When you run an online store, finding the right shipping company is so important. Your customers want their products delivered quickly and for a reasonable price. You also need to make sure that the products arrive intact so you don’t have to spend lots of money replacing them. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses don’t really know where to start when finding a shipping company and they make the wrong decision. If you are trying to find a shipping company for your online business, here are a few things that you need to consider.

The Size Of Your Business 

First, you need to think about the size of your business. Is this going to be a small side hustle or a full-time business? If you are just running a small business on the side, your needs will be very different to what they would if you are running a full-time business and you have aspirations for growth. 

A small business can make do with a courier service that handles small loads, but if your business is large and you are shipping a lot of products, you may need a full truckload shipping service. Make sure to compare top FTL shipping quotes so you always get the best price. If you pick a shipping service that is not suitable for the size of your business, it can have a big impact on the level of service that you offer your customers. 

Where You Are Shipping To 

When you first start your business, you may only be shipping products to the local area. In that case, you should look at some of the smaller regional shipping companies. They only deal with a small geographical area so they charge a lower rate. However, if you are shipping nationally, you will need to deal with a larger shipping company. A lot of businesses start out with a smaller service and then upgrade as they grow. 

The Speed Of Shipping 

Big online retailers like Amazon offer next day shipping as standard, and same day shipping is available in a lot of places already. This means that customers have certain expectations and even though you might not be able to match the service of the big retailers, customers still expect their products to come quickly. When you are comparing shipping companies, always ask about speed. 

Tracking Options 

Customers get impatient and they like to know exactly when their products are coming. Knowing when a package is going to arrive also means that people don’t have to sit around all day waiting in case it comes. Your customers will always appreciate it if you use a shipping service that offers tracking options that they can access themselves. You may have to pay extra for this option but it is worth it because it improves the level of service for your customers. 

Insurance 

Finally, you need to make sure that your shipping service offers good insurance. This will cover you if products are broken in transit and you won’t have to cover the cost of replacements yourself. 

As long as you consider all of these different things, you will be able to find the perfect shipping company for your business.