How to Ship Products to Customers

One of the common questions we get from ecommerce sellers is how to ship products to their customers. So today I wanted to talk with you about shipping and the three major carriers, and how to make sure you’re cost-effectively choosing the right option for shipping. hopefully that was helpful.

Choosing the Right Ship Method
Who is actually delivering the package from the warehouse to the customer’s door?With regard to shipping, the main three shipping carriers here are the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. Those are the big three for shipping direct-to-consumer ecommerce orders.


1. Reliability
From a reliability standpoint, which is obviously one consideration when choosing your shipping carrier, these carriers are all pretty reliable. They all have very large networks and have been around a long time, and generally you’re going to find that your package will be delivered on time based on the ship method you chose.


2. Availability
The second option to consider is availability. For example, if you’re shipping to an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO), you may be limited with your options, and the U.S. Postal Service generally handles those packages. If it’s a very large order, it’s a wholesale order going to a retail customer that’s a pallet, then you cannot ship that via Home Delivery by FedEx or UPS, so that would have to go freight. So today, I’m primarily referring to shipping small parcels direct to consumer.


3. Cost
With FedEx, UPS and USPS, they are again comparable from a reliability standpoint. From a cost standpoint, though, it can vary quite a bit depending on a few different factors….
Customer’s Location
Actual Weight of the Package
The Dimensional Weight

4. Speed
The other thing to consider is obviously speed. For example, First Class Package Service from the Postal Service may not be as fast as, say, Priority Mail. In most cases, it isn’t, especially if it’s shipping a longer distance. And then you obviously have expedited options to consider, as well.