Delivery strategies to enhance customer experience

Consumers around the world have become accustomed to shopping online and receiving their orders fast. 

A 2021 report conducted by Omnitracs on consumer behavior found that 65% of US shoppers are willing to spend more money to receive faster, more reliable delivery. Three main factors affect a consumer’s decision when choosing between speed vs cost: Their age, the urgency of the delivery, and the total cost, including delivery.

Consumers have opted to skip the long queues and crowds to order in the comfort of their home. For e-commerce businesses their survival all hangs on the customer. To win repeat business, the customer must have a great experience.  

Payment Cloud, a company that offers payment solutions says, “Many shoppers scroll the web to find their products and make purchases from their phones with a click of a button.” The company adds that since the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has become even more popular. 

Payment Cloud gives some indications to why consumers prefer online shopping:

• Convenience.
• Time-saving.
• Contactless.
• Competitive price matching.

If you are an online store and you can figure out how to help customers stay on your site – and better yet, have a good shopping experience – they will keep shopping with you. If a customer has an unpleasant experience on your site, they will just move on to your competitors. 

Customer pain points when it comes to online shopping could be: 

• Receiving the wrong order.
• Not enough payment options.
• Slow checkout process.
• Not giving enough information. 

Here are some great ways you can enhance customer experience. 

Stick to your brand promise 

Always be aware of your customer’s expectations. Providing them with delivery options is a good idea. Same-day delivery will surely set you apart. This delivery option sees your customer receive their order within 24 hours. 

Benefits of same-day delivery are: 

• High customer satisfaction – customers will know they can depend on you.  
• Gives you a competitive edge – your competitors will wish they had your business model. 
• Increase customer conversion rate – customers will shop with you because they can get the items fast. 
• Happy customers = more repeat business – customers will shop with you because you provide the service they desire. 

Better shopping experience with more information 

Service delivery is all about the customer. Outline your delivery speed clearly and give the buyer all the information they need. 

For example, payment terms. The buyer doesn’t want to click to multiple pages on your website – make the payment process easy. 

Live tracking for the customer 

Your delivery management system is key. Strikingly is a company that builds websites. It explains a key to an online purchase: “Shipping is frequently the ‘make or break’ factor in an online purchase. If it’s too expensive, not available through their preferred carrier, or cumbersome in some way, a potential consumer will happily abandon their shopping basket and go elsewhere to find what they want.”

If a customer can track the order, you’re giving them control. Locate2u’s tracking for example lets customers live-track an order directly to their door. Put yourself in a buyer’s shoes – they want convenience. Tracking the item is part of the experience; the customer can see exactly where their order is.

123FormBuilder is a cloud-based tool that allows you to design and embed forms on your website. It gives some key findings to customer experience: 

• 81% of people claim that receiving good customer service makes them more likely to make another purchase.
• 70% of the buying experience is based on how the customer is treated.
• More than 60% of customers now expect companies to meet all of their needs. 
• 61% of customers would leave for a competitor after just one negative experience.
• 64% of businesses say they can notice sales growth due to good customer service. 
• 90% of customers are willing to spend more when companies provide personalized customer services.

Also read: The benefits of last mile delivery for businesses 

Make it all about your brand  

Don’t send the customer to a third-party app for product delivery. Software company Postron gives some valuable insight as to why you should not use a third-party for delivery: 

• Platform fees can be expensive 
• Third-party doesn’t suffer relationship damage 
• Little interaction with your brand 

Ensure the customer stays on your website. Allowing the customer to spend more time on your site may open up to more purchases and let them gain more knowledge of your products/services. Enhance their delivery experience by offering express delivery. 

Here are some reasons why express delivery is important: 

• Allows a company to send products rapidly. 
• Reduces delivery time. 
• Provides the customer with flexibility. 

Last mile delivery is key 

Last mile delivery refers to the last mile or kilometer of the delivery process. Insider Intelligence gives some insight into the benefits of effective last mile delivery. Some benefits of last-mile delivery can include better customer service and more sales. 

WarehousingAndFulfillment.com assists companies in the US and Canada to receive quotes for anything related to warehousing, fulfillment and manufacturing. 

The company’s blog states: “Last mile delivery is pivotal in the supply chain, particularly within the e-commerce sector. This phase can be the make-or-break point for customer satisfaction, influencing customer retention and brand perception. As customers’ expectations continue to soar, the role of efficient last mile delivery in fulfilling those expectations becomes increasingly essential.”

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