“Why is the expedited delivery of my jewelry so important?” We often hear this question. As the shipping is one of the most important ingredients of the jewellery eCommerce, let’s clarify few things.
So you sell your jewelry on eBay, Amazon, Etsy , or any other channel, maybe your website too. Every one is telling you that accurate shipping is one of the most important parameters for online marketplaces. Why?
Let’s get back to the basics of eCommerce psychology. Think for a moment about your buyer. What is the main difference from selling your jewelry in a local store? First, the buyer does not buy the real product. He buys an idea of a product, a promise of a product. Second, he has no real person in front of him, only the computer screen. And third, he pays before anything is done by the seller. Scary, isn’t it?
The goal of all online marketplaces is to assure that the deal goes perfect. Because if your buyer is not happy with the purchase he blames not only the seller but the marketplace too. “I bought a ring on eBay, and it arrived not as described”. “I ordered the golden necklace on Amazon, and it took eternity before it arrived!” And so on, and so on. So the marketplace does it’s best to make sure that buyer gets the best of the deal.
When does the buyer feel most uncomfortable? From the moment he has completed the purchase on the marketplace (eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Sears, Rakuten, there are main jewelry marketplaces) to the moment he receives the product at home. Why? His money is gone, now he has to wait and hope he has made the right purchase.
Here raises the importance of the tracking numbers. First, tracking information allows buyer follow up the delivery process. Even that his jewelry has not yet arrived, your buyer sees that it was already sent, has crossed the border, was approved by the customs etc. And these updates make him feel more confident that his order will arrive as planned.
In addition, marketplaces love expedited shipping, as it indicates the level of service you provide to your customers. And it’s measurable. Tracking information allows online marketplaces as eBay, Amazon, Etsy to compare and rate providers easily. Using the tracking numbers, marketplaces can easily count your compliance with your promises. If you promise to ship your jewelry in 5 days – you should have the tracking number uploaded once you’ve sent it, before the 5 days are over. If you don’t ship your items as promised – something went wrong. And the marketplace wil punish stores that don’t stand their shipping time policy. This is why entering tracking numbers according to your shipping policy is extremely important.
In several cases, tracking ID are changed in the process of shipping. F.i. if you ship with some local delivery company that represents a global carrier, first you will receive the local tracking number (f.i. Brinks) , and after few days it will be changed to the international ID (USPS). What should be done in this case?
It is important to enter the local ID as soon as you have it. Do not wait for the international tracking number. By waiting, you will negatively impact your shipping compliance and by this your store performance. Again, no entered ID signals to the marketplace that the jewelry is still not sent, meaning bad service!
So how do you manage your jewelry shipping correctly?
- In Orders details enter the local tracking number as soon as you get it.
- After you receive the updated international number, edit the existing number (edit icon near the tracking number) and update it with the new one.
- Follow the marketplace statistics in your seller dashboard to make sure you are fulfilling your shipping policy.
- In case your stats show you don’t stand the policy you’ve defined, update your Shipping policies accordingly.
- Make sure you work with the carrier verified by the marketplace. Each one has its own list. F.i., if eBay cannot check you’ve sent the item with some local company, he will not count your tracking number as valid, and this will harm your rating.
- Update your clients on changes in the delivery status as soon as they occur – make them feel their order is handled professionally.
Good selling!
