The Different Types of Shipping Methods for Small Businesses

 

Flat-Rate Shipping

Flat-rate shipping is a popular option for most online retailers. With this method, you go with a carrier that offers a fixed rate on their delivery prices. The rates for the delivery are determined by the boxes.

As such, as long as it fits and can be transported in the box, then you can ship it. This option is great for people that don’t want to put a lot of thought into their shipping. It’s also ideal if all of your items are roughly the same size and shape.

However, if you have a more diverse product line, then you’ll likely fund that this option doesn’t work great for you.

Real-Time Carrier Rates

If you want to go with multiple shipping integrations, then consider real-time carrier rates. This method generates live pricing structures for your customers.

As such, it allows them to choose the delivery type that they want and decide how much they’re going to pay for it.

Local or International Shipping

If you’re shipping a lot in a certain area (whether locally, or internationally), then you might want a carrier that’s dedicated to transporting your goods. This is ideal because you have a point of contact in the event of missing shipments.

If you go through other services, then it’s easy for packages to get lost in the sea of orders. The only problem is that this option can be a bit pricey. This is especially true if you don’t have enough goods to fill up an entire truck’s worth of shipments.