Shipping Time in Transit and Preferred Delivery Date: Eliminating Apprehension for Potential Buyers

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
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Depending on a customer’s requirements, when a package arrives may be just as important as what they buy or how much they spend. During the holiday shopping season especially, the need to know when an order is expected to arrive or often choosing when can be a deciding factor in where a consumer makes their purchase. Some merchants provide confusing tables, maps, or rough estimates on transit times. Others offer no indication at all. This is a critical error that no retailer can afford to make. Customers expect to know when their order will be delivered, before submitting it. And in some cases, primarily in the gift giving industry, customers need to determine the day that a package will arrive.

Because Nexternal integrates with the online shipping tools for the major carriers, merchants are able to take advantage of the Shipping Time In Transit feature which accurately displays the date on which customers’ packages will reach them. This works in conjunction with the merchant-specified lead times. Because consumers are able to determine their shipping at any point, they can stay informed from the very beginning, unlike most every other ecommerce system where shipping can only be calculated at the point of checkout, leading to confusion and/or increased abandonment. The Preferred Delivery Date option goes one step further and allows customers to choose a future date on which they’d like their package to arrive. Many clients have found that consumers are very grateful for this functionality as it offers assurance that packages are scheduled to arrive in time for holidays, birthdays, and other occasions.

For Existing Nexternal Merchants who have the online shipping tools activated, the Shipping Time In Transit feature can be turned on in Settings/Shipping. Preferred Delivery Date can be turned on in Settings/Site Options/Expected Shipping Time.

Coming from a medical and non-profit management background, Taryn has extensive experience in customer service and marketing. She is a Senior Account Manager for Nexternal and loves working with her clients to develop social media and marketing strategies to improve their online presence. In her spare time, she also runs a successful eCommerce jewelry and essential oils business.