The Art of Shipping Fees
Trying to figure out what to charge for shipping can be tricky. Shipping from Portland, Oregon to Buffalo, New York is going to cost more than shipping to Seattle, Washington. Dig the idea of your goodies in a far, far away land like Australia or Germany? What if your customer loves your shop and wants to pop more than one item in the cart? That changes both the weight and the shipping price. Finding middle ground is key. A simple averaging system can be the best cure all yet!
Get a scale. Easy enough to find. Embrace the power of Google and order one online, you won't even need to leave the house. Alright, got the scale? Weigh the item! Be sure to include the envelope, the thank you note, your business card, the packaging, the gift box, and whatever freebie you pop in to show your appreciation. Now go to USPS and play! Pop in your zip, now pop in a few zips of places you'd enjoy seeing your handmade lovelies sent off to. Now take the price smack in the middle and run with it! Wah lah!!! You now have your shipping cost. Same goes for international shipping. Knowing your options helps. Small item? Go the airmail route! Just don't forget about the customs form. Still stuck? Compare yourself to others. Find an online storefront that makes similar items and see what they charge their customers for shipping. Just keep in mind it's not always black and white. Some sellers calculate their shipping costs into their item price. Look at the cost of the item and then the shipping fee to decipher.
Tackle any additional items your customer adds to their cart with a flat low rate. Not too high as you want to reward your customer for buying more, however you need to be realistic so that you can cover costs. You can use the averaging system here too. Keep in mind that you can always refund your customer any over-payment in shipping fees after you're back from the post office, but going back to your customer & asking for more money afterward? Just no. Don't.
Try and avoid clerical errors when entering your shipping fees when selling your products online. Updating a shipping profile from your phone on the fly? Not the best move. Take your time. Sit down at your desk. Do it right. I learned this one the hard way and I'm not new to any of this.
Also, admit when you make mistakes. Then make up for them! Like so.
