New to Drop Shipping? Takeaways From ASD Trade Show

There are not many things that almost EVERYONE will agree on. But, one is that shipping is costly! This one aspect of your business has so much power that it can make or break your drop shipping company. That power though can be exactly what can make it a success.

Know Everything About YOUR Shipping

Where regions are you sending the most shipments to? What zone are they in? Find the answers to Be mindful of surcharges. These may only tack on a small cost each time, but you WILL feel the cumulative effect. Some may be unavoidable, such as customs fees, delivery area surcharge or an additional weight charge. Make sure addresses are being input correctly, you may check and address corrections can create mounting costs. Find out if there is a problem in your system causing this.

So, what else can you do to ensure your shipping is most beneficial to you and your customer? Here are some secrets we took away from ASD show and from expert Brian Gibbs of Refund Retriever.

1. Benchmark carrier rates so you know what is fair. Know what is going on in the shipping market. If you don’t know what your competitors are paying- find out.
2. Then, don’t lock yourself into one carrier. Know you can leave them at any time if you are not getting the service or price you deserve.
3. Most importantly, really read your shipping contract. If you don’t agree with something fix it. If shipping demands change, then then you must adjust.
4. Make sure that you have the rights to claim late delivery funds. Most have the “If it’s not on time it’s free” policy. Although, when entering into a contract with a carrier, many don’t read the fine print and find out they waived those rights after they signed on the dotted line.
5. There are large volume discounts you can cash in on, but if your shipments fluctuate a lot, then avoid it at all costs. What you can do is team up with another company to increase volume and lower rates.
6. There are more options than you think which gives you more power than you think! With a little research, you can ensure you’re getting as high of a profit margin as possible.

We’ll be back on the floor tomorrow. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks from ASD and Market Week!