Harmonising delivery across channels to amplify eCommerce success

For many Australian small businesses, the choice to select which eCommerce channel to become listed on forces with is often an agonising one. Whether it's eBay, Amazon, Facebook or their very own website, Australian businesses need to synchronise all elements of their marketing and business repertoire, as well as their shipping solutions, to maintain a consistent and complementary offering.

Australian small businesses need to integrate and consolidate their
delivery repertoire to increase success and profitability in the long term.

Reputation and proven
success

It is imperative that you use a website platform that it is designed for and which has a strong track record in eCommerce and fulfilment.

There are simply no short cuts with this particular: by handpicking the proven and successful website platforms, you'll have less issues as you keep growing. In turn, your shipping will also be more seamless and less labour intensive and arduous. Always do your research.

In Australia, when it
comes to sales channels, eBay may be the go-to platform.  eBay's longstanding presence and foothold in
Australia for more than 20 years, equates to 74 million visits per month and
holds 22 percent share. 

Facebook and Instagram also enable sellers to target their desired market easier and accurately giving them a greater audience with marketing ROI improvements.

Amazon is a relative newcomer only starting in Australia in the past few years but gaining momentum with around three per cent share. Catch.com.au, Kogan and Mydeal.com.au are also up and coming marketplaces to consider.

Using a multi-channel approach not only gives you far more options to sell in many different places at the same time, but you convey more opportunities to market to your own customer base regularly also, however, this isn't easily the case if you only sell on eBay or Amazon. Selling via your own website also removes the costly marketplace seller fees, leaving you much more money in your own pocket.

The main benefit of businesses using an online marketplace is they take care of the marketing and businesses can access a huge marketplace of buyers looking for similar products to yours. This alleviates the need for businesses to come up with their own marketing campaign which may hit or miss depending on your experience.

However, there is a cost charged by the marketplaces ranging from a few per cent up to 35 percent or more of your sale price. The task is to way up the margin left over after paying seller fees and whether it's worthwhile (i.e. some products will improve suited to marketplaces then others).

Harmonised shipping
strategy

A synchronised shipping strategy for all channels is
imperative in developing a consistent and unified customer offering.  

If you offer free shipping on your webstore, it is vital that you offer it also on other sales channels. Consistency inside your shipping strategy is important to engage and secure loyal customers on different platforms. eBay heavily pushes sellers to offer Free Shipping at checkout. This is great with speed at checkout for customers and is becoming an expectation from many consumers, particularly for small or lightweight goods.

Shipping is among the understated, but crucial elements in getting your e-commerce right from the start. Regardless of your size or offering, it is fundamental that you master the skill of shipping across all your channels so that your customers can benefit.