Is the business of delivering goods still relevant or not? How to organize delivery of goods in an opening online store

For organizing the delivery of goods For your customers, you, as the owner of an online store, can organize several different types of them. In this article we will discuss the four most common delivery methods - courier delivery, self-pickup, postal parcel and delivery by transport companies.

Express delivery

Using courier delivery is profitable and convenient in major cities or in the locality where your office (warehouse) is located. Compared to other delivery methods, courier service is different high speed fulfilling the order and providing the buyer with the opportunity to inspect the product before purchasing it.

Hire own couriers It will be difficult for a beginner online store. Despite the lower cost of delivering one item of goods, hiring a courier position on staff will require more payment than using the services of third-party courier companies. At the same time, you will have to put up with extended delivery times - courier services deliver goods only the next day after the order is received.

Pickup of goods

Pickup of goods allows customers not to overpay for goods purchased in the online store. This service will be relevant upon purchase inexpensive items, the delivery of which significantly increases their price. The second advantage pickup we can call the buyer’s independence from the courier service, which can dictate the time of delivery of the goods and, even worse, deliver the goods earlier or later than the agreed date.

When considering using in-store pickup for your online store, you should consider choosing pick-up points. These could be your offices or warehouses, as well as the premises of companies providing such services. In your self-pickup centers, you can place additional product displays, giving your customers the opportunity to purchase your other products at the pickup point.

Flaw the method of self-pickup of goods can be revealed when comparing statistics of purchased goods from the pick-up center and other delivery methods. The fact is that customers of online stores, having ordered a product through self-pickup, do not come to pick it up. With this in mind, you should remind the customer that their item is still in the distribution center. In this case, buyers will find it necessary to either refuse the purchase or come quickly to pick up the goods.

When considering the cost of the pickup service, it is worth clarifying that pickup of goods from your own office will require virtually no additional costs. If your online store is focused on working with several major cities, in which you decide to use the services of third-party centers, you will have to pay 50 - 100 rubles for each product they issue. In this case, you should carefully read the terms of the contract, which may indicate maximum terms the recipient's expectations and other features of cooperation.

Delivery by postal parcels

Delivery of postal parcels by cash on delivery is the most popular method of delivering goods from online stores. This is understandable greatest coverage population of the country in comparison with other delivery methods. However, its disadvantage is also obvious - delivery to a distant region of Russia may require more than 10 days.

The delivery procedure for each product of the online store using Russian Post is as follows:

• packaging of the ordered goods;
• visiting a Russian Post office and sending the parcel to the address specified by the buyer;
• receipt of the order at the post office and waiting for it to be picked up by the recipient;
• picking up the parcel and waiting to receive the money.

Disadvantages of use Russian Posts, in terms of commerce, the period from the date of dispatch of the goods to the receipt of money from the buyer can be called too long. The rules of the Russian Post indicate that it may take 10 days for a parcel to be delivered, and the waiting period for collection by the recipient is 30 days. Thus, from the moment the goods are sent until payment is received, you can wait 40 days. You should also take into account the likelihood of the buyer rejecting the product. In this case, the package with the goods will be sent to the return address, and you will pay for its shipping both ways.

Don't forget about not enough high quality domestic mail services. Some parcels may be delivered to recipients in poor condition (crumpled, scratched, torn). With this in mind, caution your clients. not to accept damaged parcels. This way, you will protect yourself and your customers from possible proceedings regarding the non-compliance of the goods with their declared condition, and also oblige the postal company to compensate for the damage caused (only if you pay for parcel insurance in advance).

But even taking into account the disadvantages of using the method of delivering goods through Russian Post, it should be used due to the wide coverage of the sales market. You can reduce the number of customer refusals from the goods they ordered in the following ways:

• confirmation of the order terms in a telephone conversation with the client;
• informing the buyer about the dispatch of the goods;
• notification of delivery of goods to the post office.

Price sending of parcels by Russian Post is fixed and depends on their weight and destination.

Delivery by transport companies

The advantage of delivery by transport companies is in delivery speed in comparison with Russian Post delivery. However, transport companies should not be used in all cases due to their higher costs. As for the quality of organization and implementation of parcel delivery, transport companies have it higher than postal services.

Delivery by transport companies is perfect if you need to quickly deliver goods to those cities, from where the buyer can pick it up personally from the warehouse. Also, delivery conditions from transport companies may be favorable when sending oversized cargo such as furniture, washing machines, gas stoves etc. In other cases, it is still worth using the services of Russian Post.

Not all transport companies give the customer the opportunity to pay for the parcel by cash on delivery. Another negative cost of cooperation with them is less coverage of the territory of Russia.

Comparison of delivery methods

We looked at each delivery method separately. But which one is the most economical, fast and reliable? All three of these characteristics correspond equally to the rating below:

1. Pickup of goods. Does not require additional expenses for the delivery of goods, the reliability of which rests entirely on your shoulders. At the same time, the delivery speed of this method is the fastest - the buyer can pick up his goods at the pick-up point almost immediately after ordering them in the online store.
2. Delivery by courier service. This delivery method slightly increases the delivery time of goods and requires additional costs (but not commensurate with delivery of goods to other regions). The quality of delivery in this case depends on the work of the courier, which can be assessed as safe in comparison with transporting the parcel across the country.
3. Transport company services. The price, timing and reliability of delivery of goods using transport companies are inferior to courier delivery and pickup. At the same time, the owner of an online store has the opportunity to cover a wide market.
4. Using Russian Post. Although Russian Post services are in last place in terms of characteristics such as quality, timing and cost of parcel delivery, they cover almost everything settlements Russia. This is worth taking advantage of if your goods may be in demand in remote cities and villages. It will also be beneficial when selling light, bulky goods.

What to choose first?

At the start For your online store to operate, you should organize one or two methods of delivering goods. If you target your sales market at cities with a population of over a million, then the primary and mandatory delivery method should be courier delivery. In this case, it is also advisable to organize pickup of goods by customers from your office or warehouse. If potential buyers of your online store can be in almost any region of Russia, then you should opt for the services of the Russian Post or one of the transport companies.

Great importance when choosing a delivery method have and the goods themselves. It is better to trust the delivery of fragile items or expensive electronics to transport companies (if it is not possible to send the goods by courier or organize its pick-up). You should also trust them when delivering large items. Their specialized, developed services allow you to online mode track the location of the parcel to both the sender and the recipient.

To provide your clients better conditions choosing delivery, you will have to organize the maximum number of them in your online store. At the same time, statistics of all possible indicators should be kept in order to replace one partner with another or completely cancel an unprofitable delivery method.

personal experience of an entrepreneur

Alexander Yakshev,
Solid Express
How to organize courier delivery from scratch?

Alexander Yakshev,

Director of Solid Express

What does your company do?

We offer courier services for online stores and individuals in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

- How did you come to this business? What did you do before you started your business?

I worked in a logistics company in St. Petersburg. First as a courier, and then as a manager. Even then I understood that the delivery business was promising. Alas, specifically in that company the service was not up to par. the best level. The internal climate in the team was tense, and orders were not always processed efficiently.

In 2014 I was fired. They explained that they couldn’t cope.

December, pregnant wife, no apartment. All this was the impetus for starting my own business. I decided that the business should work out, since I had knowledge, connections and experience in logistics.

What were the first steps? What was the starting capital?

Started a business alone starting capital and office. He himself picked up orders from online stores and delivered them to customers. The first clients moved from their old place of work.

When did you make your first profit?

Delivery is a business where profits come immediately. I received the money on the first day. Then new clients appeared. I realized that I need to develop. I hired two couriers. Things got going.

I took it off about a month later small office(15 m²) and hired an employee to process orders.

Still in the same office? What is your current staff?

An office was rented in 2016 larger area- 100 m².

Currently, there are 20 couriers and seven employees in St. Petersburg distributing orders and leading financial statements. Another 10 couriers in Moscow.

What is the average turnover of the company? Is profitability high?

About three million rubles a month. Profitability 15%.

How many orders do you process on average?

250-300 deliveries per day in St. Petersburg. And 100 deliveries in Moscow.

Show off and come to an agreement with Moscow

Nuances of courier business

Fast growing market. The number of online stores is growing every year, and everyone needs to deliver goods. To do this, every store needs a reliable courier service partner.

Competition. We periodically send employees for interviews and even to work in other companies so that they can spy on some of their tricks or even their client base. If you want to live, know how to spin.

Personal connections with store representatives are important. If you make contacts yourself and help in solving operational issues, then they will trust you and cooperate with you long years.

There is a concept of “fast money”. The store agrees with the courier service that money for the goods is transferred the next day after delivery of the order (or even before delivery). But courier services charge a percentage for this.

Dependence on online stores. Their sales are falling, your deliveries are falling. January and summer months are a decline in sales. Think about what's on sale during these months and call stores.

"Friendly Business" We communicate with clients confidentially. We don’t refuse small clients from whom we won’t earn much. Clients call me on my personal number. We try to come to an agreement with everyone.

To develop, you need to invest. Sometimes my entire salary goes towards development - buying transport, etc.

Work around the clock

What are the shipping prices now?

On average, delivery in St. Petersburg costs 220 rubles per address, in Moscow - 350 rubles for cargo up to five kg.

What is your specialty? Why should a client choose you?

From the very beginning, we offered a rare service - same-day delivery. You order goods in the online store and receive them today. Moreover, such delivery costs only 30-50 rubles more than usual (we pay couriers for urgent deliveries as for regular ones).

Even to Moscow, delivery is made the next day, and the cargo can be dropped off before eight o’clock in the evening. Many companies ask that orders be shipped before 16:00. Because they big companies, and it is more difficult for them to process orders

We also work on weekends. Not all services deliver orders on non-working days; customers lose two days. And our couriers work in shifts.

How do you manage to deliver goods to another city so quickly?

We have our own transport, which leaves St. Petersburg for Moscow every evening. And many work through intermediaries in intercity transportation.

When did you purchase your cars? How many do you have now?

In 2016, when we realized that there were more orders, we bought our first car - a LADA Largus truck. Then we gradually bought four more of the same cars.

Couriers, clients and self-written software

Where do you find couriers for your company? What salary do you offer them?

We find employees on popular job search services, for example, HeadHunter. Those couriers who work in their own cars receive, minus gasoline, about three thousand rubles per 12-hour shift with breaks.

Couriers working on my cars receive 2.2 thousand rubles.

Now it’s easier for our couriers to work because the routes have become shorter. That is, one person delivers goods within the surrounding areas, because there are more couriers working in one shift.

Advice for hiring couriers?

It happens that the courier may disappear with the goods or simply be without communication for some time. Therefore, write down the contacts of the wives and mothers of couriers so that you have where to look for them. You can also look at their social networks.

If the courier, even when applying for a job, does not want to give contacts of loved ones, something is clearly wrong.

Who are your main clients?

Mainly sports and children's goods stores. Sports nutrition, children's toys. In addition, we cooperate with well-known pharmacies such as Rigla and the orthopedic network Kladovaya Zdorovya

When I got more money, I decided to collaborate on a sponsorship basis with the football club FC Dynamo St. Petersburg, for which I myself support.

Friends, greetings. I deeply apologize for the fact that over the past two months I have only two articles. The simple fact is that at the end of September my son was born and I am just now slowly getting used to the new rhythm of life.

Today’s article is on the topic “ Take it and implement it quickly!”. And, it would seem, what does the sheet in the picture on the left have to do with it? You'll find out soon

And today I want to touch on a topic related to the text and graphic design of pages with delivery information. After all, this is one of the few pages that forms the visitor’s final decision about purchasing in your online store, and many simply underestimate its importance.

I have seen so many options for presenting this information, and I am increasingly convinced that imagination is not limited by anything.

What we'll talk about:

1. Formulation of the problem;
2. How NOT to do it;
3. Simple presentation of information (choose your implementation option);
4. Good role models;
5. Conclusion.

Why is this so important anyway?

It is not for nothing that I draw your attention to the “Delivery” page, since by reading these pages, the visitor often makes the final decision to buy from your online store or not. And our task is to make this reading easy for him and not cause difficulties. Don't underestimate content marketing (which is something that gets a lot of attention in mine), even on the shipping page.

When the question arises about presenting this or that information, we immediately begin to think about how best to do it.

For example, in every article on this blog I struggle to restrain myself from oversaturating my readers with information. After writing, I edit almost any article several times and reduce the amount of information provided for better assimilation and minimizing the mess. Yes, writing each article takes about 10 hours in total, but I’m sure it’s better than publishing a semi-finished article every day.

Therefore, every time you get ready to go to the site, post something information page(speech doesn't work about articles on the online store’s blog), then try to fit maximum information in a minimum of words or, even better, graphics.

And today we will try to put this information in such a way that with just one glance the visitor will understand that you are successfully delivering the goods to his city or village.

Bad example

Not the best best example for imitation.

To the left of this text you see a screenshot of the “Delivery and Payment” page from the ProSkater.ru website, reduced several times.

Most likely, this page was updated as information became available and new directions in delivery were discovered, but when the page is more than 13,000 pixels high (more than 10 screens long!), this no longer seems funny.

IN in this case this online store can afford this, since it already has a huge army of buyers and followers who already remember by heart all the conditions and rules for delivery with payment.

The first example clearly shows the most common mistake when compiling this type of page: to contain as much as possible more information and get in the end unreadable sheet of text.

Summary: don’t lump everything into one pile, structure the information!

But that's all general tips, which mean nothing until we get down to business. In the next chapter, we'll start building the backbone of this page and find some really worthwhile solutions.

Simple presentation of information

Each online store has its own types of delivery and single solution, which will cover all the options simply does not exist.

Let's look at the most common options:

Same rules for everyone

First impression.
At the first glance at the “Delivery” page, the visitor should immediately have an understanding of whether you are in his city or not.

If you have a fixed or no free shipping throughout Russia, then a similar elegant solution will suit you (live example at the end of the article):

It’s easy to guess that just one glance at this page will make it clear that the online store provides delivery throughout the country and absolutely free. Yes, you can write about this in text, but with an image it’s much more effective, and visual users will also appreciate you

Call to action!
At the end of the page, be sure to place a link or button calling for further actions. Usually this is a simple link with the text “Proceed to Shopping” that leads to the main page.

Option #1. Courier only.

If you only have courier delivery to your own and additional cities, then it is often enough to simply list these cities in the description text.

When a user lands on this page, he immediately sees a map with cities marked on it. And if he sees his city, then his gaze falls below, where there are already links to detailed conditions for each city, which are located on the same page just below.

If you choose to use interactive Google maps, then it makes sense to use Info Windows to Google Maps. Example:

In each city where courier delivery is available, place a similar marker and in the pop-up window you can place any information: delivery speed, delivery time and other conditions. You can read more about the Google Maps API.

Fortunately, few online stores work only with courier delivery and usually there are significantly more types of delivery. IN following example we will add .

Option #2. Courier and pickup.

If you work with both courier delivery and pick-up throughout the country, then I suggest slightly modifying the first option.

In this case, you can most likely also get by with a text page with an interactive map at the very beginning.

Again, once visitors land on the page, they will see an interactive map with cities marked on it. By clicking on his city, the visitor can immediately see what options are available for him: courier, pickup, or both.

Option #3. Courier, pickup and mail.

You understand that it makes no sense to place all post offices on the map and some other solution is needed here.

Changes:

1. When landing on the delivery page, the user should immediately understand that delivery is carried out throughout Russia;
2. Let's immediately separate Postal delivery from other methods. And to do this, we will divide the information into tabs.

The first tab “Courier delivery and pickup” is completely taken from option No. 2. But the second tab is fully prepared for Russian Post:

Those who live in remote regions know that mainly only Russian Post delivers to them. And that’s why we immediately suggest watching:

1. Cost of delivery;
2. Delivery terms;
3. As well as delivery deadlines on the diagram.

That is, when you get to this page, we will answer the user’s questions on the first screen of the monitor. This is wonderful!

Other delivery schemes.

This article covers the general case, but still, each online store has its own delivery methods to the buyer and you can’t get enough for everyone at once

Therefore, here are some tips to help optimize the presentation of information:

1. Key Recommendation: Use tabs to separate information. If you want to add a description of delivery by transport companies, it is better to place this information on a separate tab;
2. From experience, the simpler general scheme delivery, the easier it is to work. Some introduce delivery calculators by Russian Post and persistently enter the weight of goods into , and some simply set a fixed cost of delivery by Russian Post. The average cost of delivery for both is approximately the same;
3. Try to make sure that at the first glance at the delivery page the user immediately has an answer to his question: “Will you deliver to my city?”;
4. At the end of the page, place a “Proceed to Shopping” link.

Some good examples

I think it would be nice to put some great examples of “About Shipping” pages at the end:

Ecco

The tab system in action. Link .

Here we have a slightly different approach. Just enter your zip code or city and the online store will display everything possible ways delivery. Link .

Exclusivedog

Look how elegantly the delivery is described. Just looking at the banner, no other questions arise. Link .

Another confirmation of this is the scroll map of this page:

As you can see, for most users, a graphical display of delivery conditions and up to detailed conditions Not all deliveries arrive. Moreover, in this online store they are very simple.

Conclusion

I strongly advise you not to neglect the “Delivery” page and complete it fully. This page is studied by almost everyone who wants to place an order in your online store.

Therefore, audit it and immediately use the recommendations from the article you just read. Do a good deed for your visitors

From the author: delivery of goods is one of the most important parts of any online store. According to a study conducted by PwC, 65% of online shoppers consider home delivery a huge advantage. The remaining 35% complain about long delivery times, which completely discourages online shopping. Let's figure out how to organize delivery in an online store.

The main rule is order delivery within a guaranteed time frame

If you are, then you must remember how twice two: delivery of goods to the buyer must be carried out within a strictly specified time frame. If a person ordered, for example, a gift for a very important celebration, which did not arrive on time, guess whether he will become your regular customer?

If you are still far from the level of such a “monster” of online trading as Ozon.ru and the like, which have an established logistics system with their own distribution centers, then you will have to organize delivery of goods from the online store yourself, or use postal and courier services services.

Delivery types

Let's look at the main types of transportation, from which you can choose one or more, depending on the specifics of your business and the goods being delivered, as well as the geography of coverage.

"Post office".

It has the largest coverage of the territory. If you plan to deliver goods from an online store throughout the Russian Federation, and not just in big cities, then you can’t do without the good old Post Office. After all, not every courier service can cover every village with a population of 1000 people.

Disadvantage of Russian Post: unpredictable delivery times. There are no additional services - the recipient will not be able to pre-inspect the goods and, if something happens, refuse. But it’s easy not to come to the post office and generally be “frostbitten” from receiving the order.

How to work with Russian Post: enter into an agreement with it or send parcels on behalf of individual. There are also special companies, who pack and send goods via mail, of course, for an additional fee.

Courier service.

This method ensures prompt delivery directly to the customer's door. You can agree on additional services with the courier service - the recipient will be able to try on and partially redeem the order. The refusal rate is significantly lower than in the case of Russian Post. For the most demanding customers You can arrange express courier delivery.

How to choose the right courier service for your online store? Make a preference matrix for yourself - what do you prioritize: customer needs, transportation costs, or some of your personal requirements? If you choose the cheapest service, be prepared for any surprises in the form of missed delivery times.

Cons: often the client associates the courier company with the transport service of the online store itself. Therefore, if the courier is delayed or is rude to the recipient, you will be to blame.

Outsourced couriers.

You can completely entrust the organization of delivery from your online store to an outsourcing company. The couriers of this company themselves will punch the buyer's check, after which the money for the goods will go to the account of the logistics company, and then to you, minus a commission of 1.5-3% of the cost of the delivered goods.

pros this method are obvious: there is no need to bother with staff and think about how to do all this in accounting. You will be able to directly engage in business.

But the disadvantages are not so obvious: in moments of heavy load, for example, on new year holidays, the outsourcing service may not be able to cope with its obligations, which, again, can ruin your reputation.

Own transport service.

You can deliver from an online store using your own couriers, especially if you sell delicate (for example, food), expensive ( jewelry) or fragile (crystal or glass products) goods whose safety you are worried about.

Here you already have somewhere to roam. You can personally monitor how your couriers work and handle products, which cannot be done with an outsourced courier service. After completing the order, it is advisable to contact the client and receive feedback: whether the goods were delivered on time, whether he liked everything about the service, the quality of the product, etc.

Cons: high staff turnover. You have no idea how difficult it is to find honest, decent people to fill the role of courier. Normal people usually put off by working conditions associated with the prospect of wandering around the city in frost, rain and heat, public transport or on foot. Therefore, if you decide to organize your own delivery service in your online store, take care of normal working conditions for your employees.

Features of delivery organization

This process depends on two criteria, they have already been mentioned above:

type of product sold. If you sell perishable goods (flowers, food, etc.), then it is better to hire your own couriers (if your store operates on small area) or work with a courier service. Such products must be delivered within a few hours of order confirmation or picked up.

Clothes can be sent by regular parcels or courier so that the buyer can try them on and, if anything, refuse. Most buyers try to order goods from places where they do not have to pay an advance payment, and will gladly give cash to the courier after they are satisfied with the quality.

If you specialize in selling large items, then it’s worth connecting some kind of transport company which transports goods by rail or road transport;

region of operation of the online store. If your coverage area is one city, then optimal solution There will be a “courier+pickup” scheme. If you plan to work on different regions, then engage a delivery service. If you are thinking about entering the international market, consider whether you can compete with local sellers, especially considering how much shipping abroad will cost (its cost may even exceed the cost of the goods). Therefore, the advisability of such transportation depends on what you are selling.

So, we have discussed with you various ways organizing the delivery of goods from an online store. If you are just thinking about creating your own web resource, I can recommend it, which clearly and clearly explains how to do this quickly and inexpensively.

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