Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Wrap Up The Holidays The Right Way

Christmas is less than two weeks away, but until then you’re going to be busy packing and shipping. We’ve talked about preparing for the holidays, but today we’re going to give our best advice to help you get through the next two weeks.

The first thing you need to do is keep track of shipping deadlines. You have no control over when orders will come in, but by knowing the shipping deadlines you can get prepared now. Customers will want items to arrive before Christmas, so make sure you have plenty of shipping options that will make that happen. You always want to stay updated on shipping news. UPS, for example, is reporting delays. This should factor into how you ship.

You can’t control your package once it is in transit, but you can control how soon you ship it. Try to ship orders the same day as the orders come in. You want to mail as quickly as possible to keep your customers happy. One of our holiday hacks for this is to package popular items now, even if you don’t have orders for them. You’ll probably get them, and this can save some time.

And while you are packing up your products, make sure you package them to avoid damage. This means use void fill, don’t skimp on shipping supplies, and make sure each item has the proper padding. And if your product is damaged during shipping, replace it. Customers will appreciate it, especially if you make it easy for them.

Go the extra mile to make sure your products make it to their final destination. Add an address label to the inside of packaging in case the label on the outside of the box is damaged. Use extra tape or even multiple boxes to reinforce your package.

You can also make yourself stand out by making your packages more personalized. Include a generic holiday card with all shipments, a free sample, or something else that your customer won’t be expecting.


Most of all, remember that the madness will end. You can do it!


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Our Top Tips For Ecommerce



Most companies have a website nowadays, and use that website to make sales. But ecommerce is constantly evolving, and it is important to give yourself an edge over the competition. Here are the top ecommerce tips we’ve got for you.

·        Think like your customers. When they come to your website, what do they want? Something straightforward? More dynamic? Design your website in a way your customers would love.
·        Create a loyalty program. This will keep customers coming back over and over again.
·        Make sure your website works well on mobile devices. So many people are shopping on their phones now, so you have to make sure your website looks good on one!
·        Make your delivery options stand out. People love fast shipping, so experiment with ways to make shipping faster, and be sure you advertise it! Can you offer free shipping? Even better!
·        Use photos on your website, on your blog, and on social media accounts.
·        But don’t neglect your text. Good copy is also very important.
·        Your goal is to make your customers have a smooth, easy shopping experience. That means you want them to have to go through the fewest amount of steps possible to get what they want. Test this on your website.
·        Monitor analytics to get an idea of what is working and what isn’t. And monitor often. Trends change!
·        Make sure your company has a voice. You don’t want to simply list your products, you want to list them in a unique way.
·        Don’t focus on the features of your product, focus on the benefits. Show how your products will improve people’s lives.
·        You’ll have to experiment. Try different types of ads. Different pictures. Find what works best for your audience.
·        Be specific with product categories. This makes it much easier for your customers to find what they are looking for.
·        Make your customers feel special. Maybe this is through a customer appreciation promotion, or maybe this is by giving away something for free every so often. You want your customers to feel appreciated.
·        Build your email list and use it. And you don’t want to build up a list of random emails, you want to get email information from customers who actually buy your products and will buy again and again.
·        Have an FAQ section. This doesn’t only save you time, but it is generally expected on any website. Answer common questions this way and you’ll get less emails containing questions, and customers will be pleased that they don’t have to wait for an answer.

This is only a small start, but these are our biggest tips for running a successful ecommerce business.
Have tips you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Prepare For The Holidays

It may not even be Halloween yet, but if you’ve not started preparations for the holiday season,
you’ve already fallen behind. The holidays are a crazy time and the more you have ready now the smoother the season will go. Today we’re bringing you our top tips to help you get ready for the holidays, now.

·        Plan discounts and specials now. You may already know your Black Friday deals, but what about other holiday sales? Get all of those figured out now so you can easily implement them.
·        Look at analytics and reviews from last year’s holiday season. What issues did you have? Was shipping too slow? Did items arrive damaged? Figure out what you need in stock, how much staff you need, etc.
·        Start stocking up on products now. Whether this means items you imagine will sell fast or shipping supplies to do your shipping in, doing this now is extremely important. Don’t procrastinate.
·        Decide on shipping prices and stick to it. Maybe you want to offer free shipping, or charge for it, or give free shipping after a minimum order. Whatever it may be, choose now and keep it that way through the holiday season. You don’t want to drive a customer away when they come back and see they suddenly have to pay shipping.
·        Update your return policy and make sure it is easy to find on your website. You don’t need angry customers leaving negative reviews because of confusion about returns.
·        Prepare for shopping spikes. Can your website handle the traffic of Black Friday and weekends? Most of your sales are going to happen during that time, so make sure you are ready with a fully stocked inventory and enough staff to handle requests and orders.
·        Look into shipping deadlines. Your customers are not going to be happy if they don’t receive their gifts by Christmas, for example. Know the different shipping services available to you, and know their cut-off days for package arrival. Get every order packaged and shipped before these deadlines.

·        Make a plan for operations during the holiday season. This means you want to make sure you have the staff, supplies, and equipment throughout the shopping season you need. Hire extra people for the time needed. Make sure your equipment is up-to-date and can handle the workload. Have people trained in this equipment so you don’t have to spend time doing this when you are busy.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Organize Your Shipping Station

If you are a large ecommerce company, you likely already have a large shipping station organized and ready to go. For you the shipping process is probably pretty streamlined. But if you are a smaller business you may have shipping supplies all over the place. By keeping your shipping supplies organized all in one place, you can reduce the stress of shipping and make the process go faster. Here’s our guide to making that possible.

Observe Your Available Space

The space you have available to you will vary greatly. You may have space in a building you’ve rented or a studio, or you may be working out of your garage or just from the kitchen table. Before you begin to stock supplies, you need to look at this space you have and decide, realistically, how much of this space can be dedicated to your shipping supplies. You can’t stock all of your boxes on your kitchen table, for example. Once you understand the space you have to work with, you can begin to get organized.

Assess The Supplies You Need

There are certain shipping supplies you should always have on hand. Some of these are the basics, and some of these will be specific to your business. You will likely have labels, bubble wrap, corrugated boxes, and other similar items. Figure out what items you will need regularly and make sure you have them.

Larger Items Lower, Smaller Items Higher

You don’t want to have to extend your reach to pull down large boxes. This can easily lead to injury. Instead, keep larger, more bulky shipping supplies lower where you can easily reach them. Maybe you store them under a table or desk, or maybe you stack them besides your workstation. This depends on the space you have available to you. Storing things vertically and higher up can save on space, but only do this with smaller, lightweight items.

Keep Regularly Used Items Nearby

Scissors, packaging tape, and labels are the types of items you will be using for just about anything you ship. Keep those at your packing station at all times, placed somewhere out of the way but within reach. Needing to leave the room for scissors while packing up shipments wastes a lot of time.

Keep It Comfortable

If you have occasions when you work at your shipping station for long periods of time, you need to make sure your workspace is comfortable. Install enough lighting so it is easy to see. Make sure you have air flow, such as by using an indirect fan. Having a portable electric heater for the winter months can keep you warm while you work. Consider these things and make space for them.

Use Labels

Labels are essential, especially if you are storing items in storage cabinets. Make your labels clear and color-coded to make it easier to find the items you are looking for. This is also great because if you need to bring in extra help, these people will be able to quickly find each shipping supply they are looking for.


We hope these tips will help you keep your shipping supplies better organized. Have any tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Choosing Your Envelopes



Last month we featured our mailing bags and envelopes, but it got us thinking that we could have gone into a lot more detail when it comes to choosing the type of envelope that is right for your needs. When shipping you can’t simply choose any type of envelope, you have to choose one that is the best for your item. Despite what you may think, there is a huge variety when it comes to envelopes, and we’re here today to go into the different types in more detail.



Styles

Redi-Seal – You’ll be able to present documents professionally and without fuss with this type of envelope. These envelopes feature a self-seal, meaning you don’t need moisture to close them. Simply close the flap and press.

Self-Seal – These envelopes are easy to seal. All you have to do is pull off the tab and press the envelope closed. Fast, convenient, and uses minimal waste.

Gummed – The flaps on these envelopes are heavily gummed to ensure you get a secure seal. These envelopes require moisture to be sealed.

Clasp – Metal clasps on envelopes are easy to use and allow you to reuse your envelopes, making it a great economic option.

Jumbo – These oversized envelopes are perfect for mailing and transporting oversized documents. The flaps are ungummed allowing the envelopes to be reused.

Expandable – Expandable envelopes do just that, expand, so that you can more easily ship bulky items such as books.

Flat – These envelopes are great for use as stiff enclosures to prevent documents and photographs from being bent while in transit.

Materials

Paper – Paper envelopes are best for lightweight documents and products, typically in a personal or business setting. Our paper envelopes are made from 100% recycled content. These envelopes provide basic protection and are relatively inexpensive.

Ship-Lite – Ship-lite envelopes are made of paper that is reinforced with mesh screen poly fibers, making them six times stronger than standard paper envelopes. This type of material is strong enough to handle documents, catalogs, magazines, and even some books.

Nylon Reinforced – If you’re shipping items that don’t require extra protection or padding, this material is perfect. They are extremely lightweight and cheap compared to most other mailers.

Kraft – Kraft corrugated is tough and stiff, making this type of material ideal for items that need to not be bent or damaged.

Cool Shield – Keep perishable and temperature sensitive items at the correct temperature with this type of material. It is designed to also be puncture and water resistant to keep objects inside safe.

Tyvek – This material is ten times stronger than typical paper envelopes. If you need something that has extensive puncture, moisture, and tear protection, this is the type of envelope you want.

Poly – Lightweight, affordable, and resistant to tears and moisture, these are a great option for shipping items.

Jiffy Rigi Bag – Perfect for corner and edge protection. This material is stiff due to it being made from Kraft laminated fiberboard. Mailer won’t bend, fold, or crease.


Padded – If you need some extra protection, go for padded envelopes, which are made using expandable fiber padding to protect items from damage. 

Monday, July 17, 2017

Product Feature: Mailing Bags & Envelopes


We’ve not done a product feature in a while, so this month we’re going to focus in on a category that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves; mailing bags and envelopes! These bags and envelopes can be used around the office or when shipping items. We’re going to dive into this category a bit to give you some more information.

First, let’s talk about mailers. These are the items you’ll be using to do more of your shipping. Mailers come in a wide variety of styles, so we’ll dive right in to advise you about which mailer is right for you. If you’re mailing clothes, DVDs, books, and other similar items that need some padding but aren’t too fragile, you’re going to want to go for a poly mailer, padded mailer, or bubble mailer. Poly mailers are going to be the best bet if you want your mailing bag to be puncture resistant and water resistant. If you’re not so worried about that but still want good cushioning for your shipment, go with the trusted bubble mailer. Padded mailers are a great choice to help protect products inside from moisture and tears during shipping. If you need to keep an item flat or it isn’t particularly fragile, try flat mailers, nylon reinforced mailers, or Jiffy Rigi bag mailers. Look at each of these mailers for more details to better determine which mailer is perfect for you.

Next we’ll discuss envelopes. We have several different kinds of envelopes to suit your various needs. We have a huge selection of paper envelopes for you to browse. Take a look at our business envelopes, self-seal envelopes, inter-department envelopes, and so much more. If paper envelopes won’t cut it, Ship-Lite envelopes are six times stronger, making them great for paper documents, magazines, and catalogs. And if you want to be extra safe and get great tear resistance, Tyvek envelopes are ten times stronger than traditional paper envelopes.

We even have paper bags for your merchandising needs! Get the bags you need for groceries, hardware, general merchandise, and more. These various bags allow for all sorts of different items to be packaged. Even better? These bags are 100% recycled and recyclable.


We hope you enjoyed our featured product category! If you have any questions feel free to give us a call at 1-877-501-7225.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Ten Tips For Selling on Amazon



We’ve already posted about Amazon FBA Resources to help you more with the technicalities of selling your product on Amazon. But to have a successful business, you need to know more than the rules. That’s why we’re sharing with you our top ten tips for selling on Amazon.

1.      Sell items that other people are not selling on Amazon. With so many products available this can be difficult, but if you have a specific product that only you sell, it will stand out. This includes products that are similar to other products, but have features that those similar products do not. Being unique makes you stand out, which can lead to more sales.
2.      You aren’t doomed if you do sell the same products as many other sellers. Something you can do to stand out when this is the case is to bundle items. Say you sell popcorn makers, maybe the same brand as other sellers. Make it a bundle! Don’t just sell the popcorn maker, bundle in popcorn and popcorn seasoning to go with it, and price accordingly. When people are shopping and check who is selling the item they want, they will gravitate to bundles that also sell the other items they are probably going to buy along with that main item.
3.      The most obvious tip is to sell your items at the cheapest price compared to your competitors. This may not always be possible but if you can, it’s a great way to get more sales. What’s important about this is to have a good standing on Amazon. Even if your item is extremely cheap, if you don’t have good reviews or don’t have many reviews, people will probably pass you over for someone more established. So make sure to get that feedback!
4.      Make sure to answer customer inquiries quickly. This isn’t only because it is good customer service, but Amazon notices. When selling on Amazon, customer service is extremely important. Your account needs to be in good standing.
5.      Ask for feedback from your customers. Most customers do not review products after they receive them. As we’ve mentioned, feedback is extremely important to getting additional sales. There are services you can use that will send emails to your customers requesting feedback and asking if there was anything they were dissatisfied with. You’ll get more reviews with this email reminder, which only makes your business look better.
6.      Use quality, professional photos. This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people upload poor photos to advertise their product. If you’re not a photographer, hire one. Take multiple pictures of your item from different angles. Customers want to get a good look at the product they’re purchasing. If you don’t have good photos your business may be denied just because of that.
7.      Label and package your items correctly. This cannot be emphasized enough. Amazon has strict requirements that you need to follow. You want to use the correct materials to package, pack to ensure items will not be damaged, and make sure you’re meeting all of Amazon’s guidelines. Check out our Amazon FBA Resources post for more information about those guidelines, and take a look at the types of supplies you will need here. Make sure to follow the correct steps to avoid damage to the product, delays in shipping, and of course, penalty fees.
8.      Make sure your products can be found. This can be done in a number of ways. First off, you want your item to be connected to the correct attributes. To make sure this happen, you need to upload very accurate product information. You want to include as much information as you can, including a product title, description, search terms, color, size, and plenty of other categories. You’ll want to use SEO to your advantage. Include keywords you know your customer will be searching for. For customers to buy from you, they have to find you.
9.      Find a way to manage your inventory efficiently. You do not want to sell an item and discover you no longer have it in stock. Your customers will not be happy, and you can get penalized by Amazon. If you have items that sell, make sure you always have them in stock. If you don’t, your sales rank will start to fall fast, and that can be hard to recover from. Keep this in mind especially during the holiday season.

10.   Use discounts. Customers love discounts and so does Amazon. Offer a good enough discount and you could even end up on Amazon’s “Hot Deals” category which can generate huge amounts of traffic. You’re selling on Amazon, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use sales to your advantage. Plus customers who notice you have discounts will likely check your page again for more discounts.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

How to Go Green with Shipping Supplies

There is no doubt that the environment is struggling. Air and water pollution, plastics that won’t decompose, and vanishing resources are all problems we are facing across the world. Many changes to improve the environment have to come from a systematic level, but there are things we can do as businesses and individuals to make improvements to the environment. That is why ShippingSupply.com carries a selection of environmentally friendly products.

Today we’re going to feature some of those products for you to choose from. These featured items are by no means our only environmentally-friendly products, so next time you’re shopping keep your eyes peeled, and consider buying shipping supplies that are good for the environment.

Packing List Envelopes

We have a few different choices for you when it comes to environmentally friendly packing list envelopes. They are made from 100% recycled green tinted polyethylene. They are even manufactured using solar energy. Using recycled materials reduces the amount of waste on our planet, and solar energy is renewable, cutting back on the use of finite resources. We carry Environmental Clear Face Document Envelopes, Document Envelopes, and Packing List Enclosed Envelopes. Various sizes of all these envelopes are available. These envelopes are an easy way to make a positive impact on the environment.

Loose Fill

Loose fill is messy, gets everywhere, and can be very bad for the environment. But it is also great void fill for when you are shipping your products. Luckily you can still use this great product, guilt-free, when you choose an environmentally friendly alternative. We have recycled industrial loose fill, which is made from green recycled polystyrene, and biodegradable loose fill, which is made from corn starch and dissolves in water without leaving toxic waste behind. What’s great about this environmentally friendly loose fill is that it is not much more expensive than its non-environmentally friendly counterparts, and it works just as well.

Recycled Wood Pallets

Pallets are necessary for storing, protecting, and moving your products. As they are so essential, why not do something simple to make them environmentally friendly? Choose a recycled wood pallet instead of one made from new wood. They are, of course, made from recycled wood which is tough, durable, stackable, and of course reusable. And if nothing else, recycled wood pallets are actually less expensive than those made from new wood. For example, a 48” x 40” new wood pallet is $184.68 while a recycled one is $137.30. So not only are you helping the environment, you are saving money in the process!  

Bogus Craft Paper Rolls

This soft economical void fill is much more environmentally friendly than typical Kraft paper rolls. These Bogus craft paper rolls are made from a combination of recycled fibers and newsprint, versus the traditional materials. There’s plenty of options available, so we’re sure you’ll find the right size to suit your needs. The prices are perfectly affordable, so this doesn’t make for an expensive alternative. It can be a great option if you are looking to make your company greener.


Newsprint Rolls

If you’re looking for something other than a Kraft Paper alternative, Newsprint Rolls are perfect! The price is low, making it a great economic option. The rolls come in a variety of sizes so we’re sure you’ll find the right one to suit your needs. This newsprint is made from 100% recycled materials, making it a great option for helping the environment. The paper is clean and unprinted, so it makes for a nice void fill while shipping or wrapping up products.



Kraft Paper Sheets

You can use Kraft Paper Sheets, which are pre-cut sheets designed to make it easier and more uniform to pack up items. It is sold in large bundles and best of all, the materials are 100% recycled. These sheets look crisp and are durable, making them great for packaging your products. Plenty of sizes and types of this paper is available, so don’t hesitate to get to our website and take a look around. The environment will thank you for it.



Utility Kraft Flat Mailers

You will save money on shipping and help the environment at the same time with Utility Kraft Flat Mailers. They are made from 100% recycled paperboard, and are 100% recyclable. They have excellent features such as a pressure sensitive closure. They’re great for photographs and documents. Easy to use, affordable, and environmentally friendly.




Bubble Mailers

Not all of our bubble mailers are completely environmentally friendly, but if you look around on our website you can certainly find some. This is ideal because bubble mailers are used so often when it comes to shipping smaller products. We try to stock a large selection of bubble mailers that are made with a recycled paper exterior without losing the durability you and your customers expect from this great shipping product.




These are just a few examples of our environmentally friendly products. It is all of our responsibilities to keep the environment safe, so consider doing your part by using some of these products for your business! 

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Tips for Buying in Bulk

There’s no doubt that buying in bulk saves you money. It may cost you more upfront, but the discount you get for larger purchases really pays off. But to get the savings you’re looking for, you have to buy in bulk correctly. We’ve got some tips to help you make sure you’re really saving when you buy in bulk. Continue reading to make sure you’re shopping smart.


·        Don’t buy items in bulk that you haven’t tried before. Of course there may be exceptions, such as when the product is recommended by someone in your industry who knows it will meet your needs. In general though, it is better to make sure the product is right for you and your business before you commit to ordering that item in bulk. For example, if you have heavy items you need to ship, you may invest in heavy duty single wall boxes, only to find you need something sturdier such as heavy duty triple wall boxes. But if you’ve ordered the single wall boxes in bulk, now you’re stuck with a bunch of boxes you cannot use. Test the product before you commit to buying a lot of it.


·        Be sure you have the storage space for your products before you purchase them. Buying in bulk is great, but it does result in you having a larger inventory to deal with. If you don’t have the space to store all of these supplies, it can lead to big problems and even unsafe working conditions. Ideally you will have an organized space dedicated to your inventory. If you don’t already, make that organized space before you buy in bulk. It will make everything a lot easier when it comes time to store your items. Not having adequate storage space can become overwhelming, so take that task on before you have your products in-hand.


·        Don’t buy everything in bulk at once. There are several problems with buying everything you need in bulk at once. First off, it’s going to cost you a lot of money upfront. Never buy items in bulk if you will not have the financial means to do so. Secondly, organizing such a large quantity of items will be incredibly daunting. Split up the purchasing over a longer span of time. This allows you not only to not spend mass amounts of money at once, but it also gives you time to organize your items slowly, instead of being forced to dedicate a large amount of time to just unpacking and storing your supplies.



·        Buy in bulk according to your needs. What we mean by this is to anticipate based on previous sale history when you are going to need certain items, and shop in bulk ahead of time. If you primarily do business in the summer months, stock up on the supplies you use regularly several months before. If you do most of your shipping during the holidays, by fall you should be shopping in bulk so you don’t run out of supplies during your busy time of year. Choosing how much you buy will depend greatly on previous sales trends and data. Make sure you study that so you don’t buy too much or too little.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Keep Your Customers Happy


It is extremely important that you keep your customers satisfied. Even if you have a customer who only makes a single purchase, if they have a good experience they are likely to mention your business to their friends and family. Today we’ve got some tips to make all your customers satisfied.

1.      Keep customers informed about their order status. How many times have you ordered a product online and not heard anything from the seller? If the order is late, you then have to track down a tracking number or sometimes even a phone number to find out what is going on. Notify your customers every step of the way. Let them know you’ve received their order, when the order has been processed and when it ships, along with details so customers can track their package. You may even send an email when their item has arrived. This keeps your customer in the loop for the entire shipping process, so they are less likely to get frustrated by the shipping time.

2.      Apologize for late delivery. One of customer’s biggest gripes is late delivery. Sometimes this may be your fault due to delayed processing, sometimes it may be the fault of the company shipping the product. No matter the reason, contact your customer and offer an apology, and if possible an updated estimate of when their product will arrive. Your customers may still be annoyed, but they will at least be informed.

3.      Make your customers feel valued. You want them to know you appreciate their business. A great way to do this is to send a note thanking them for their purchase, or sending a coupon for a future purchase. This can be right in the package with their product. Even if the customer doesn’t use it, they will appreciate the thought. Knowing their business is important to you will make them more likely to shop with you again.

4.      Have a fast turnaround. Online shoppers want their items quickly, so get it to them as quickly as possible. If you have items that are on back stock or have lead times, make sure the customer knows that before they place the order. Fast shipping is extremely important, and the faster the product gets to your customer the happier they will be.

5.      Ensure your products arrive undamaged. This means taking the time beforehand to make sure items are packaged properly. You need to have the right packing supplies for the right product. Make sure anything fragile is handled with exceptional care. Accidents do happen during shipping, but with the right packaging technique your items should almost always arrive intact, saving you money and keeping customers satisfied.


Do you have any tips for keeping your customers happy? Let us know in the comments!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Five Common Shipping Mistakes



Shipping may seem simple on the surface, but there are many layers to the process. Here are five common shipping mistakes you may be making and not even realizing it.

1.      Not Keeping Track of Price Changes

Shipping prices change regularly, and you’ll be unhappy if you get hit with a bigger bill than expected. The USPS quietly increased the pricing on many of their mail services less than a month ago, but unless you were watching for these price changes you likely would not have noticed. Not only does this result in unexpected expenses for you, it often results in lost time. When pricing changes paperwork often changes, which can end up delaying your shipments and making your customers unhappy. This will usually happen at the start of the year, but it is smart to check on pricing periodically.

2.      Using the Wrong Packaging Materials

When you have a product you’re trying to get out the door, you want to ship it quickly. Unfortunately this can lead to poor decisions. Maybe you decide to re-use your boxes. Maybe you don’t have the right box size, so you package an item in a box that is too large. This type of behavior can lead to very negative results. Boxes get weaker the longer they are used, making them less able to protect the items inside. Shipping products in the incorrectly sized box can not only make a difference in pricing, but it can lead to the product being damaged.

3.      Not Giving Customers Shipping Options

Customers like to have options when it comes to shipping. For some, they are willing to wait several weeks to receive their product if it means free shipping. Others will pay extra to get their product as soon as possible. Offering these different options will give you appeal to a larger customer base. If you have a customer that needs a particular item within days and you can’t do that, they will go to your competitor. Likewise, if you have a customer on a budget but have no cheap shipping options, they will find someone who does.

4.      Not Listening To Customer Feedback

This includes both negative and positive feedback. You may be tempted to ignore that one bad review or skim the good ones, but reviews, feedback forms, and emails are a valuable source of information that can give insight into your business practices. Pay attention to opinions on delivery times. Note if anyone had any problems with objects not arriving in perfect condition. Look for what your customers wished you offered, and then start to offer it. You’ll never improve without feedback from your customers.

5.      Having a Poorly Organized Shipping Area

This is a huge problem because it costs you a lot of time. If you have boxes and packaging materials spread out with no organization, it will be a huge waste of time trying to find the items you need. Not only that, it can lead to you not being able to find the correct box or void fill, leading you to use subpar materials that can damage your product. Make sure everything has a place and keep it organized.

These mistakes are easy to fix and can have a huge impact on your business. Are there any shipping mistakes you’ve rectified or want people to know about? Let us know in the comments! 

Friday, January 6, 2017

Amazon FBA Resources

If you’re ready to start selling your products on Amazon, it may seem a bit overwhelming. There’s a lot of rules and policies that you need to follow, and you also need the right shipping supplies to get started. Luckily ShippingSupply.com can help with both of these!

The process of using FBA is fairly straightforward. You send your products to Amazon and Amazon stores them. Once customers order your products Amazon packs and sends them. To do this though, you must follow some policies and requirements. Amazon has laid them all out nicely right here.

While shipping your items to Amazon isn’t complicated, there are a multitude of ways to do it, depending on the product and the amount of that product you are sending. Again, Amazon has put together a very easy to understand chart to help you out. Find it here.

Amazon also provides you with a resources page, which can give more general advice. There’s also a great newsletter you can sign up for that is sure to help you!

Now, what about the shipping supplies themselves? There’s plenty you’re going to need to get this business running! Luckily we have an entire webpage dedicated to helping you get the supplies you’ll need. Click here to find it.


Our FBA page only lists the essentials. There are plenty more items you may want or even need to invest in down the line, depending on what you plan to sell. It is extremely likely that you will be able to find anything else you need on our website. If you need any assistant please give us a call at 1-877-501-PACK (7225) and we’d be happy to help!