Whether you are sending a parcel via eBay or you are sending parcels through your e-commerce website, you need to be using next day delivery. There have been many discussions about whether next day delivery is worth the cost and more importantly, the urgency. 

With the online shopping industry increasing exponentially in growth, customer expectations and behaviours are playing a pivotal role for e-commerce retailers, especially when opting for next day delivery.

Next day delivery or 24-hour delivery is a service that allows you to have your goods delivered the day after they’re collected by the courier. When your delivery is booked, the sender can drop off their item or have it collected from a specified address. 

So, why should you be opting for next day delivery? Can I not just use a standard service? Next day delivery offers a variety of crucial benefits and is essential for online businesses that want to stand out from the competition.

Cost 

If you are constantly sending parcels, you might be thinking about the cost of each parcel under the next day delivery service. However, with next day delivery, you need to think of the bigger picture. 

Offering customers next day delivery will ensure they can get their goods quickly and efficiently. This will help you build lasting relationships as your customers will tend to choose a service that fits in with their schedule and of course, is the quickest service.

Although next day delivery may seem slightly steeper in cost, it is worth it to reap the long term rewards it will bring. It is estimated that three out of four shoppers would spend more if they could receive their purchases on the day they bought them or guaranteed the next day.

A retail survey conducted by KPMG showed that UK retail could be losing as much as £4.9bn a year by not offering next day delivery. E-commerce retailers should be aware of this figure as it offers an insight into the potential success they might be missing out on.

Build Customer Relationships

By understanding what your customers need, you will be able to form long-lasting relationships.

Offering next day delivery will show your customers you are offering an efficient service and if your delivery process is quick and easy, your customers will ensure they purchase with you again. Customers want an easy process and don’t want to be waiting longer than they need to, to receive their order.

Building and maintaining relationships will be the result of how affordable your service is. This will also affect your potential customer base and how much it expands in the future. 

Convenience 

To fit in with your customer's schedule, you need to be offering next day delivery as it offers convenience. For those customers who have busy schedules, next day delivery is the perfect service to provide as it means customers are not continuously waiting for their parcels.

By offering next day delivery you are ensuring customers can get on with more important jobs by not waiting around for their parcels. 

One drawback of online shopping can be waiting for delivery and waiting 3-5 days can seem like an eternity. Online shoppers want to feel in control of their delivery experience so offering click and collect can also help with their everyday routines.

Increasing Web Conversions

Using faster delivery is overall the most effective way to increase web conversions. 

Free next day delivery is also an effective way to increase conversions. By offering free shipping or incentives for free shipping offers a great way to outperform your competitors. Offering free delivery can encourage more expensive purchases or additional purchases which can add value to the overall spend. By offering unlimited next day deliveries for a monthly or annual fee you are encouraging customers to shop more with you. 

While free next delivery is inviting, free returns is a bonus. Customers want to be able to have an easy option to return their goods if they aren’t satisfied. Promoting free returns will encourage more customers to buy from you as they are not obliged to keep the item, offering a flexible option.

E-commerce Success

If you are an e-commerce retailer you should be offering next day delivery or at least planning to. If want to be a successful online retailer, you need to be:

• Offering niche products that are not available on Amazon is an easy way to retain business
• Offering next day delivery at an affordable price is an excellent way to attract new customers
• Strategise your marketing plan by marking up products to offer cheaper delivery

By offering cheap or free next day delivery, profitability may suffer at first but may easily lead to an increase in your customer base which you want to encourage to come back and purchase again. By perfecting this process, you will build long-lasting relationships with customers and increase your profits.

Repeat Purchases

By guaranteeing your customers of an efficient service like next day delivery, you are more likely to see customers repeat their purchases, especially if it's free.

The first order a potential customer makes is a test. Customers want to see if they can trust you, so the buyer journey has to be simple and effective. 

Maintaining contact after someone has made a purchase is an effective way to repeat business. By maintaining contact, don’t bombard these customers with constant offers, make sure you pick your timing. For example, if you make a note of a customers birthday, send an offer out near their birthday so they have the opportunity to use your next day delivery service,

again.

Conclusion

Next day delivery ensures an efficient service that fits into a customer's busy schedule. 

With the option of having click and collect, customers are given the flexibility to collect their parcels from a variety of local shops or lockers, an option that fits around their schedule. Next day delivery offers a sense of urgency as a lot of customers hate to wait around for their parcels, especially when the timescale is 3 - 5 days. 

With Parcel2Go’s easy tracking tool you will be able to see where your next day delivery is from when it is with the courier to its destination. To find out more, see our next day delivery service page.