How streamlining shipping processes can increase profits for online businesses

Consumer behaviour in Australia is changing as increasing numbers of shoppers move online. More than 900,000 Australian households shopped online for the first time between March and August of 2020, according to Australia Post. ¹ With so many new shoppers in the e-tailing sphere, the competition to gain audience attention is fierce. 

To make the most of this opportunity to gain more customers, you need to ensure your shipping processes are streamlined and efficient so that customers receive their goods quickly and in good condition. Automating parcel sending processes can also help online you reduce costs and increase profits. 

The increasing volume of parcel sending activity in Australia could cause challenges for retailers and office shippers as well as increase the complexity of the process. The 2020 Pitney Bowes Shipping Index shows that 934 million parcels were sent in Australia in 2019, that’s more than 2.5 million per day ² . We estimate that 2020 will see an exponential increase given the current circumstances.

Because of this, it's important you review processes to optimise shipping practices to continuously deliver excellent service to customers.

Automating the different steps of the parcel sending process is crucial. For example, automating parcel sortation can help reduce the time and cost involved in sorting deliveries, as well as improve accuracy, visibility, and tracking. 

Integrating solutions that automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks, such as reviewing and recording package weight and size information or updating labels, can simplify processing. Overall, this can lead to more efficiency for the sender and, in turn, deliver more revenue as more parcels can be processed and shipped in less time. 

You should look for solutions that can simplify order fulfillment, or risk losing productivity due to unnecessary complexity and delays due to manual processes. Deploying solutions that provide access to multiple carrier options, or facilitate easy price and delivery time comparison, will empower your users to find the simplest solutions for their needs quickly, and efficiently.

Automating the parcel sending process can also bring benefits for the wider business. Staff will have more time to spend on higher-priority tasks, leading to more efficiency across the business.This, combined with increased customer loyalty and top-line revenue, will contribute to more profits for your online business.

For more information on how you can improve your bottom line by streamlining your shipping processes contact Pitney Bowes today.