How To Setup WooCommerce Shipping On Your Store?

No matter whether your WooCommerce store is small or huge, you strive to make sure that your consumers have a pleasurable interaction. Isn’t it??

You evaluate each and every aspect keenly from images, to propose adjustments to your business, and compose communications with the motive of achieving happiness for your customers.

But when it concerns Shipping, nevertheless, it could really seem as though you’re entrusting your business to a stranger.

Really??? Yes, that’s the case actually…

Brands usually overlook the importance of the Shipping mechanism and the strategy behind that. Whereas, shipping is a crucial component of your brand. It’s the juncture at which customers perceive your product for the first time, and that’s so it is also a substantial investment for your brand.

So, what are we here for?? Definitely, we’re here to deliver some of the fundamentals of shipping your products and debunk some of the myths surrounding this complex topic. Learn, how WooCommerce can help you streamline your shipment, and tools to make it all smoother.

Because the world of shipping and fulfillment can be confusing to those unfamiliar with it, we’ve put up a quick guide to everything you’ll need to know to make the right decision for your company.

Let’s start then…

What Exactly are WooCommerce Shipping Costs?

Delivering an item from your store or warehouse to a customer’s door involves incurring direct expenditures, such as shipping. These expenses consistently include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• The cost of boxes, wrapping, tape, and stickers
• The price of hiring a worker to pick, pack, and ship an item.
• The expense of sending a courier to pick up and deliver a package
• Import/export costs when shipping overseas

Why is Calculating Shipping Costs an Important Process?

WooCommerce store owners need to consider both their budget and customer needs when figuring out shipping expenses. Charge too little, and your margins will be eroded, and your business will not last. If you charge too much, you run the risk of losing clients to your rivals.

Many of your competitors may be providing free delivery or shipping discounts. While it may seem alluring to do the same, it’s quite likely that they’ve gone through a thorough process of calculating shipping costs to be able to offer such discounts. Ideally, you should follow suit.

Consumers expect retailers to deliver an instant shipping quote at the checkout when they know their shipping prices.

What do the Latest eCommerce Shipping Statistics and Trends Say?

To meet customer expectations, it can be a challenge to offer affordable and fast shipping options without a proper fulfillment strategy in place.

Fortunately, there are ways to offer better shipping incentives, such as free shipping, while simultaneously reducing shipping costs and speeding up transit times even if your customers are scattered across the country.

What are the Hidden Benefits of Offering Free Shipping?

68% of US online shoppers surveyed, stated they didn’t make a purchase more than half of the time if the brand didn’t offer free shipping. Based on this data, it’s clear that offering free shipping is worth it if you want to boost your sales and reduce cart abandonment.

Bundles upsell, or a minimum purchase threshold is often offered in exchange for free delivery as a way to mitigate the costs.

Shipping is one of the most important aspects of an eCommerce business. Customers are directly influenced by the shipping services you provide in your store, based on which they will make decisions on future purchases. 

Some of the problems clients face with delivery are out of your hands because of the carrier service you selected and other logistical procedures. It’s your job as a store owner to keep these problems to a minimum and ensure that your consumers have a positive WooCommerce shipping experience by meeting the estimated delivery date.

That’s more than a fact rather truth-

When it comes to shipping woes, you’re not the only one. When it concerns finding the appropriate remedies, you’re not the only one. There are many like you. 

So, don’t stress…

What are the Possible Benefits of Offering Shipping Management?

WooCommerce Shipping solutions provide a number of advantages to both customers and businesses. Deliveries are critical in today’s market, there is no doubt about that. 

Modern shipping management skills let you exceed client expectations while also managing your own business requirements at every level of the order and delivery process. Let’s head on to the efficacies of the shipping business-

Higher Customer Trust and Loyalty

For a successful business, building client trust is essential. Your WooCommerce shipping policy guarantees that you and your customers are on the same page regarding shipping policies.

Transparency and Straightforwardness when setting expectations help clients decide whether or not to buy from you, and when the unexpected happens and your business operations alter, your shipping policy helps you preserve that hard-earned confidence.

More and more Returning Customers

Shipping has a huge impact on the shopping experience and purchasing behavior of customers, as you know as a consumer. 

Indeed, more than half of customers have decided not to complete an order because the delivery options did not satisfy their requirements. If your shipping strategy is on top, this clearly means more and more returning customers.

Lower Probability of Cart Abandonment issues

According to Sendcloud’s research, 65% of customers abandon checkout because the delivery prices are too high.

Consider this, if you buy something from the internet, you know that you may have to pay a modest fee for shipping. However, if the price is not apparent or is excessive, you may reconsider making the purchase. 

As a result, hefty shipping costs result in many shopping carts being abandoned. So, plan a well-streamlined strategy today and avoid such issues effectively.

Can take Advantage in the Market

No one can afford to ignore customer needs when the number of internet businesses grows every year. If you don’t fulfill your deadlines, someone else will. Because of this, 66% of customers have admitted to picking one store over another just due to the company’s shipping alternatives.

Ensure the Effectiveness of Operations

Investing in shipping management solutions is the best decision for business productivity. Trying to meet customer shipping needs without the proper infrastructure can put a major strain on the organization, affecting everything from operational efficiency to cost-effectiveness.

Gaining Knowledge and Optimizing

Shipping and delivery, like any other service or business decision, can only be optimized by using important insights gleaned from comprehensive data sets. To guarantee shops are employing the best and most cost-effective couriers, shipping management software connects them to all the information they need in one central area. 

Service teams may use order history and reports to better serve customers, while businesses can use customer insights to make changes that better serve both customers and the business.

Can Offer a Greater Variety of Options with Ease

More variety and ease of use are always at the top of the list of customer expectations when it comes to service. Shoppers expect shipping to work with their schedules, whether they’re searching across borders for the perfect product or want to determine the exact time and location of their delivery.

Business owners of smaller firms can compete with the industry’s major players while also setting their operations apart from the competition.

What’s Next Then???

I guess now you’ve made up your mind for setting up shipping for your WooCommerce store…

Fortunately, WooCommerce’s plugins and extensions allow you to send all of your orders in a systematic and orderly manner. You have the option of manually setting up shipping on your WooCommerce site or using a plugin based on your shipping needs and budget.

Since there are so many plugins accessible in the WooCommerce market, you can select the most important ones by evaluating their features and effectiveness.

What are the Possible Methods to Offer Shipping on your WooCommerce Store?

One of the most crucial eCommerce pillars is Shipping and Handling, therefore it’s important to go through all the options. If done incorrectly, it can lead to abandoned shopping carts, dissatisfied customers, a decline in sales, negative reviews, and result in huge losses.

We’ll start with the basics and detail till the advanced ones here, so let’s head on-

WooCommerce Default Shipping Methods

In total, WooCommerce is used by more than 3 million online shops. And the vast majority of them offer real goods for sale, therefore shipping is a critical part of the ordering procedure.

Depending on the country, WooCommerce offers three standard delivery methods that can be customized under the shipping zone feature.

Note: The WooCommerce shipping zones feature was introduced in WooCommerce version 2.6, prior to that only 5 shipping methods were provided.

The default shipping methods under the shipping zones feature of WooCommerce include:

• Flat Rate
• Free Shipping
• Local Delivery

These are the basic shipping methods that only have the option to add shipping costs if applicable. It does not have an option for complex shipping rules. 

Allow for shipping charges to be determined by factors such as product shipping classes, weight, price, and the number of products in the shopping basket, for example. The only advantage is that it can be added to different shipping zones based on the country, state, or postcode.

In order to set up manually, just opt for one shipping method among the 3 basic shipping methods or create one of your own custom ones defining your WooCommerce store global shipping 

WooCommerce Automated Shipping Methods

Likewise the basic ones, automated WooCommerce shipping methods also assist you in determining the shipping cost. As they are custom developed they offer multitudes of features that a basic method cannot even think of.

You can easily find numerous plugin options over WooCommerce shipping on free as well as on a premium basis. Using WooCommerce’s automated shipping options, you can determine real-time shipping rates from a multitude of providers based on the specified location, category, weight, and price, as well as the volume of products in your WooCommerce Cart and Checkout pages.

Let’s debunk a few here-

Possible Factors to Affect over Shipping Cost Estimation

You should be able to construct a list of shipping rates once you’ve obtained a sampling of quotes for each of your products based on your targeted delivery zones.

There are several ways to integrate shipping charges in WooCommerce.

Option ONE: Set Up Static WooCommerce Shipping Costs

In order to set up basic shipping rates in WooCommerce, you must first identify your shipping zones and then set prices for each zone. You can also use shipping classes to narrow your search even further. Utilizing an automated WooCommerce Shipping solution i.e. MWB Shipping Rates, now you can effectively determine your shipping cost for products through various custom methods.

According to the total weight and price of all items in your cart, as well as different product categories, this plugin calculates your shipping costs. Only the plugin needs to be installed, and the approach shown in the screenshot below must be followed-

The plugin works upon numerous factors in order to determine the exact and accurate shipping rates for your products. Let’s check out the factors-

Factor I: The Size and Weight of the Package

Set the delivery charges for your products out of WooCommerce store based on the weight range with this parameter. You can easily determine your WooCommerce shipping by weight-based rates utilizing this option of the plugin.

The store owner can set the shipping rates based on the overall weight of the cart (the products added) at checkout if they choose this option, which allows them to do so.

Factor II: Custom Product & Category based WooCommerce store Shipping Rates

If you choose this option, you can enter the shipping rate based on the preferred categories you’ve chosen. Simply enter the shipping cost per quantity-wise category in the box and push save to put it into effect. It’s that simple.

Factor III: Pre-Discounted Shipping Rates Methods

You can set up free shipping over the pre-discounted price of goods with the Pre Discount option.

Consider the following scenario: You paid a certain amount for things that technically qualify for free delivery, but because you used a discount code to lessen the cost of your transaction, you are no longer qualified for the free shipping option.

Factor IV: FREE Shipping Shipping Rates Methods

Free shipping allows you to take advantage of free shipping if you meet the conditions shown in the dropdown menu.

This option gives you a choice between two alternative shipping options and a minimum order amount. Free shipping is available when you select an option from the drop-down menu. An easy option is to include the typical shipping cost in the product’s basic price and offer free WooCommerce shipping. Using this method of promotion is fairly common.

If you’ve calculated average shipping charges, you may wish to increase your budget by a little. Low pricing is excellent, but you don’t want to lose money on every sale.

Turn on free shipping in your WooCommerce store shipping settings after you’ve added a certain amount to each order.

Factor V: The Price that you use on WooCommerce Shipping Services

If you choose this option, you can enter the shipping rate based on the preferred categories you’ve chosen. Simply enter the shipping cost per quantity-wise category in the box and push save to put it into effect. It’s that simple.

With this option, you’ll have access to a list of nearly all categories available in your WooCommerce store, making it simple to select which ones to charge for.

Factor VI: The Volume of the Package

Using this configuration option, you can specify the WooCommerce shipping charges for your WooCommerce store based on the order volume range.

In other words, this option allows the business owner to set the shipping rates based on the entire volume of the cart (i.e. the products added) at the time of checkout.

Note: Products that are defined with dimensions in their description can have volume as their feature and can be applied within the shipping rates rule well. 

Option TWO: Cover WooCommerce store Shipping Costs with Additional Geolocation & Tracking Markup

Tracking is the final step in the shipping procedure, and you may need an extension to complete it. This element is critical for a positive user experience.

While a few of the plugins listed above handle some tracks, the 3 solutions listed below focus completely on shipment tracking and provide more robust tracking capabilities. Let’s check out-

A plugin like MWB Shipping Map will allow you to set WooCommerce shipping to be free after a specified cart value has been reached.

a.) MWB Shipping Map

Your shipping plan must include a focus on providing top-notch shipping services. As a result, tracking is necessary if your goal is to provide high-quality WooCommerce shipping services.

When it comes to improving the shipping experience for your customers, maps are a must-have. as a result of the MWB WooCommerce Shipping Map, you can provide your customers the ability to track their orders on Google Maps by adding a feature to your product.

Use classes to categorize your products, and then determine rates for each class based on the customer’s location. Use the WooCommerce store Shipping Map addon to put up more intricate shipping criteria like discounts for specific product combinations or quantities.

MWB Shipping Map, the WooCommerce shipping tracking addon, will keep your customers informed no matter which carrier you select. Once an order has been filled, you may enter tracking information from any supplier, which your clients can see in their accounts.

In order to use the plugin, you must have the mailing address in your order. You can therefore use Google Maps to check on the distance between you and the goods delivery area.

b.) MWB WooCommerce Multiple Shipping Addresses

The standard WooCommerce shipping system is somewhat constrained. In other words, buyers can only enter one shipping address for purchase at a time. nevertheless, MWB WooCommerce Multiple Shipping Addresses, allow customers to provide numerous shipping addresses for different products if they want.

This WooCommerce shipping extension comes in handy, especially during busy shopping seasons like the holiday season. Christmas and New Year’s are two popular holidays for sending presents to others. The ability to specify several shipping addresses in a single purchase will come in handy for customers in these circumstances.

c.) Enhanced WooCommerce Shipment Tracking

We’re all looking for ways to make the shopping experience better for our customers while still keeping things simple and fun. Shipment tracking is one of the many aspects that contribute to the overall positive customer experience.

With the Enhanced WooCommerce Shipment Tracking plugin, you may add and sync local shipping businesses that aren’t included in the standard plugin. The following functions are provided by this WooCommerce plugin-

• Custom WooCommerce shipping providers should be used to track orders.
• By simply inputting the URLs of shipping companies, you may start bespoke shipping.

<li”>Allows you and your clients to keep track of orders at every stage, from placement to delivery, using the right process.

• You can also use emails to let your customers know how their orders are progressing.

Option THREE: Generate Dynamic, On-The-Fly Shipping Quotes

Several WooCommerce extensions provide the most current and accurate shipping information.

For USPS

The Flat Rate Shipping addon can compute the required box size depending on the products ordered if you ship flat rate. It will then select the rate from your defined box choice list that is most appropriate for each order.

For custom-sized shipments, you can also create real-time quotes depending on weight and dimensions. Connect to USPS with the WooCommerce USPS Shipping Method extension.

WooCommerce extensions from FedEx and UPS let you get real-time shipping quotations from FedEx and UPS. If you’re mailing your things, they can also estimate the box sizes for flat-rate delivery.

Even if your store isn’t in the United States, you may still be able to work directly with your local postal service.

There are WooCommerce plugins for Russian Post, UK Royal Mail, Canada Post, Australia Post, South African Post, and New Zealand Post. If you’re looking for a local option, check out our list of shipping carrier extensions. What if I don’t see my shipping service? Keep checking back since we’re always adding new content!

Best Practices you need to Look Over…

The eCommerce industry is continuously changing, but WooCommerce continues to observe the following WooCommerce shipping and delivery best practices worth pursuing based on the latest industry trends and aggregated statistics from the last few years-

• What COVID-19 has taught us is that tracking carrier trend is critical, and it is a recommended practice worth pursuing going forward to assist customers to stay informed.

• It’s vital to give clients with delivery options that are both speedy and affordable. Establish a dispersed inventory architecture to match customer expectations while lowering shipping costs and transit times.
• As the global eCommerce market expands, you’ll have more options to expand your company worldwide.
• Increase the usage of non-contact delivery options like lockers and pick-up locations. Make sure consumers are tracked and communicated in real-time to help reduce disruptions.
• Use dynamic pricing solutions to ease supply chain bottlenecks during the crisis and analyze capacity limits and their influence on service levels.
• Research shows that figuring out how to provide free shipping increases sales and decreases cart abandonment.
• Establish a personal connection with clients so that they can express preferences and learn about acceptable delivery techniques. Develop a personal connection with customers. Inform them about the benefits of online buying and delivery, such as the increased security and convenience.

To Sum Up…

No matter what you sell, how you ship, or where your packages go, WooCommerce has a solution for your store. 

WooCommerce offers a wide range of shipping options to suit your needs, whether you’re selling locally or internationally. WooCommerce Shipping has always been a seamless alternative for shipping from the United States to domestic areas and soon will offer worldwide deliveries through providers like DHL etc. You’ll also get fantastic savings, automation, and other time-saving features.

Set the correct Expectations for your customers by Being Transparent about your Delivery Policies.

Please let us know if that makes any difference to you. You can only be certain by observation and experimentation.

Stay connected if you’d like to get further information or assistance.

I wish you best of luck!