From Shipping
Why Same-Day Shipping Is Closer Than You Think
One of the most persistent challenges for eCommerce store owners is shipping.
In an instant gratification era—when Amazon has the scale to offer customers free two-day shipping for $99 per year—smaller eCommerce sellers are constantly challenged by how to get their goods into customers’ hands as quickly and cheaply as possible.
We’ve previously written that there are three main participants in the eCommerce delivery wars: the Old Guard (USPS, UPS, FedEx); the eCommerce Giants (Amazon, Google); and the Groundbreakers (Uber, Matternet).
Sidecar, a ridesharing service from San Francisco, has identified itself as another potential Groundbreaker this week. While it’s not as big, recognisable or as well funded as competitors Lyft or Uber, Sidecar is the first rideshare service to focus its package delivery efforts on eCommerce merchants.
The eCommerce Delivery Wars: Who Will Win?
A recent report by Cindy Waxer at Gigaom Research asks who will win the brewing battle over the fastest, most efficient way to get goods and services to consumers.
Waxer identified three different factions in the delivery wars:
– The Old Guard (USPS, UPS and FedEx).
– The eCommerce Giants (Amazon and Google).
– The Groundbreakers (Uber and Matternet).
60 Minute Delivery; Do We Need All eCommerce Products Instantly?
Imagine you are lusting after a new item of clothing, let’s say a comfy sweater.
You scan a variety of online stores. Perhaps you check out Macy’s and Nordstrom, and then visit the websites for another couple of well-known brands, like Anthropology and Uniqlo.
You don’t see anything you really like.
Then you come across an eCommerce store that not only has some great-looking sweaters, but also promises to get your purchase to you within the same day, or even better, the same hour.
Would you buy from them?
Introductory Guide to Dropshipping with WooCommerce
Packing in your traditional 9-5 job to start an online business is less far-fetched than it sounds—people just like you are taking the leap every day.
Most people have a burning passion inside them, and running an eCommerce business is one of the most viable opportunities for turning a passion into a profitable business—whether it’s your passion for a certain hobby, or the desire to build something from the ground up that drives you.
Unfortunately for many, that great idea, dream or passion will never become a reality, for two simple reasons: risk and cost.
Even if we have an amazing blueprint in front of us, there’s no guarantee of success. With mouths to feed and mortgages to pay, do we have the spare cash and the appetite for risk to bring that idea to market?
However, not all eCommerce business models come steeped in risk.
Dropshipping is a business model that actually circumnavigates these major issues, making it one of the most accessible forms of online business opportunities.
What is The Last Mile for ECommerce?
If you keep up with tech news, especially stories relating to Amazon, you’ve probably seen reference to the term “the last mile.” But what does it mean?
The last mile is a metaphor used to describe the movement of goods from a fulfillment centre to their final destination. In other words, the last mile is the last leg of your product’s trip before it arrives on your customer’s doorstep.