Tips for Choosing a Shipping Partner for Your Small Business

Congratulations! You had a great idea, turned it into an e-commerce business, and developed a line of products consumers want to buy. Next up: choosing the right shipping partner to deliver your online sales!

No matter how innovative and in-demand your products are, it’s difficult to thrive without an optimized shipping solution. Late or missing shipments can lead to unhappy customers, hidden costs can eat away at profits, and a lack of support can result in compliance issues, especially if you’re shipping internationally or have plans to expand your business overseas in the future. 

Partnering with a leading logistics provider means: 

• Service you can rely on and that your customers can trust 
• A transparent and competitive cost structure 
• The expertise needed to navigate the complexities of global shipping 

Once you have that foundation in place, operations run more smoothly, customer satisfaction remains higher, and the opportunities to grow your business increase. 

Factors to Consider 

While specific needs may vary, the considerations below are a good starting point for any small business selecting a shipping partner.

Reputation and experience

The e-commerce space is challenging to navigate, but aligning with an experienced, competent courier can make all the difference. When you’re comparing options, look at the availability of shipping partners for both origin and destination locations, the support they can offer customers like you, and their ability to provide expertise across all your logistics business needs. 

Working with a well-established global delivery partner like DHL Express not only helps build trust among customers but also provides business owners with invaluable resources and support. 

Comprehensive shipping solutions

Even if you’re starting out small and have relatively minimal shipping needs initially, it’s always a good idea to plan for growth. Look for a logistics partner that makes it easy to integrate international shipping with your current e-commerce setup, offers a broad spectrum of delivery options and destinations, and offers affordable shipping rates for packages of all sizes. 

Because DHL has decades of experience serving small businesses and large corporations alike, we’re prepared to navigate a wide range of potential scenarios, including customs support and easy digital integrations, while also offering competitive rates and a superior delivery experience. 

Customer service

Everything moves fast in the e-commerce industry, so when issues inevitably arise from time to time, swift and effective communication becomes key. 

Whether it’s answering queries, addressing complaints, or deescalating concerns, excellent customer service for you and your customers is truly what sets a top-tier shipping partner like DHL Express apart from competitors. 

Tracking capabilities and customizable delivery options

Whether you’ve shipped a package or you’re waiting for one, you want to know where it is and when it’s scheduled to arrive. And more importantly, your customers desire transparent, reliable tracking information for their shipments, eliminating the need to email or call your team. Therefore, it’s crucial to select a courier partner that provides real-time tracking capabilities to benefit both your business and customers.  

Sustainability

If you’re looking for ways to integrate sustainability into your business model, choosing a delivery partner with green practices is a great way to do that.  

Today’s consumers care about the planet and are increasingly likely to seek out brands that align with their values. Partnering with a courier committed to sustainability initiatives, such as DHL’s GoGreen Plus program, shows your customers where your priorities are. DHL Express is the global transportation leader in carbon insetting, actively reducing the carbon footprint throughout operational and shipment delivery processes and making it easy for businesses of all sizes to implement sustainable logistics. 

Fast, efficient delivery to over 220 countries

DHL Express represents wide global reach and a stellar reputation. Thanks to our highly competent teams across the world, our dedicated air fleet, and extensive Customs expertise, we’re able to offer international delivery in as little as 2-3 business days.  

Tracking and delivery options

DHL On Demand Delivery offers DHL Express package recipients free, proactive access and control by allowing them to customize their delivery experience with six convenient options, ideal for international buyer delivery preference behavior. For business account holders, DHL ProView, offers a customizable, comprehensive way to streamline and manage global shipments. 

Shipping tools

DHL Express offers three distinct shipping options tailored to fit a wide range of needs:

Digital partner integrations

The DHL Express Commerce platform is a comprehensive service and optimized to provide the best user experience to DHL account customers. However, if your business is already using a popular e-commerce platform like Shopify or ShipStation, etc., our digital partner integration option is an easy alternative.

As you can see, choosing DHL Express as your shipping partner is a great way to set your small business up for success in the e-commerce space. Open a business account today to get the best rates!