Best Ecommerce Shipping Service in China

WELCOME to our all-in-one MEGA GUIDE for making YOU succeed in eCommerce shipping. 

Shipping to your customers can be VERY intimidating. Especially if you’ve never contacted a shipping carrier before. 

We get this concern from our CLIENTS a lot. Hence, our freight forward experts finally decided to compile EVERYTHING about eCommerce shipping. 

This article is ALL you need to be FAMILIAR with the shipment process. It’s time to LEVEL UP your eCommerce business with FASTER SHIPPING! 
Don’t miss this article! Unless you like seeing customers disappointed.

What is ecommerce shipping?

eCommerce shipping is the PROCESS of transporting goods from a seller to a customer. 

Businesses may accomplish eCommerce shipping alone. But there are ALSO eCommerce shipping companies that offer SHIPPING SOLUTIONS. For the LOWEST rates! 

(Hint, hint: LeeLine).  

What are the best practices in ecommerce shipping?

#1: Offer free shipping 

EVERYBODY loves saving money. Your customers AREN’T exceptions! 

Offering free shipping is the EASIEST way to make BUYERS hit check out. This is the REASON almost ALL sales channels give out free shipping occasionally. 

#2: Use expedited shipping 

Is FREE SHIPPING out of your budget? Use expedited shipping instead!

Customers WANT to receive their orders FAST. Even if they need to pay for shipping themselves. 

Deliver your goods faster to your BUYERS. So they become LOYAL CUSTOMERS who will return to your online store again! 

#3: Be transparent about your shipping rate

Online buyers HATE guessing shipping costs. 

Some would FILL UP THEIR CARD. But then abandon your products because your shipping rates are too HIGH.

Here’s how to set up your eCommerce platform to not disappoint your customers:

• Make CUSTOMERS input their ZIP CODE upfront. Right when they open your store. Buyers IMMEDIATELY calculate shipping costs into their budget. YOU don’t surprise them with unexpected fees when they’re about to check out. 
• OFFER several shipping options. Some are willing to PAY MORE for faster shipment. But OTHERS want to spend less. YOU must accommodate BOTH types of customers for a better customer experience. 

Ecommerce Shipping Process 

Stage 1: You receive orders. 

A buyer loves your products. They place an order. 

Now, the very first thing you should do is PREPARE the goods. Go to your business’ warehouse. And find the products your customers WANT. 

Pro tip: Double-check that you’re preparing the RIGHT products! (You’d hate it if the waiter gave you the wrong meal, right?)

Stage 2: Processing the order.

It’s time to verify that ALL the information regarding the order is CORRECT. 

Check your customer’s address. And ensure that you’re using the preferred SHIPPING METHOD of your buyer. 

eCommerce businesses often use SHIPPING APPS or eCommerce shipping software for this process. 

Stage 3: Fulfilling the order

Pack your customers’ orders carefully. Start printing shipping labels to ACCOMPANY your goods. Then, bring your package to a shipping company when it’s ready. 

Pro tip: ALWAYS give your customers a tracking number for their products. BUYERS want to KNOW where their orders are. 

Here’s a fun fact: 

Freight forwarders do all 3 stages of the shipping process for your business. Just bring your products to their fulfillment center. And the freight forwarding company packs and delivers your goods when someone orders. 

That’s way easier, right? 

How to calculate ecommerce shipping costs?

YOU must answer these 2 questions when calculating eCommerce shipping costs:

1. How much are your packaging materials? 
2. How much does your shipping carrier charge for the package?

Just ADD the 2 answers together. You get your total shipping costs! 

Yes, it’s THAT SIMPLE.

Shipping couriers like UPS or FedEx calculate the shipping costs for YOU. They do so based on these factors: 

• How heavy/big your package is. 
• The final destination of your goods. 
• The shipping method of the order. 
• Where you’re shipping the products from. 

All you have to do is…

ADD the total price of your packaging materials to your shipping courier’s charge. And YOU know exactly how much you should charge customers for shipping.

Ecommerce packaging options

#1: Standard packaging 

YOU pack your goods based on safety standards. 

You use regular boxes or plastic packages. And YOU include extra padding or bubble wrap if necessary. 

Nothing too fancy. Your goods’ packaging is IDENTICAL to how other most businesses pack their products. 

Note: This is the most cost-effective option for your CUSTOMERS and you. 

#2: Custom packaging. 

This is the FUN and exciting version of boring old boxes.

You set your business apart from your competitors by using CUSTOMIZED packaging. YOU can include your business logo. OR place your brand’s stickers all around the box.

There are no HARD RULES for custom packaging. It’s all about creativity! 

Make your CUSTOMERS feel special. 

#3: Eco-friendly packaging. 

STOP damaging the Earth by using eco-friendly products.

You use recyclable materials and AVOID plastic when packing your goods. Your business IMPRESS lots of customers. Because YOU show that YOU CARE about the planet, not just your profit. 

Top 5 ecommerce shipping carriers

#1: USPS

USPS is the KING of last-mile delivery processes. 

This carrier REACHES every address in the United States. YOU deliver your products to ALL CUSTOMERS successfully. 

USPS is the FASTEST carrier in the US. It’s a must-use shipping carrier if you want to IMPRESS customers with OVERNIGHT SHIPPING. 

Note: USPS’ packaging options are generally more expensive. Compared to other shipping couriers. 

Best for: Shipping small packages. 

#2: FedEx

Here’s the MOST small-business-friendly shipping carrier. 

FedEx offers AFFORDABLE rates when shipping domestically and internationally. It HELPS you choose your priority between SPEED or a LOWER PRICE.

This CARRIER offers free packaging for selected GOODS. It also HANDLES all the customs clearance documents for your products.

YOU save time and energy. And your customer is 100% SATISFIED with the SAFE delivery. 

Best for: eCommerce shipping beginners. FedEx’s website offers loads of information about shipping your goods. Especially if it’s your first time fulfilling orders.  

#3: UPS

UPS is the LEADER in cheap shipping services in the United States. It’s MUCH cheaper than FedEx and USPS. YOU still get expedited shipping while PAYING less. 

This carrier is an EXPERT at shipping BIG and overweight cargo. 

Its tracking feature is also the BEST in the industry.

You and your customer ALWAYS know where your product is. 

Best for: Tracking your packages and lowering shipment costs. 

#4: DHL 

Here’s a must-use shipping carrier if YOU want to start shipping internationally. 

DHL offers effective eCommerce shipping solutions for BUSINESSES WORLDWIDE. Ship to Europe or ASIA with zero stress. 

All your packages are safe because DHL prioritizes reliability and SAFETY. 

This carrier also tailors CUSTOM fulfillment services for business owners. YOU get discounts for bulk deliveries.  

This carrier is best for: International shipping. 

#5: Sendle

This is the MOST underrated carrier for shipping small orders internationally. 

Sendle lets YOU ship to your customers in LESS than a week for LESS than $5.

This shipping service is already INTEGRATED with major eCommerce platforms like eBay. Your customers KNOW their shipment rates immediately at checkout! 

YOU save time and energy. No need to manually encode shipping data. 

Best for: Small international deliveries. 

How to track ecommerce shipments and returns?

#1: Manage inventory.

The FIRST step in tracking is KNOWING what goods you have and what you don’t. 

YOU reduce inventory issues if you know EXACTLY what’s in your warehouse. YOU also access every product you have quickly. When they’re ready for shipment. 

Pro tip: ALWAYS remove products from your inventory when you ship them. So you don’t stock too much or understock goods. 

#2: Take note of your cargo’s tracking number.

EACH parcel you ship has a unique tracking number. The shipping carrier gives you this code. Remember this tracking number. Because it SHOWS:

• Where your products are.
• When they’ll arrive at the FINAL DESTINATION.

#3: Use Packagetrackr. 

This website lets YOU monitor dozens of tracking numbers at once. 

Just sign up for an account. And ENCODE every tracking number YOU have for your parcels. 

Packagetrackr SEPARATES your packages into these categories:

• In-transit.
• Out for delivery.
• Delivered.
• Pending.
• Exception.

You know the exact status of ALL your deliveries ANYTIME.  

YOU may also compare different shipping carriers with this website. It’s compatible with the tracking numbers of these carriers:

• USPS.
• UPS.
• FedEx. 
• China Post.
• Canada Post. 

Pro tip: COMPILE all products you’ve successfully delivered in an excel file. The number of packages you’ve delivered should match the goods you don’t have in your warehouse anymore. 

#4: Update your inventory when there are returns 

Having CUSTOMERS return your packages is a horror story. But this is INEVITABLE for business owners. 

Don’t forget to UPDATE your inventory when you get returns.

ADD the products to your list of stocks if it’s STILL in good condition. So YOU may ship them again to other customers. 

Which ecommerce order fulfillment models should you choose?

Let me explain what the 3 different models are. And when they’re MOST appropriate to use. Let’s start with… 

#1: Merchant Fulfillment Model.

This is the model MOST SMALL OWNERS start with. 

YOU get ZERO assistance from other companies when shipping goods with this setup. 

YOU stock your products. Receive customers’ orders. And SHIP them through local carriers ALL ON YOUR OWN. 

YOU control and DO everything alone. 

YOU should use this fulfillment model to save the most money. 

Keep in mind, though, that this process is TIME-CONSUMING. You’ll have difficulty staying in this fulfillment Model when you get DOZENS of orders. 

#2: Dropshipping Model

YOU don’t get a hold of your product with this fulfillment model. 

Your business only acts as the bridge between the manufacturer and the buyer. (But you’re like the IMPORTANT London bridge, you could say.) You decide how much and what your products are, after all.

Here’s how the Dropshipping Model works:

Step 1: You partner up with a manufacturer/supplier. 

You place their products on your website.

But they store the goods in their WAREHOUSE. 

Step 2: You receive an order. 

YOU notify the supplier if you receive orders. Manually (through email or chat) or automatically (using software or apps).

Step 3: Your supplier ships the products.

The shipment goes DIRECTLY to your customers. You don’t meet the products at all.

Note: You should use this model if YOU like selling VARIOUS products. But you DON’T WANT to lose profit when customers don’t buy your goods. 

#3: Third-party Fulfillment Model

Here’s when you outsource the delivery fulfillment process to another company.

You bring ALL of your products to a company’s fulfillment center. They HANDLE every order fulfillment and inventory management for YOU. 

You cut warehouse costs. And SAVE time and effort from shipping packages yourself.

Use this fulfillment model if:

• YOU have too many regular orders coming in. 
• You don’t have enough space to store your goods. 

FAQ about Ecommerce Shipping

What’s Next

eCommerce shipping SEEMS intimidating at first. But it’s REALLY a very simple process. As long as YOU know your priorities.

Always keep your customers in mind. GIVE them the BEST shipping options and rates. And trust me. Your eCommerce shipping quality WILL be one of the reasons YOU have loyal buyers. 

Need a hand FULFILLING ORDERS for your business? Let us give you a hand! 

We offer a one-month FREE warehousing service and FAST deliveries. Talk with one of our agents now!