Order notifications
Why Shipping Notifications are Essential for eCommerce Success
Oct
Are you starting a new eCommerce venture or looking for ways to take your existing online business to the next level? Understanding the importance of shipping notifications and learning how to efficiently manage this aspect of the operation is the answer.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of shipping notifications, including what they are, and how they enhance your eCommerce business. More importantly, we’ll teach you how to automate them with Flow Notify for improved customer experience and reduced inquiries.
The path to happier clients and happier eCommerce business ownership starts now.
Understanding the role of shipping notifications in eCommerce
Shipping notifications – also known as shipment notifications or delivery notifications – are messages sent to the customer to provide an update on the status of their order. With the right tools in place, they can be sent by any company that uses the WooCommerce platform.
Depending on the company and product in question, shipping notifications may be sent at various stages of the order fulfillment process. These types of post-purchase messages may be sent via email, SMS, or other digital methods.
Shipping notifications have played an important role in eCommerce for many years, but are particularly vital in the modern climate, as 62% of consumers expect their orders to arrive within three days. Furthermore, they want to know the status of their order from the point of transaction to the point of delivery to their home.
As such, shipping notifications are an essential feature that can enhance the customer experience and will:
- Provide clients with real-time updates about their orders.
- Build added trust, which also leads to increased loyalty.
- Reduce the volume of customer inquiries.
In short, shipping notifications deliver a better consumer experience and subsequently give retailers a competitive edge in the modern eCommerce landscape.
For the best results, shipping notifications should be incorporated into an omnichannel engagement strategy. After all, companies with effective omnichannel customer engagement strategies retain 89% of their customers, while those that don’t will lose out to their competitors.
Overcoming a lack of human interaction is often one of the hardest challenges for online business owners. The real-time updates and regular communication provided by shipping notifications will go a long way to solving this issue.
Types of shipping notifications and their importance
The eCommerce industry was valued at $16.6 Trillion in 2022 and is set to enjoy a 27% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between now and 2028. As the landscape continues to grow, consumer expectations scale new heights too.
After a customer places an order, there are several steps to consider on the path to a successful delivery. The product(s) must be packed, shipments must leave the warehouse, and the goods must be transported to the customer.
Logistical alignment is the key to fast order fulfillment, but regular communication is the best way to maintain high customer satisfaction levels. The various types of order notifications are detailed below.
Order confirmation emails
An order confirmation email is an email that informs the customer about your receipt of their order and payment.
When you send an email after orders have been placed, it sets a professional tone and gives the client added confidence regarding the subsequent steps of order fulfillment. Furthermore, it stops them from placing repeat orders due to ambiguity on whether their order has gone through. This also provides an opportunity to provide details on expected timeframes ahead and thank them for their order.
Order status updates
Depending on the type of product, there may be lead times involved. For example, personalized products may have to be manufactured. Order status updates can keep the customer updated at every stage of the process. Each update also puts their mind at ease.
Shipment tracking updates
Shipment tracking updates relate to the logistics of transporting the goods. An email to confirm that the order has left the warehouse is essential. The shipping email should also include tracking details or a link to the tracking page offered by your third-party courier.
Further shipment tracking order updates could be sent at various stages, such as leaving the depot, going through customs (international sales), or being out for delivery.
Delivery notifications
Delivery notifications should be sent to confirm that the delivery has been made. This is especially important when an order has been left with a neighbor or at a local pick-up. Even when the delivery is made to the customer’s home, they can receive an update while at work or out of the house.
Or if a delivery is missed, a new notification regarding the next time it will be attempted helps maintain the positive bond.
Post-delivery feedback requests
Follow-up emails sent after the delivery are another great solution. They show your appreciation, which leads customers to feel valued, increasing retention rates. The Pareto Principle says that 80% of sales can come from just 20% of your clients. So, this step is particularly vital. Not least because the feedback gained will help you improve.
You can also encourage further purchases by adding discount codes for future orders.
Improving the customer experience with personalized shipping notifications
Sending order updates to customers has become the standard for online companies. For the best results, though, a personalized message is advised. It underlines your appreciation, removes any ambiguity about whether the message was intended for them, and builds a stronger client relationship.
You can do this in many different ways – email, mobile apps, SMS text messages, and WhatsApp notifications. Emails are arguably the most common source as they are very customizable and cheap to use.
Mobile app notifications have a good engagement rate but are limited to customers who have downloaded the app. SMS text messages have exceptionally high open rates. WhatsApp also gains quick responses, although some customers may worry about the legitimacy of the message. For the best results, incorporating multiple communication channels is advised.
Delivering updates through the right channels will instantly make the experience feel more personalized. Further solutions include using the customer’s name, providing personalized product recommendations, or sending custom offers or discounts.
Benefits of automated shipping notifications with Flow Notify
When you want to tap into the full benefits of shipping notifications, automated solutions are the only viable option. As well as reducing manual work to save time and money, it removes the threat of human error while also ensuring that messages are delivered instantly. Timely and accurate communication will ultimately boost the customer experience too.
As a WordPress website owner who has WooCommerce installed, you will already have access to basic shipping notifications, including:
- Order confirmation emails.
- Processing order emails.
- Completed order emails.
- Canceled order emails.
- Refunded order emails.
While they give you an adequate starting point, the standard WooCommerce options only provide a limited range of customization options. When you want to deliver personalized shipping notifications, the advanced tools provided by third-party plugins and services are the answer.
Flow Notify is a dedicated WooCommerce plugin that enables eCommerce businesses to send personalized email, WhatsApp, and SMS notifications to customers, providing real-time updates on order statuses, promotions, coupons, and more. Aside from adding the personal touch, each notification is automated to send after certain triggers that you’ve selected previously – such as an order being placed or the shipment being scanned as it leaves the warehouse – meaning you can sit back and relax.
The streamlined approach offered by Flow Notify is great from a logistical perspective. However, it’s also the perfect tool to enhance customer engagement, increase loyalty, and improve sales. This is achieved through deep integration with WooCommerce, customization of order statuses, contextual messaging with data types, and various automated communication features. It is truly the one-stop-shop solution to your ongoing shipping notification requirements.
Rather than manually managing the notifications sent to individual customers, creating a single notification template will ensure that all future clients receive personalized communication at the specified point in the fulfillment process.
Other key features of Flow Notify include:
- Custom WooCommerce order statuses.
- Multi-platform messaging (via email, SMS, and WhatsApp).
- Automatic customer and subscriber contact syncing.
- Instant and scheduled message notifications.
- Custom order status manager and actions.
- Live activity feed.
- 25 WooCommerce data fields for message personalization.
As it provides real-time updates and allows messages to be scheduled and fully customized to the individual, Flow Notifty is the perfect tool that keeps all aspects of managing interactions under one roof.
Sending automated messages boosts operational efficiency by removing delays. It also gives users the opportunity to find information in a self-serve fashion rather than contacting you for details. For example, when a customer wants to know whether their package has been sent yet, the flow of messages from you allows them to find this information and track the package at every step of the process.
Learn more about how useful these notifications are by checking out our useful guide on shipping emails in WooCommerce.
Take your eCommerce business to the next level with automated shipping notifications
In a world where consumers expect (and are willing to pay for) a better consumer experience, shipping notifications are one of the most valuable tools that your eCommerce store could use. The benefits are plentiful, leading to easier management and increased customer satisfaction. Ultimately, this can help you secure increased loyalty and sales. Better still, you will do this without wasting any additional time.
While there are several options to consider, including WooCommerce’s basic tools, Flow Notify will take your business to the next level. The accuracy, personalization, and reliability offered by the plugin won’t be beaten.
If you want to take your eCommerce efforts to new heights, download the Flow Notify plugin today. Sending personalized shipping notifications never looked better!
