How To Ship Products to Customers: My Guide for Businesses in 2024

Before your business gets started with shipping products, there are a few key things to consider:

• What kind of products are you selling? – Are all your products similar in size and weight, or do they vary drastically? Do you have fragile goods to transport? Your products will impact the type of shipping you choose. For example, shipping jewelry is very different from shipping a heavy piece of furniture.
• Where will you store products? – If you’re storing products at home to package and ship, they must be organized and easily accessible to avoid confusion if orders stack up. Or, if you don’t have space at home, you might want to consider outsourcing to an ecommerce fulfillment warehouse.
• Where will you be shipping products to? – Do you know where your target customers are based? Are you willing to ship products abroad? I recommend starting with a local approach first, and you can expand further afield as you grow in confidence.
• Have you set aside money to cover shipping costs? – It’s no good offering free shipping to all customers if it’ll cripple your bank account and business. Assess your budget now to help make sensible decisions when choosing the right shipping method to offer customers.

Once you’ve received an order, what comes next? I’ll walk you through each step below so you know how to ship products to customers from home.

There are different shipping methods available, and here’s a rundown of some of the main options:

• Free shipping – You can remove shipping costs entirely by including the cost of shipping within the product pricing, or as a reward if customers spend a certain amount of money, for example. This is best for businesses with a high conversion rate since it can be expensive to offer this shipping method.
• Flat-rate shipping – You can charge the same shipping fee per order, no matter what’s included at checkout. This is ideal if you’re selling products that don’t vary much in size or weight, and I’d recommend this shipping method for businesses looking to simplify the process for their customers.
• Real-time shipping – Charging real-time courier rates provides the most accurate shipping price for customers to view because it’s based on the individual order. You can easily integrate this shipping method with your store through couriers and ecommerce website builders, like Shopify.
• Local delivery or pick-up – This is a great option for businesses with a physical location or local customers since they can receive their orders quickly through speedy delivery or by collecting them in person.

Unexpected costs are the number one reason for shopping cart abandonment, meaning you must be transparent and careful about adding shipping costs to your store.

Which Shipping Method Do I Recommend?

You don’t have to pick one shipping method and stick with it forever. First, I recommend selecting your primary shipping method, such as flat-rate shipping. Then, if it’s appropriate for your business and budget, you can offer free shipping as an option for more expensive orders or as part of a sale promotion.

Shopify recently announced split shipping in its recent Summer ‘24 Edition, giving customers more choice at checkout if an order will be delivered via multiple shipments. Customers can then choose the shipping method and cost that suits them best.

However, try to avoid confusing your customers with too many shipping methods. Don’t overwhelm them with options and keep your messaging clear to minimize the chance of mix-ups.

To read more about different shipping methods, read our guide on choosing an effective ecommerce shipping strategy.

Calculating shipping costs might bring to mind equations and complex math. Thankfully, in reality, it’s hardly rocket science.

Working out how much it costs to ship a product boils down to a few basic things:

• Product weight
• Product size
• Where you’re shipping from
• Where you’re shipping to

In some cases, there might be extra shipping costs to consider, such as tax, customs fees, insurance, and tracking charges.

Making concrete predictions about shipping costs is hard because each store and courier will vary. However, the general rule is that larger, heavier products will cost more to ship, and shipping abroad will be more expensive than shipping locally.

But, how do you work out the shipping cost? I recommend using a shipping calculator from a courier, such as FedEx or USPS. Simply enter your product details (such as weight and dimensions), where you’re shipping from and to, and the shipping dates. The calculator will then generate the correct shipping cost and options.

Shipping calculators can differ, but most of the key information for the quote will be the same – and it’s quick, easy, and free to fill out.

Packaging serves two functions. Firstly, you want to get your product safely into the hands of your customers. Secondly, you want to market your product and business to boost your brand reputation.

The packaging you choose will depend largely on the type of product you’re shipping. Delicate items will need extra protection, while heavy products need sturdy packaging that won’t fall apart.

In general, ecommerce packaging should be:

• Sturdy – a battered, broken box doesn’t make a great first impression on your customers
• Sealed – you don’t want the package to be falling apart or open by the time it’s delivered
• Appropriately sized  – the smaller it is, the easier it is to ship
• Easy to handle – this applies to both the customer and the courier
• Light – a lighter package will help to reduce costs

Cardboard boxes are commonly used and are great for all shapes and sizes. However, I recommend reinforcing the seams with strong tape to avoid them breaking in transit. If you’re packaging your products in-house, try a test delivery to your address to see if the packaging can withstand the journey.

Focus on Branding

Once you’ve considered the practicalities, it’s time to think about branded packaging. A good first impression is critical – this is what customers first see when their order arrives at their home.

Think about how you’re presenting your products within the packaging, as well as how the external packaging looks.

Adding small touches can help you build a brand online and make your business stand out – you could add branded messaging, include packaging inserts, use the same font or color scheme as your business, or include a personalized thank-you message inside.

Alternatively, if your business is all about eco-friendly products or has sustainable values, you could source recycled or sustainable packaging.

The next step is to choose the right courier for your business. This will require a degree of research and comparison, but I’ve pulled together the key details in this section to help you make an informed decision.

If you’re based in the US, you can choose from a range of popular shipping options, such as:

• USPS
• FedEx
• UPS
• DHL Express

Additionally, I recommend seeing what’s available through your website builder when determining how to ship products to customers at home. For example, Shopify merchants get Shopify Shipping as a built-in feature. This provides discounted shipping rates from partner carriers, including USPS.

It’s also important to check if your chosen courier’s product policies align with what you’re selling, otherwise you could face a surprise blocker. You should see if the courier offers international selling (if relevant to your business), how quickly they can deliver items, if they’ll pick up deliveries from your business, and how reliable and trusted the courier is.

The care, speed, and effort your courier puts into shipping your products will directly impact your business – and the way your customers perceive your brand. So, make sure to take the time to pick the right courier, rather than simply the cheapest.

Some businesses will need to consider these extra steps, depending on the types of products being sold and where they’re being shipped to.

Insurance & Tracking

If you’re selling high-value products, adding insurance can offer some much-needed peace of mind. Most shipping couriers provide insurance as an inexpensive add-on, while others will automatically include it in the shipping price.

Adding tracking to your products when shipped is another reassuring element to consider – for both your business and the customer. You can see when a shipment has been delivered safely, and the customer receives updates on the package’s progress. Tracking can be included within insurance, depending on the courier, so it’s worth checking before sending a product.

International Selling

Are you thinking about selling products internationally? If you want your products to cross borders safely, there are a few legalities to tick off.

For any package shipped internationally, you must fill out customs declaration forms. Be transparent about what’s inside the package, where it’s come from, where it’s going, its value, and the fact that it’s merchandise.

You can check which forms to fill out through your local post office, shipping carrier, or even your ecommerce website builder. At this stage, you can also check if there will be extra costs (such as taxes, tariffs, or customs duties) to be paid.

Labeling your packaging is the final task to complete before you can ship your products.

For new or very small businesses, handwriting your labels can be the easiest way to get started. However, I recommend getting your labels officially printed if you want to save time and present a professional look to customers.

Your shipping labels should include these basics:

• Origin (or return) address
• Destination (customer) address
• Weight
• Shipping class (such as First Class)
• Tracking number and barcode

You can use couriers to create labels, but it’s much easier to produce shipping labels from scratch when using an ecommerce website builder, such as Wix or Shopify. For example, with Shopify Shipping, you can select all the orders you’re ready to ship, preview and edit their labels, and then print them out on your printer. With Wix Shipping, you’ll need to integrate your site with the popular shipping option Shippo before you can print labels.

Now that you’ve considered the entire shipping process and experience, you can ship your products to customers. But, to guarantee happy customers, the work doesn’t stop here.

You need to communicate with your customers. While you’ve been working hard to get your products ready for shipping, your customer is left in the dark unless you keep them in the loop.

I recommend sending a confirmation message once the customer places an order with your business. And, if you can’t give them shipping details right away, let them know that you’ll be in touch soon with more information. If possible, try to provide an estimated dispatch window. For example, you could say that products are usually sent within 72 hours.

You can set up email automations to inform the customer when the product has been dispatched, give them an idea about the delivery date, and send them a tracking number if that’s an option. Once they’ve received their parcel, you should also send another “thank you” email to ask for feedback or to encourage them to shop with your store again.

Shipping plays a critical role in the success of any business – if your shipping process is a mess, you can say goodbye to happy customers or repeat sales.

Because of this, it’s important to invest time and effort into setting up your shipping properly. You don’t need a limitless budget or a large team behind the scenes to get it right either.

From setting your shipping rates and methods to labeling your products and getting them delivered to customers, I’ve shared the seven steps you’ll need to ship products successfully.

Positive shopping experiences will encourage customers to return to your store and buy products from you again! And, if you get your branding and packaging right, you could even use customer-generated unboxing videos or content in your marketing strategies to promote your business across social media.

For further reading, check out our detailed guide on the best shipping options for small businesses.