Manners have evolved and new habits have taken hold. E-commerce represented 4.8% of GDP in France in 2020 according to Fevad, and already in the second half of 2021, internet sales grew by 24.9%. At the same time, INSEE also unveiled an increase in the number of business start-ups and microenterprises in 2020, including a 22% increase dedicated to transport and storage activities. If early 2021 we see that there is now a decrease in business creation dedicated to these activities, they are still numerous and are representative of a change in mores explaining the growing need for delivery and the explosion of e -trade.
These findings have already confirmed the trend in e-commerce consumption announced on the rise at the start of the year as well as the enthusiasm of the French for Black Friday promotions.
The importance of digitizing its internal processes to gain market share
End customers expect brands to put in place digital processes for communication between customers and delivery people, according to a study by ParcelLab. Thus, companies that were able to take advantage of record sales on the occasion of Black Friday will now have to ensure that all orders are delivered correctly and on time to their customers.
However, without the digitization of processes, the traceability of deliveries is not guaranteed. And unfortunately, today too many SMEs have not taken the digital step, potentially implying a loss of market. In this context, here are some tips for business creators who want to succeed quickly in the field of e-commerce transport and delivery.
1 – Anticipate the development of your website
Getting into the delivery of e-commerce goods involves being on the Internet. And given the boom in this sector, it is now essential to design your site according to the changes it may experience.
Anticipating the development of your business will not start from scratch when the time comes. Likewise, when creating it is better to rely on already existing elements, in particular best-of-breed (i.e. what is best on the market) such as open plugins (such as Shopify or Woo commerce ) and anticipate the openings that the site will have to have with partners.
2 – Surround yourself with partners who are already familiar with digital technology
It is clear that more and more companies favor exchanges with partners who have an advanced level of digitization. Taking into account the expectations of the end customer pushes them to equip themselves or even to reconsider the contracts in place. Preferring providers who use digital tools to those who work “old-fashioned” with paper has therefore become a prerequisite.
In logistics, dematerializing processes, both internal and external, not only allows better traceability of packages between the preparation of the order and delivery to the end customer, but also the optimization of routes and better communication with the various stakeholders.
3 – Take customer feedback into account from the first missions
Nowadays, transparency is reassuring, which is why it is important on the one hand to communicate with customers but also to allow them to share their opinion on the service they have used. The digital tools allow him to give him a certain autonomy in terms of information on the progress of the delivery of his order. And if he is not satisfied with the service (wrong delivery address, delays, etc.) transparency on the reasons for this delay is essential, as is the consideration of his feedback with a view to continuous improvement of its offer and respect for its commitments.
Customers have more confidence in their peers than in the words of brands: giving them a voice and communicating with them is therefore essential to provide smooth customer service.