If you are a handmade artist and you have an online store, shipping orders can be overwhelming. Don’t worry; the more packages you send, the easier it becomes, so don’t get discouraged.
Whether you sell on Etsy or other sites, here are a few simple tricks to make it a breeze!
1. International Shipping
Shipping your products with your international customers can help you expand your customer base. Don’t be afraid to do it. Many countries now also have a tracking system in place that coordinates with the USPS so you can monitor your package and see when it’s delivered. Once you’ve shipped overseas a few times it becomes as simple as domestic shipping.
2. Check Tracking Frequently
The USPS also has a really cool app for your iPhone or Android smartphone that allows you to track packages, find post office locations, etc. You can add all of your packages’ numbers to the tracking page so you can check them all at once! You can also track them without the app either online or by calling the Post Office’s customer service number. Checking the movement of your orders will make your customers happy and give you peace of mind that they get delivered on time.
3. Invest in a Postage Scale
Knowing the exact weight of your packages can help speed up your shipping process and save you money in the end. Sometimes, you can purchase an inexpensive postage scale online that has already paid for itself many times over. Once you know the weight of an order, you can print postage online without wasting money from over-estimating.
4. Double Check The Address
Make sure that the home address is accurate. You can do that by searching the address in Google. Occasionally, a customer will make a small mistake in an address, maybe a misspelled street name or an incorrect zip code. Sometimes people move and simply forget to update their information.
If this doesn’t work, the next step is to contact the customer via email or Convo before shipping. This is also a good idea if you have two different locations to pick from and don’t know which to ship to- for example, if their Etsy account address differs from their PayPal address. Thankfully, Etsy now asks U.S. buyers to verify their address. If the one entered does not match the USPS-recommended data, they will be prompted to correct it.
5. Use Shipping Labels
You can either print on plain paper and tape it onto the package or buy sticky labels to print on directly. This can help you save a lot of time and money as you will no longer have to wait in line to ship your orders! Most small packages can be placed in a blue mailbox or dropped off with a post office clerk. Use your postage scale to weigh the package and print a label through PayPal, Etsy, or USPS (depending on where the item was purchased). And now for the best part… it’s actually cheaper to print your own shipping labels. The USPS doesn’t only help us by providing shipping restriction list but it also offers reduced rates when you buy postage online, adding up to big savings for your handmade business!
That’s it. We hope that these tricks will help you. So what others suggestions do you have to make shipping orders faster and easier? Please let us know in the comment box below.
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