When it comes to ecommerce shipping, there’s no limit to the amount of delivery options companies have to offer to customers. Today, it’s all about expedited shipping but we’ll be talking about many different delivery options in this guide, such as;
- Two Day Shipping
- Next Day Shipping
- Same Day Shipping
- Standard Shipping
- Priority Shipping
- Expedited Shipping
- Free Shipping
Shipping costs are always a hot topic subject. Today, we’re talking all about expedited shipping, what it means and what you should know about it.
What Is Expedited Shipping?
Expedited shipping is a shipping option that allows you to ensure a package gets to its destination quicker than the normal delivery time. It’s important to note that the amount of time it takes for an expedited shipping option to be delivered differs from one carrier to the next. In most cases, expedited shipping refers to overnight or 2-day delivery.
The basic normal delivery time depends on 2 key factors,
- Where are you shipping the package from
- What location is the package going to
For example, let’s say we’re shipping out orders from one of our warehouses in Georgia. Regular ground delivery to a customer in California would take about 4-5 days. Now, with expedited delivery, that same package can move across the country in just 2-3 days. It can also be sent overnight.
How Does Expedited Shipping Compare To Other Fulfillment Options?
The type of delivery services you choose vary on a lot of different things, such as product margins, logistics cost, ecommerce fulfillment strategy, customer locations and many more components. One ecommerce store can have different expedited shipping needs versus another, every scenario is unique and differs.
You may be wondering, how does expedited shipping compare to other delivery methods? Let’s check a few out.
Express Shipping VS Expedited Shipping
Express shipping can mean a lot of different things, depending on the fulfillment company and carrier.
When express shipping is offered with expedited shipping, it usually means this;
- Express Shipping: Usually a 2 Day or Next Day delivery option
- Expedited Shipping: Faster than Standard Delivery
Standard Shipping VS Expedited Shipping
In most scenarios, standard shipping is usually the cheapest shipping option. While it depends on the fulfillment partner you work and specific carrier, typical orders are going to take 3-7 days to get to your customers with this shipping option.
Now, you do see a lot of companies promoting 2 day delivery as their standard delivery. That’s not always the case, some companies are clear that standard delivery means you’re going to be waiting a little longer to receive your order. Now, these stores may have an expedited delivery option available for customers to choose, next day or 2 day. After all, you want your customers to have several delivery options to choose from.
We should also point out, most retailers count shipping time when the order is shipped out, not when it’s purchased online or another means. If you choose 2 day for your delivery option, it could take longer than 2 days to receive that order.
2 Day Shipping Or Next Day Shipping
For some retailers, expedited orders ship out with a 2 day or next day turnaround time. For others, 2 day delivery is the standard. Every ecommerce business will position their shipping options in ways they see are most fit for customers.
Thanks to Amazon Prime, ecommerce companies are feeling the pressure to provide 2 day and next day shipping options to keep customer service levels high.
Expedited Shipping Options
There’s a number of different companies that offer expedited shipping services, all of the major carriers offer it, these range from overnight to 3 days. It’s also important to note that each company’s definition of expedited shipping can differ, so it’s important to know and understand what each definition means per company. Let’s take a quick look at the most popular expedited shipping options per company and what it means for each company.
Fedex Same Day Delivery
FedEx has a same-day delivery service if you need to ship out orders fast. for urgent shipments. The company also has an expedited freight service as well. Their expedited services include delivery within a specific time window.
If you’re going to be using their expedited shipping options, you’re going to be paying a premium for the service, especially for the overnight or same-day delivery services. No worry though, you do have other options to get orders delivered to your customers fast without breaking your fulfillment budget. We’ll discuss that in detail shortly.
USPS Priority Mail
USPS Priority Mail service has the ability to deliver your packages in 1-3 days no matter what shipping zone they’re going to. With this option, you can use your own packaging or you can use a USPS flat rate shipping box. If you need overnight delivery, you can use Priority Mail Express Overnight – this will allow you to get your package to a final destination by 10:30 am. There’s also some Sunday delivery options, as well as a two-day delivery option.
USPS (United Parcel Service)
The United Parcel Service, or USPS, offers a number of different expedited services also. They include: same-day delivery through Express Critical service; Next Day Air; Next Day Air Early A.M.; Next Day Air Saver; 2nd Day Air; 2nd Day Air A.M.; and UPS 3-Day Select, all of these are faster than traditional UPS Ground Service.
UPS Expedited Shipping Options
UPS has a few different expedited shipping services to choose from. One of them is called UPS Express Critical Domestic Shipping, this one allows you to deliver a package the same day it’s shipped. UPS can also provide Saturday delivery option to help you get a parcel out to your customer quickly.
International Expedited Shipping
For any of you that will be shipping out orders internationally, there’s a few options for you as well. You can get expedited delivery services on shipments from the US to other countries. FedEx provides international expedited services that expedite customs clearance as well as delivery. FedEx also has International First and International Priority – these services deliver international packages in 1-3 days. UPS also has a few international expedited shipping options.
Why Should Ecommerce Stores Offer Expedited Shipping?
This is a great question, there’s actually a number of different ways expedited shipping can help your ecommerce store. We’ll go ahead and cover the big 4.
(1) Exceed Customer Expectations
There’s no question about it, consumers want faster shipping options, even if they choose standard delivery.
Think about it, when you get an order that arrives a day or two early, how do you feel? Probably pretty excited, right? How do you think your customers will feel if you can exceed their expectations by getting their orders to them a day early?
(2) Reduce Abandoned Carts
Every ecommerce retailer has to deal with abandoned carts. There’s a ton of different strategies to reduce them, one of those strategies is by offering more delivery services. According to Metapack, 45 percent of shoppers abandoned carts because a lack of delivery options. Wow!
If you want to immediately reduce abandoned carts (and I know you do), add more options for your delivery.
(3) Higher Conversions And More Sales
Not only can more delivery options reduce abandoned carts, it can also increase conversions and sales. Who doesn’t want more conversions and sales?
Think about your customers, shipping is super important to most consumers and when they have options, they’re more likely to buy than not.
(4) Building Loyalty Among Your Tribe
A happy customer is a repeat customer. Ever hear of that saying?
Now, not every happy customers will buy again but you best believe many of them will. Just like the example we used above, when we get our order early, we’re happy campers. This immediately builds brand loyalty. On the other end, if your customers are getting orders a day or two late, those consumers are not going to be happy.
When customers are happy, they feel good. In a world where social proof counts for a lot, excited customers are more likely to give your company a shoutout. While one shoutout is certainly not a lot, imagine hundreds of these going out each day. The secret is simple, keep customers happy and excited. You offering expedited shipping services is a simple way to create a lot of loyalty for your company.
Expedited Shipping Cost
Expedited shipping cost can vary based on a lot of different factors, so the prices below are not meant to be an exact cost example. Rather, we’re just trying to give you a base idea of how much it cost. Due to seasonal trends, dimensional weight, package weight, items shipped, shipping zones and other factors, expedited shipping cost will vary.
Here’s an example of expedited shipping cost for each carrier based on a 3 day delivery turnaround for a large box.
- FedEx Express Saver – $19.05
- UPS 3 Day Select – $39.88
- USPS Priority Main – $20.68
Here’s an example of overnight delivery for each carrier mailing a large box.
- UPS Next Day – $97.44
- FedEx Express Same Day – $85.70
- USPS Priority Mail Express Delivery (By 10:30A) – $45.44
If you’re looking to streamline expedited shipping costs and save time on the complete order fulfillment process , consider partnering with a 3PL. In fact, it’s likely your order fulfillment cost will be less than you think.
How To Offer Expedited Shipping To Customers
Expedited shipping can be necessary when you find yourself in a bind. If important orders don’t go out on time, customers can turn into angry customers. Angry customers leave bad reviews, that’s the last thing you want. It many cases, it’s well worth the loss to ensure a package gets to a customer fast. If you had to choose between that and a bad review, you take care of the customer 9 times out of 10.
You don’t have to use expedited services to provide fast order delivery to your customers. Your 3PL services company can help you create a fulfillment strategy that saves you effort, money and delivery time.
(1) Using Multiple Fulfillment Centers
Expedited shipping can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.
If you’re familiar with how shipping zones work, you know the less distance a package has to travel, the faster and less expensive it is to reach your customers. If you have the opportunity to distribute inventory to multiple fulfillment centers near your customers, you will reach customers faster with ground shipping.
When you can offer expedited ground shipping to your customers, at a much lower cost than expedited air shipping, this tactic can also help you reduce abandoned carts. Now, that doesn’t include also increasing conversions and sales because more customers are going to buy with new shipping options, it can be a win-win for your company.
(2) Outsourcing Your Order Fulfillment To A 3PL
Outsourcing shipping and fulfillment to a 3PL can help your ecommerce business leverage shipping options, discounts and technology not available to those who fulfill orders in-house. Thill Inc. is a 3PL that helps ecommerce merchants meet customer expectations around expedited orders to grow their business.
When an order is assigned to expedited shipping , our fulfillment software automatically gives it priority and bypasses the normal standard shipping option. When our fulfillment team gets it, we get it shipped accurately, quickly and efficiently.
Thill’s technology is already integrated with all of the top ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Magento, Ebay, Amazon, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and CrateJoy. By connecting your ecommerce store to Thill’s technology, merchants will be able to automatically push customer orders to a Thill Inc. fulfillment center to be picked, packed and shipped.
Online merchants can also distribute their inventory to multiple Thill fulfillment centers that are close to their end customers to further compete by reducing shipping costs and speed. This lets merchants offer their customers affordable expedited services that they would otherwise not be able to offer customers.
Learn More About Expedited Shipping
Ready to learn more about expedited shipping? Give our fulfillment experts a call today at 1-920-967-9201 and we’ll help you with all your shipping and fulfillment needs.
