest about inflation and other factors that are affecting the increases in your product and\/or shipping costs. Your customers will truly appreciate your honesty and proactive communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have many gifts for you, but we\u2019ll focus on a couple! Shipping Rules<\/a> help to automate your shipping process by automatically assigning criteria to your shipments. For example, you could create a Shipping Rule where a specific carrier service or packing slip template<\/a> is applied to certain types of orders. Another feature designed to make your life easier is ConnectEasy. ConnectEasy<\/a> is an app that allows you to automatically print your labels without having to go to your print queue first. Santa may have elves, but you have ShippingEasy<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know you can order free shipping supplies from USPS and directly from your ShippingEasy account?<\/a> You can even find refurbished thermal printers<\/a> to step up your label printing instead of having to buy a brand-new one. In our blog round up<\/a>, we\u2019ve collected all of our blogs that feature free and discounted shipping supplies and the cheapest shipping options available to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, our recent study with Retail Economics<\/a> found that 30% of customers are concerned about insufficient packaging globally. Opting for USPS supplies helps your business access sturdier packaging, keeping products safe and secure throughout their journey. This way, you don\u2019t have to spend time during the holiday shipping season looking for ways to keep your tree and shipping budget in the green while trying to align with customer expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, it\u2019s worth considering! A big holiday falling right after a weekend means your customers might be traveling and need their gifts to arrive at their destination when they do. Or, your customers just might need to order some last-minute gifts. If you\u2019re able to offer expedited or overnight shipping options, you could save the day for last-minute shoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our recent study with Retail Economics<\/a> found that 38% of customers are concerned about long delivery times this holiday season globally, so they\u2019ll appreciate the extra efforts. Just keep in mind that some of these carrier services are also subject to shipping deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Welcome back to another edition of Shipping Unboxed! It\u2019s officially time to get into the holiday spirit, so we\u2019re here to unwrap all of your holiday shipping-themed questions. From holiday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":44129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[185,1],"tags":[324,153,301],"class_list":["post-44127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holiday-shipping","category-uncategorized","tag-holiday-returns","tag-holiday-shipping","tag-shipping-deadlines"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n Looking for this year\u2019s shipping deadlines? We\u2019ve got you covered<\/a>!<\/h6>\n\n\n
Should I offer free shipping? \ud83c\udd93<\/h2>\n\n\n
Learn more about how you can offer free shipping with our blog<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
What should I include in my holiday returns policy? \ud83e\udd14<\/h2>\n\n\n
Check out more tips for holiday return policies in Ecommerce Holiday Returns: What Customers Want<\/a>!<\/h6>\n\n\n
How can I prepare for potentially lost or damaged shipments? \ud83d\udc94<\/h2>\n\n\n
Read more about shipping insurance in our blog<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
Are insurance options important to holiday shoppers? \ud83e\uddd0<\/h2>\n\n\n
Brush up on filing insurance claims with How to File an Insurance Claim with USPS, UPS, and FedEx<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
Should I update my website for the holiday season? \ud83d\udcbb<\/h2>\n\n\n
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For more tips and tricks on keeping your holiday customers, check out our blog<\/a>!<\/h6>\n\n\n
How can I offer my customers promo codes and other exclusive deals? \ud83d\udcb0<\/h2>\n\n\n
Why are holiday marketing campaigns important? \ud83c\udf84<\/h2>\n\n\n
Get inspiration for your next holiday marketing campaign from our blog<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
How can I organize my gift orders in ShippingEasy? \ud83c\udf81<\/h2>\n\n\n
Light up your holiday shipping with the help of ShippingEasy<\/a>!<\/h6>\n\n\n
How do I talk to my customers about shipping delays, supply chain issues, and other obstacles? \ud83d\udde3<\/h2>\n\n\n
Learn How to Communicate with Customers This Holiday Season with our blog<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
What are some of the ways ShippingEasy can help me streamline my holiday shipping process? \u23f0<\/h2>\n\n\n
Find out more about ShippingEasy in Shipping Unboxed: FAQs about ShippingEasy<\/a>!<\/h6>\n\n\n
How can I save on shipping and shipping supply costs during this holiday season? \ud83d\udcb8<\/h2>\n\n\n
You can find even more ways to save this holiday season over in our blog<\/a>.<\/h6>\n\n\n
Should I offer expedited or overnight shipping options for my customers? \ud83c\udf19<\/h2>\n\n\n
Sleigh your holiday shipping with a 30-day free trial of ShippingEasy<\/a>!<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"