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Online businesses are quickly becoming one of the linchpins of the Canadian small business world. With a dream, a plan, and a compelling website design, anyone can create their own business, built off of their interests or passions. Whether it’s a Shopify handcrafted clothing store, a vintage jewellery store through Magento, or an Etsy shop specializing in custom-made pins (to name but a few specific examples), it’s easier than ever to reach consumers with your unique products.

But one common wrench in the works of a new e-commerce business is shipping. Shipping can be either too inconvenient or prohibitively priced; it can be a frustrating variable during the checkout process, and trying to compensate for high shipping costs can cut into profit margins. It would seem like an e-commerce business is at the mercy of shipping costs, but that’s not quite the case: with netParcel in your corner, you can offer real-time, heavily discounted shipping rates at your checkout. To expand upon this point, we’ve compiled four of the top reasons every new e-commerce business should look into netParcel’s service.

Getting Rid Of Checkout “Cold Feet”

The checkout counter is a precarious game, one of the rare arenas where brick and mortar shops might have the advantage over online businesses. At a physical store, when you approach checkout, there generally aren’t any variable costs that might get tacked on – there’s no guessing game a customer has to play whilst in line to figure out what their final charge might be. The fluctuating, often high shipping costs at an online checkout are enough to deter potential customers, especially when deterrence is so easy (all you have to do is click the “x” in the corner of the tab). With netParcel though, your business is able to offer the cheapest shipping rates available, allowing you to hold onto more customers throughout checkout.

Boosting Profit Margins

You’re a business owner, not a gambler. Oftentimes, to mitigate the distressing effect of complex, real-time shipping rates on a customer, a merchant will offer one of three options: a flat shipping rate, a tiered rate based on cart value, or free shipping. These can cut into your profit margins, which, for new businesses especially, can threaten the ongoing health and quality of the business. Offering real-time, discounted shipping rates to a customer benefits the both of you: you’re able to offer a transparent, low rate, and they can feel good knowing that they’re not paying for any excessive charges.

Saving Time

If you’re using standard postage, in an attempt to cut costs, it means you’re paying for that decision with your time. It takes time traveling to the post office, waiting in line to send off every order that comes through. As business expands, this becomes less of a viable option. If the only the only reason you’re hesitant to go through a courier service is price, you don’t have to worry. We ensure that you always get your choice of the cheapest cost, preferred carrier and service level.

Increasing Customer Service

Not only do you and your customers benefit monetarily, but also there is an inherent advantage to using real-time rates and courier services, namely that it removes uncertainty from the buying process. Your customers know that they’re getting a good price, and they are then able to track their package on its way to their doorstep. These may seem like small benefits, but to a consumer flooded with choice, it’s these small differences that add up. If you have any more questions about how netParcel works, you can learn more about us on our website.

You did the hard work of creating the concept, securing the merchandise and advertising your store, now let us tackle the shipping. At netParcel, we’re happy to see new businesses flourish, and one of the best ways to do that is to remove the uncertainty surrounding your checkout.