Shipping integration 101: Why it’s worth the investment

Shipping integration in ecommerce means connecting your order management system (OMS) with shipping carriers such as FedEx, Royal Mail or Shiprocket. This allows you to automate tasks like tracking orders and calculating shipping prices.

With shipping integration, you can also create shipping labels, update order statuses and manage the ecommerce returns process.

Shipping integration allows you to gain control over the entire shipping process so that you can deliver a seamless customer experience. This makes it a crucial ecommerce website feature, capable of delivering the following outcomes:

1 - Efficiency

Shipping integration automates many manual tasks in your business, such as calculating shipping rates and label printing. This significantly speeds up your order fulfilment process, allowing you to process more orders in less time.

2 - Accuracy

As a business owner, integrating with shipping platforms ensures that the shipping rates your business offers are always accurate. This significantly reduces the risk of errors in shipping costs.

3 - Real-time rates

Shipping integration provides real-time shipping rates during the checkout process. This transparency allows your customers to see the exact shipping rates based on factors like package size, weight and destination. It promotes trust and reduces cart abandonment due to unexpected shipping expenses.

4 - Tracking

Shipping integration provides your customers with order tracking information. These days, customers appreciate being able to track shipments by monitoring their status and location. This enhances their overall shopping experience and reduces support inquiries.

5 - Inventory management

Shipping integrations can also sync your inventory levels with your ecommerce platform. As your orders get fulfilled, the system automatically updates product availability. This helps prevent overselling and ensures that you can fulfil orders without delays.

Shipping integration brings many benefits to your ecommerce platform in terms of costs, time and enhanced customer satisfaction. See them all below:

1 - Cost efficiency

Automating shipping tasks reduces operational costs associated with manual order processing of your business. You can also compare shipping rates from different carriers to select the most cost-effective delivery options.

2 - Time savings

By automating shipping-related tasks, you free up valuable time and resources. This allows you to focus on growing your business, developing marketing strategies and providing top-notch customer service.

3 - Enhanced customer experience

Providing tracking information and accurate delivery estimates improves the overall experience of your customers. Your customers appreciate knowing the status and location of their orders, leading to higher satisfaction and repeat business.

4 - Competitive advantage

Offering competitive shipping options is essential in the ecommerce market. Shipping integration allows you to provide a variety of shipping methods, including expedited and international shipping options, giving you a competitive edge.

5 - Enhanced communication

Shipping integration enhances communication by automatically updating customers with critical shipping information. Customers receive timely notifications about the status and location of their orders, improving transparency and trust.