Course Overview and Objectives
Welcome!
Get ready for an exciting journey as we craft a tailored shipping strategy for your small business.
Throughout this course, we'll provide expert guidance and step-by-step tutorials to walk you through setting up your shipping strategy, which includes the exact set up I use on Shopify.
I show you this set up not because it is a perfect fit for every ecommerce store, but to show you exactly what you need to do to add your own shipping settings. Throughout this course you will identify your own specific settings while you craft your own unique strategy.
And by the way, this shipping course doesn't apply only to Shopify based businesses. Our insights and strategies are applicable across ALL ecommerce platforms including Etsy and Amazon, ensuring that no matter where your business resides, you'll emerge equipped with the tools and knowledge to optimize your shipping operations.
Because Shopify is the number one ecommerce platform, I use it as an example throughout the course. And because Etsy is a marketplace used by the designers and and makers that this course is designed for, and the two platforms I use and recommend myself, I include information specific to setting up Etsy shipping as well.
Because free tutorials are great for the HOW to set it up, but it isn't always great for helping us to understand WHEN and WHY you would choose certain shipping costs and options over others.
We will gain a BIG PICTURE understanding of shipping for ecommerce stores, while taking ACTION STEPS along the way, resulting in a customized shipping solution for your store. By following along in this course, you will have a great understanding of all of your shipping needs and will have fully set up your shipping.
And with this course, you get support every step of the way. You can ask questions and get direct feedback on each lesson. We also have email support and live Q&A sessions during office hours.
My Experience
Briefly, I have taken both in-person orders and online orders and shipped them all over the world. I have shipped both larger $30k wholesale orders and small $30 retail orders. I have shipped packages from Canada to China, Japan, Africa, the UK, as well as literally hand delivered an order to a customer who was a block away.
Over the last 25 years I have operated an online jewellery business and one major game changer for my sales came when I learned how to get incredible price savings on my shipping and in turn properly price my products to reflect my shipping costs.
In this course I will cover the universal shipping practices, and you will learn all the Pro Tips I have developed from 25 years of running an online store.
This course is for anyone who wants a simple, reliable, shipping setup.
I choose Shopify for my own business and recommend it to others starting with ecommerce for many reasons, one of which is the integrated shipping options, and built in shipping discounts.
However, these ecommerce shipping practices will work for any other platforms including Wix, Wordpress, and Squarespace, as well as Marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ECOMMERCE SHIPPING
Shipping is one of the least sexy aspects of running an ecommerce business. It's dry, it's boring, it's expensive, it's constantly changing, but it is a HUGE part of ecommerce, and understanding the details about your shipping requirements and setting up your shipping the right way, right from the beginning, can save you a lot of time and money!
You can be certain that your customer will want to know exactly when their order ships, how long it is going to take, and customers will be constantly emailing you for information unless you have a plan in place from the start.
GOOD NEWS!
This can all be easily automated, saving you HOURS of looking up orders and tracking details, and sending emails.
How your business communicates with your customers about their orders can make or break a business. Letting them know about your shipping services at every step along the way will help facilitate sales immensely, even before they place their initial order.
People need to know:
- how long it is going to take you to ship an item
- how much the shipping will cost
- how long the shipping itself will take
- is there an option for faster shipping
- how much faster shipping will cost
- will it require a signature or not
- are there duties and taxes
- who pays for duties and taxes
- and how much do those cost
Don't worry if you don't have a clue about any of these answers, that is exactly why I have created this course.
I have been asked by many people who are setting up ecommerce sites how to deal with shipping. From a band who wants to just sell a couple of t-shirts and hats, to people launching a full drop shipping business, this course will answer all the questions you have, as well a lot of the questions you didn't know you need answered!
Okay, I know I said it was boring, but I can't wait to share this information with you! I feel like all this experience and knowledge I've acquired over the years can at least be used to help other people launch their successful ecommerce stores!
This shipping course for small, creative, ecommerce businesses will clear up any mysteries about shipping and set you up for success! And that is kind of exciting!
By the end of this course, you will have a thorough understanding of how to customize shipping rates for:
- Local Zones
- North American Zones
- International Zones
You will also learn how to integrate with shipping carriers, and best practices for packaging, labeling, and tracking orders to ensure they are delivered efficiently and accurately.
Whether you are just starting out with your Shopify store or looking to improve your existing shipping strategy, this course will provide you with the knowledge and tools to create a successful shipping strategy.
Key Lesson Concepts for this course:
- Develop your personalized shipping strategy
- Implement your shipping rates on your platforms and marketplaces
- Offer free shipping incentives to customers
- Integrating with shipping carriers for seamless fulfillment
- Connecting your site to shipping carriers
- Tips on saving money on shipping
- What to include in your package
- Where to buy shipping supplies
- My EXACT set up for shipping on Shopify and Etsy
- Best practices for labeling
- How to set up order tracking
- Customs, duties and taxes for exporting
- Managing returns, losses, understanding insurance
- Dealing with jerks