Running a business online is, in many ways, a labor of love. It can be difficult to get off the ground at first, and everyone runs into some snags along the way, but if you stick to it you can find yourself making a living selling a product that you believe in, and shipping it all over the world. Only someone with an ecommerce business can say that they have customers who live in places as close as the seller?s hometown to as far away as India! Of course, everyone has a bit of trouble at some point or another figuring out how to ship products safely and efficiently, especially when what you?re selling is small and potentially fragile. Don?t worry ? you have questions, we have answers.
Selling The Small Things
Many ecommerce businesses that sell smaller items focus on the basics, like school supplies. If that?s the case, get excited: it?s been projected that sales will be driven by electronics and back to school shopping this year, with millennials expecting to spend $913 million of their own money on school supplies. In fact, trends have suggested that the average cost of kindergarten through 12th grade classroom supplies is $700! Finally, more than one-third of back to school shoppers and 45% of college families plan on doing at least some of their shopping online. Whether you?re selling school books, binders, or printable sticker labels, you?ll want to be ready to ship. So what do you need?
Shipping Supplies: The Basics
One thing you?ll need off the bat is bubble mailers. Cheap bubble mailers, otherwise known as bubble envelopes, can be bought wholesale and are a great way to efficiently ship products for a low cost to you and your buyers. The insulation offered by the mailer ensures that the product will arrive safely, undamaged by heat or a careless mailman. You can even use these mailers with some smaller books, especially in cases of single orders.
What If I Sell Paper Products?
We all know how nerve-wracking it can be as a seller to ship more delicate products. If you sell paper products, like printable sticker labels or even simply paper itself, then you don?t have to worry about using bubble mailers. The plastic wrapping of the bubble ensures that your printable sticker labels or handcrafted invitations ? whatever you?re selling ? will be well-protected, even if it has to endure rain or snow, and whatever other severe weather conditions the postal service promises to go up against.
Once you know how to ship your products, the most physically difficult part of your job as an ecommerce businessperson is made easy. The rest is up to you. Ship your products in an inexpensive and timely manner, and you and your customers will be more than satisfied ? it will be the start of a beautiful relationship.
