More Online Shopping Is Good News For Couriers

For some, browsing busy high-street shops, wading through reams and reams of sale items and waiting in long queues for the checkout is not an enjoyable pastime. These people must have grown in number, because online shopping is become increasingly popular, with many customers opting to purchase items online and have them brought to their homes via a delivery service.

If you’re an owner driver in the courier industry this means you’re in luck, so why not make the most of this extra work? This year, take your courier business to new heights by grabbing your piece of the online shopping delivery pie.

Earn Trust with Tracking Options

A Royal Mail source has stated that three in four people believe it’s important to receive regular updates about the progress of their deliveries, so it’s obvious that communication with customers is key. Offering retailers tracking options to give to their customers is a great way to build trust, as consumers will be fully aware of the progress of the process.

Being able to make sure that customers can be reassured about the whereabouts of their parcels is a great asset for your business, as it means the customer is more likely to use the same retailer again. As well as this, the work of the owner driver will consequently be made simpler, because if a customer is fully aware of the location of their goods, delivery companies are far less likely to receive angry emails!

Here are some more Royal Mail statistics that might convince you to provide a tracking system for your future customers.

• 79% of shoppers agree that tracking systems give them more confidence when they’re online shopping.
• 77% agree that purchasing items is more convenient when they’re tracked.
• 64% stated that they would be more likely to make a purchase if they were aware that they could track the item as it is being delivered.
• 58% would like to be informed if there has been a delay.
• 41% would like delivery confirmation.

Keep Customers Happy with Delivery Options

A lot of online shoppers have very busy lives, so it’s important that they have access to various delivery options in order for the arrival of their parcels to fit into their schedule. If you’re an owner driver, you’ve probably had to slot a ‘sorry we missed you’ note through the letterbox once or twice in your time, but providing set options could change this.

Due to cost considerations, most shoppers opt for two to three day delivery, but one in five is willing to pay a little extra to be reassured of next-day deliveries. If you give retailers the option of express delivery to make your business stand out among the rest you’ll be able to charge a premium. Have a look at these stats to convince you.

• 66% prefer having their parcels delivered to their homes than any other location.
• 20% opt for next-day over Christmas (2017).

One More Thing

Online shopping doesn’t always come easy and many retailers now have to offer free returns to their customers to entice them to buy. The good news is that as an owner driver in the courier industry, you’ll probably be responsible for the job!

It’s clear that online shopping has more than a few perks, both for the buyer and for the parcel delivery industry. Take these tips on board and you can get on the bandwagon and start growing your business today.

Author Plate

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day owner driver courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.