Descubriendo los secretos de las empresas DTC exitosas

Conversely, payment can also become a real growth vector for your store. But then, how to exploit its full potential?

Here is an overview of the features that will help boost your sales while offering your customers a memorable shopping experience.

1. Increase your average basket

Consumers are more and more fond of financing solutions such as payment in installments: it allows them to spread their expenses, a significant asset in this period of health and economic crisis. In fact, according to Opinion Way, one in four French people used split payments in 2020!

Proof that to meet buyers' expectations, it is now necessary to offer this payment facility. 

Moreover, by removing the last obstacles to purchase, payment in installments allows you to improve your conversion rate and increase your average basket. Indeed, an internet user will be more inclined to buy additional products or in a higher range if he knows he can spread his payment.

We particularly advise you to opt for the guaranteed split payment: this functionality (proposed by PayPlug) allows you to offer the payment in 3 or 4 installments to your customers without incurring the risk of fraud or unpaid bills. In other words, you receive the full amount from the first payment.

TheProject X Paris store integrated the guaranteed fractional payment on its website in 2020: its average basket went from 80€ with the cash payment to 200€with this payment facility. 

2. Accelerate your shopping journey

Checkout is the last step in the buying process, so it's important to identify and eliminate potential friction points. To start, you can use this free tool to evaluate the performance of your checkout page: you will receive personalized recommendations by email based on your results. 

Next, think about the features that can help you shorten your checkout process. For example, with one-click checkout, your customers can choose to save their credit card information, so they don't have to re-enter it the next time they check out. A timesaving feature that they will appreciate and that will encourage them to place other orders on your site! 

We also advise you to choose a payment solution that offers automatic detection of the type of bank card being used: a small detail, certainly, but one that will save your buyer a few precious seconds.

In the same spirit, you can also activate the numeric keypad to facilitate the entry of credit card data from a smartphone.

There are so many techniques to make your customer journey more fluid!

3. Improve your conversion rate

Conversion is the nerve of war in e-commerce. How can you counter cart abandonment at the very last step of the purchase process? How do you avoid payment failures?That's what we're going to see in this section!

A responsive and reassuring payment page

First of all, to increase your conversion rate, it is essential to have a simple and reassuring payment page. Some payment solutions allow you to customize your page by adding your logo, your colors, and the background image of your choice.This way, your buyers stay in the world of your brand until the moment of payment, which makes them feel confident. 

You can also opt for a "lightbox" page template, which is displayed directly on the order page and contains many reassuring elements (image of a padlock, "100% secure" mention, logos of accepted card types). 

We encourage you to test different templates to identify the one that will best convert your visitors.

A PSD2 compliant payment solution

The Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) aims to improve the security of online transactions. Since May 15, 2021, in France, all digital payments over €30 a reverified using at least two of the following three authentication elements: a password the user knows, a device the user owns (phone, computer), a personal characteristic of the user (fingerprint, facial recognition). This is called strong authentication. 

Eventually, payment solutions should be able to "request" strong or friction less authentication (in which case the user does not need to identify himself),depending on the estimated risk level of the transaction.

Since it adds an extra step in the purchase process, strong authentication can apriori negatively impact your conversion rate. How do you minimize this loss?

• Inform your visitors in advance about the consequences of the PSD2 to avoid payment failures due to a lack of knowledge of the steps to follow;
• Check that your payment solution is compliant with this new directive;
• Choose a solution that generally records little fraud because the issuing banks will have more confidence in the choices it will recommend. 

4. Close sales on all channels

So far, we have given you tips on how to optimize the payment stage on your e-commerce site. But did you know that some payment solutions allow you to cash out your customers directly in your WhatsApp, SMS, or phone exchanges? This is the principle of conversational commerce!

We've put together a complete guide on the subject: we invite you to read it to find out which contact channels to use first, how to configure your chatbot to boost your engagement rate, and what techniques to use to conclude each conversation with a sale.

In concrete terms, all you have to do is send a payment link to your customer during an exchange. All they have to do is click to be redirected to a secure payment page. This way, you offer a truly differentiating shopping experience while generating additional sales! 

As an example, the Laudate store now makes 14% of its sales by phone, thanks to payment links. When a customer calls into the store, especially to place a click & collect order, the salesperson can offer to pay directly by email or SMS. 

5. Conclusion

You now know which levers to activate to improve the payment stage on your site, but also which tools to implement to generate sales on any channel! 

Choose your payment solution carefully, and make sure that it offers features in line with your needs and your customers' expectations. Beyond a simple tool, it must be a real partner that will accompany the growth of your store in the longterm. 

As an e-merchant, you are probably wondering if there are any solutions. At Bigblue, we have listed the best practices to help you optimize your packaging, making it less polluting and more pleasant for the customer experience.

So, how do you fight against over-packaging? Is it possible to lighten the weight of the package by eliminating superfluous layers? And above all, are there alternatives to polluting materials?

If, like us, you think it would be good for the environment (and for your wallet) to change the game, here are our 3 directly actionable tips.

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1. Fight over-packing with the right size packaging 

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Empty spaces: the first cause of over-packaging! 

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Some e-tailers standardize packaging for productivity reasons. This way, assembly teams don't waste time looking for the right size package for the ordered item. So, buying a single-size package in large numbers to hold small and large products seems to be rather logical.

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A logical choice, certainly, but not very economical and not at all ecological:

• According to DS Smith's study, on average, 25% of packages sent have empty space. But to adjust the package, you weigh it down with materials that impact the price of transport (yes, the heavier it is, the more expensive it is!). The same study estimates that $46 billion could be saved each year worldwide. How much could you save?

• The empty space of the package is filled with bubble wrap, polystyrene, or the famous air cushions that do not give an environmentally friendly image to the consumer. And the consumer is right not to be happy: 122 million tons of carbon dioxide are emitted every year due to the transport of half-empty packages.
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From a macro point of view, we can say that overpackaging is not a good business! But from a more micro perspective, it's no better. One of the crucial points to consider is the consumer: what does he think about all this?

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In general, this aspect is not well received by the final customer, who doesn't plan to store a box the size of a bicycle in his dustbin when he has only ordered a simple bedside lamp. This is especially true for a consumer who has only ordered a simple bedside lamp (if you have ever ordered in a large store, you know what we are talking about!).

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However, mentalities are changing: people are concerned about the environment. Logistics is, therefore, an element on which you will have to be attentive, at the risk of getting bad press!

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Don't oversize your packages: simple and effective

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We know that ingrained habits are hard to break. But the figures quoted above prove it: by remaining minimalistic in your packaging, you will not only optimize your costs but also please the planet and your customer.

So why not start slowly but surely? The truth is, there is no miracle solution. In fact, you just need to be pragmatic:

• Order the right packaging for each product. The idea is not to do custom-made but to plan several sizes of packages. There are packages adapted to the weight, the sensitivity of the product, the size, etc. The customer experience will be better, and your brand will be more valued.

• Call on a packaging specialist. Packhelp offers packaging adapted to the products and constraints of e-tailers. But you can also make the customer experience unforgettable by customizing your packages with your colors and logo. Packages of the right size, secured  according to the specificities of the object (the shipment of pottery differs from the shipment of a T-shirt), with the colors of your brand. What more can you ask for?

• Go through a logistician whose job will be to help you fight against over-packaging. At Bigblue, we have created an algorithm that calculates the size of the optimized package according to the type of product being shipped. In concrete terms, you enter the dimensions of your product, and we choose for you the ideal size for transportation. What is the objective? To reduce the empty space in the package.

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2. Do away with layers of unnecessary packaging: do less but better.

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Why put one plastic inside another plastic that will be surrounded by another plastic?

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The process of preparing an order described above is hardly exaggerated. For example, for a jumper and a pair of socks that come from the same store, we have:

• the polybag for each garment;
• the tissue paper for each of them too.

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That is 4 packages in total. But we can still find:

• another plastic to protect the two packages together in a parcel during transport (just in case);
• and the sometimes-oversized cardboard.

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Total of the operation? 6 layers for two items.

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Overpackaging is responsible for pollution. To compare:

• 122 million tons of carbon dioxide is produced every year because of overpackaging;
• 22 million tons of carbon dioxide was produced in 2017 due to air traffic in France.

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In addition, the waste these materials produce is not environmentally friendly at all.

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So ask yourself: at your level, what packaging could you remove?

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Remove unnecessary layers: a new way of working on logistics. 

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At Bigblue, we've noticed that end customers place a high value on the delivery experience and packaging. The latter is part of the brand image.

An overlay of bags, plastics, and other additions do not make for a pleasant customer experience.

What do you think are the areas where you could improve? Here are some ideas to guide you:

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Identify completely unnecessary packaging.

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You know the ones that are not useful for your product or your customer. For each container, ask yourself what its real added value is.

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Focus on less but better.

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For example, to avoid the use of tissue paper and guarantee an optimal customer experience, you can adopt personalized packaging (inside). Sézane integrates this element in its marketing strategy.

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Promote eco-responsible values.

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Here, it is, of course, a question of being in phase with your positioning and values. Lush is ultra-transparent about the packaging material used. The site indicates that the cellophane bags used to wrap and protect bare items for orders are made of vegetable cellulose, 100% biodegradable, and 100% compostable. 

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3. What about using eco-friendly materials? 

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Overpackaging, a factor that encourages the use of plastic

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You guessed it. The side effect of the empty package is the need to fill it with readily available materials that seem economical.

Indeed, not having suitable packaging means fearing that the item ordered will travel poorly in transit. 

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To alleviate this problem, the materials used to avoid any alteration of the object have components for which the logisticians remain unclear like:

• Bubble wrap;
• Air cushions;
• Polystyrene.

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Although practical for delicate and fragile goods, they have a significant disadvantage: they are made of plastic whose manufacture and waste are polluting. 

Moreover, it is difficult not to think of plastic tape when talking about packaging. This adhesive is unfortunately not recyclable and even prevents a package from being recyclable.

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Abandon the overuse of plastic for eco-friendly materials

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What could you replace plastic with? Easier said than done!

But rest assured.

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There are environmentally friendly, affordable alternatives that can give you a good brand image (without greenwashing). 

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For sensitive products such as Unbottled soaps that can break in transport, it is almost mandatory to have “protections”. You may wonder if other materials are as reliable as the ones you are used to. 

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The answer is yes!

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And here is what you can integrate into your logistics, being sure that all this is recyclable:

• Kraft paper: perfect for cushioning products and wrapping them in the package;

• Crimped paper: ideal when there are several products in a package; 

• Paper wrap: similar to an insulator for products;

• Pre-cut packaging: practical for storing products, but also for closing a package in an ecological way and reducing the use of plastic as much as possible. Have a look at the Dollar Shave Club, which features 100% cardboard packaging, is tailor-made for the razors sold, and offers an excellent customer experience.

To go even further, there is Hipli which offers packaging adapted to your merchandise while avoiding the use of materials that are harmful to nature. In short, environmental protection is clearly in their DNA as this brand focuses on reusable and responsible packaging.

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In short, the triptych of over-packaging is not a fatality. You can start by doing an audit of where you stand:

• What package sizes could you order?
• What “layers” could you eliminate?
• What affordable materials could you use to replace plastic?

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At Bigblue, we're very aware of these environmental issues, which is why we talk about them. If this resonates with you, and you want to discuss it, you can always contact us! 

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Main image created by vectorjuice - fr.freepik.com

But the transport between the warehouse and the final customer is a delicate step that logisticians are constantly trying to improve. And for good reason – not only is it polluting, but it is also expensive. 

With the exponential development of e-commerce in France, i.e., 1 billion shipments in 2020, the negative effects of the "last mile" will only increase.However, rest assured: e-commerce is not necessarily more polluting than physical commerce (home/shop journey, store operating costs, etc.). Nevertheless, the pollution linked to the delivery does exist. 

So, is it possible to limit the negative effects of the last mile? If so, does it involve the selection of the carrier? To go even further, wouldn't it be appropriate to offer the customer delivery choices? Moreover, can we make consumers aware of this issue?

We decrypt the solutions in this article...

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1. Why is it important to limit the effects of the last mile?

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The last mile: a challenge for the environment

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Developing express delivery is a great opportunity for some e-retailers whose goal is to ensure perfect customer service. But there is a drawback. This type of service is carried out by plane, which is 125 times more polluting than the truck for the same distance. 

However, contrary to appearances, air logistics is not the only one to be wary of. In fact, urban logistics is a major ecological challenge. With the success of e-commerce and its corollary, home delivery contributes to urban traffic congestion (the famous traffic jams on the ring road!). Of course, this contributes to air pollution: it is the cause of 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Even with this knowledge, customer satisfaction is so essential that express shipping is the only option for many e-tailers. The result? Trucks don't wait to be filled to leave, and they travel with few packages to be delivered. But driving almost empty is not ecological logistics.

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By the way, why is the last mile so expensive? 

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It is quite paradoxical that such a small distance represents more than 53% of the logistics costs. In reality, everything can be explained by the figures. 87.5% of French internet users buy online, and fast delivery has become a norm among consumers. Customers now instinctively expect to receive their package"within 48 hours."

E-merchants and logisticians do not have the time to share the transport. The orders being geographically varied, the parcel delivered to the customer leaves the wholesale transport system. We have to adapt and customize to deliver quickly.

At the end of the chain, the success of a delivery depends on the meeting between the delivery person and the final customer. However, there are some recurrent failures:

• When the customer is not at home because he has not been informed of the time of delivery;
• When the customer has not given the exact address to be delivered, and it is impossible to reach him.

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As a result, the delivery person ends up with a package that he will have to deliver again. If you combine empty trucks and routing errors, you can understand the loss of revenue. The drivers lose time, which costs the logistician and the e-merchant money. 

In addition, longer than expected delivery times have a negative impact on customer satisfaction. 84% of shoppers say they are unlikely to buy from a company again after a bad delivery experience.

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Finally, it's important to remember that delivery is not just about the urban environment. What happens when the package to be delivered is in rural areas?The unit cost of shipping simply explodes.

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2. Can green logistics solve the last mile problem?

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Choosing a carrier that pollutes less: logical and efficient 

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It's no longer news: ecological values are sought after by the consumer. Some logistics companies have understood this, and ecology is an integral part of their value proposition. Today, we can observe the development of real "green logistics," which takes several forms. 

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Reduce the CO2 emissions

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First of all, you can look for a carrier that offset sits CO2 emissions. 

For example, Colissimo finances environmental projects that allow offsetting nearly 1.5 million tons of CO2 each year. 

Of course, this does not reduce pollution, but this system has the merit of trying to repair pollution that is inevitable due to our lifestyles.

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The development of green transportation 

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Then, you can consider looking at transporters, such as Chronopost, who have a fleet of ecological vehicles: 

Green utility vehicles are perfect for city delivery. No CO2 emissions, minimal fuel consumption, and, best of all, they make no noise;

Bicycles, if the size of the parcel lends itself to it, are a good option for short distances in the city and for avoiding traffic jams in town. 

The result is obvious time saving and extremely reduced pollution. In addition, the appearance of cargo bikes now makes it possible to deliver more packages.

Today, there are multiple solutions at the local level. It will be up to you to do some research according to your geographical situation. 

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Technology for an optimized route

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Finally, you can also choose a carrier such as DHL that uses route optimization.

Thanks to technology, you can better organize your logistics and calculate the best route based on traffic congestion, fuel consumption, the distance the package travels, the type of vehicles driven, or the way the delivery drivers drive. 

The goal? Consume less fuel to reduce pollution (and save money in the process).

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Propose alternatives to fight against the last mile

As an e-commerce brand, you can directly fight against the perverse effects of the last mile. All you have to do is offer your customers several delivery options. 

As you now know, the empty trip of trucks is due to fast delivery. Overnight, it is impossible for logisticians to organize themselves. And yet, empty running, whether for parcels or trucks, is an ecological and economic plague. 

So what can you do?

• Favor relay points. Thanks to this system, the carrier can combine several orders from the same area and avoid the inconveniences of the last mile: pollution is reduced, unit costs per parcel are lowered, and, above all, the deliveryman's return trips due to the customer's absence are avoided. The customer is free to pick up his parcel provided, of course, that he respects the timetable of the relay point (it is often local stores that take care of it).

• Offer lockers. Less widespread than the relay points, the Chronopost pickup, for example, proposes lockers where the customers can recover their parcels without the constraint of a schedule. Here, the flexibility is complete, and this type of delivery is appreciated precisely for the freedom it offers to consumers. 

Consumers are now used to these types of delivery. It is, so to speak, part of the way of life. The system is now well established, and for a few euros less, the buyer will potentially agree to be active in receiving his package (he will sometimes prefer this option to home delivery).

_{‍
Bigblue Tips
Elevate your customer experience with Bigblue's Pickup Point app for Shopify. When working with Bigblue, you can also integrate seamlessly with leading carriers like Mondial Relay, giving customers the option to choose a convenient pickup location at checkout. This translates to a smoother shopping journey and happier customers, ultimately increasing conversions.}

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3. What if green logistics also meant raising end-customer awareness?

The gentle sensitization of end customers on the evils of fast delivery.

Fighting against the effects of the last mile (and against pollution in general) is a collective issue. Many consumers are unaware of the harms of fast shipping.

The idea is not to make the customer feel guilty but rather to inform him about his ecological impact. They will, of course, remain free to take into account or not the alternative delivery methods that you propose.

Some e-merchants have undertaken work to include information about the ecological cost in the purchase or delivery process.

Paygreen offers a positive impact payment system.  

It is simply a matter of engaging customers without disrupting your sales tunnel, thanks to a simple possibility for them to compensate their order by paying a few cents for an ecological program.

Ensure the traceability of the package: green logistics must be transparent

At each stage of delivery, you can also inform your customer of the status of his parcel in your tracking emails. 

This way, they will be aware of the different stages their order goes through (and the kilometers covered).

To go even further, at Bigblue, we offer you the possibility to create and personalize the emails that your customers will receive at the time of the preparation of the order, of its sending, as well as its arrival.  

Therefore, it is possible to integrate your branding elements and educate your customers on the subject of the last mile! 

The objective is to maintain a pleasant customer experience while demonstrating your commitment to greener logistics.

When creating e-commerce, we think about the product, the crowdfunding campaign, and the packaging...but did you ever think that one of the best ways to stand out is your customers' delivery experience?

Logistics can be a real secret weapon to boost your sales! A quick checklist to get started: 

• Have you chosen the best tools for your e-commerce?
• Are you comfortable with the terms "SKU" and "barcode"? 
• Is your returns policy perfect? 
• Do you have a handle on tracking emails?
• Are you 200% sure that you have selected the best carriers? 

If you answered no to at least one of these questions, then this article is for you! We present to you our best articles to help you develop your business thanks to your logistics. 

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1. The use of barcodes and SKUs:

Products are the essence of e-commerce. They attract customers and keep the business going, but only if the inventory is well managed: to be able to determine the number of products of a reference, the stock-outs, the unsold products... 

One way to manage stocks efficiently is to identify products. But there are different methods that adapt to the development stage of your shop: the SKU and the barcode. The difference between the two is sometimes a little blurred, yet they do not have the same use for your e-commerce.

• The SKU is a means of identification within your company, but it is not understood by other actors of the e-commerce (supplier, warehouse, marketplace ...)
• The barcode, on the contrary, is a "universal language" understood by all (carriers, logistician, marketplace)

Why is it essential to use barcodes to develop your e-commerce?

• Marketplace: the creation of barcodes will allow you to sell on other platforms and reach other customers. This means that you will boost your sales.
• Logistics: barcodes allow you to track your products, update your stocks, reduce order errors, limit losses, etc...

The process of creating and managing barcodes may seem long and complicated, but in reality, it is quite simple. 

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2. Choosing your carriers:

Delivery options can drive your potential buyers to order from you rather than your competitors. 82% of online shoppers abandoned their shopping cart because they found the delivery options unsatisfactory. 

Having a wide choice of carriers ensures that you don't lose your potential customers and can go after those of others.

Why your potential customers care so much about their choice of carrier:

• It is the reflection of your e-commerce image. For example, if you refuse to offer express delivery to reduce the environmental impact of your orders.
• It is one of the links in the supply chain. If it is defective, the whole delivery experience is impacted. For example, if a package is lost, your customer will remember it and may order from your competitor.

There is a wide choice of carriers from Colissimo to Relais Colis to DPD. All of them meet the specific needs of each e-commerce.

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3. Work on your return policy:

Once the customer receives their order, we tend to think that's the end of the delivery experience. Well, we must not neglect the potential returns! 

Returns management is the underestimated step in logistics and yet can become your ally in acquisition and retention. 

39% of Internet users check return policies before placing an order. Your return policy has the power to convince your potential customers to validate their carts!

The primary goal of the return policy is to improve the customer experience, which will boost your e-commerce sales. A satisfied customer is a customer who reorders. 

You can improve your return policy on several levels:

• Make it as clear and precise as possible for your customers
• Create a page detailing all the steps involved in a return 
• Design a packaging that facilitates returns 

A good return experience will keep your customers and improve your brand image. It is possible to make your return policy the most profitable operation of your year 2021.

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4. Insurance for your packages:

Once your orders are prepared, they will be delivered to your customers by the carriers. Many external elements can hinder the journey of these packages. Thisis when the following questions arise: 

• What happens if my packages are lost or damaged?
• Do I need to take out Ad valorem insurance for my products?
• How does carrier compensation work?
• What are the carriers' refund conditions? What about ad valorem insurance?

The idea of wanting to take out additional insurance in case of loss or theft of packages is sometimes a common misconception. But in reality, it is occasionally more profitable to lose products than to insure them. It is essential to understand how carrier compensation works and the conditions of Ad Valorem insurance. 

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5. Tracking email:

Once your customers have ordered one of your products, they will be waiting impatiently for their package to arrive. If they don't hear from you or the carrier, they will try to find out where it is by contacting your customer service department with emails, calls, or even messages on your networks.  

The personalized follow-up email allows you to inform your customers of the status of their orders in real-time (being prepared, sent, being delivered) while using it as a marketing and sales tool.

Areal Swiss Army knife, the follow-up email is at the same time informative, reassuring, and commercial.

• Informative: it gives information on the status of your customer's order
• Reassuring: the presence of your brand image (logo, color, tone) will relieve your customer service of worried emails and improve the customer experience (which is synonymous with retention)
• Commercial: you can add products in these emails that complement your customer's order or new product lines to push customers to recommend you to others.

It is your ally in converting your customers. We give you all the keys to create the perfect follow-up email to boost your sales in our article. 

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6. Conclusions:

The primary goal of improving the delivery experience is to boost your e-commerce sales. The role of logistics is sometimes underestimated, and yet barcodes, carriers, insurance of your products, and tracking emails will make the difference with your customers compared to your competitors.

It's up to you!

Once your orders are paid and prepared, they will be delivered to your customers by carriers. There are many of them, and each one has its own characteristics: DHL, Colissimo, Mondial Relay... But sometimes your parcels can get lost or damaged in the transport process. 

At that moment, many questions arise: What will happen? Will I be compensated? Do I need to take out additional insurance?

In this article, we will see what options are available to you in the event that a carrier loses or damages one of your packages.

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1. How do carrier offsets work?

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Conditions:

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From the moment the package is picked up from the warehouse until it is dropped off at your customer's home, it is the carriers' responsibility. That is to say, if something happens to your package, a system of compensation is set up. 

Transport indemnities are governed by international conventions such as those of Montreal for air transport or Geneva for road transport. There are many of them in order to protect both the carriers and the final customers.

More simply, these texts require carriers to compensate their customers if the package does not arrive or arrives damaged. And these compensations are calculated on the weight of the package and not on its value. 

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In France, the decrees impose the following indemnities:

• For parcels of less than 3 tons: maximum 33€/kg without exceeding 1,000€ per parcel;
• For packages over 3 tons: maximum 20€/kg without exceeding 3,200€ per package. 

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Limitations:

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1. The law: 

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Although carriers are obliged to compensate their customers, there are limits to such compensation, as the laws are mostly in favor of the carriers.

While respecting the maximum amounts imposed by the decrees and conventions, carriers are free to set compensation as they wish. For example, the limit for packages under 3 tons is 33€/kg. Let's compare the compensation policy of 3 different carriers:

• La Poste compensates its customers up to 23€/kilo with a 690€ maximum for parcels under 30kg 
• Mondial Relay compensates its customers with a flat rate of 25€ per package
• Relais colis, like Mondial Relay, compensates its customers at a flat rate of 20€ per parcel

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The amount of compensation varies from one carrier to another. 

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2. The exemptions: 

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The compensation policies, like any other policy, include exemptions; that is to say that there are situations that mean the customer will not be compensated.Here are the 3 conditions: 

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• Force Majeure: i.e., if one or more unforeseeable events occur (weather, political events...) 
• Defects specific to the goods transported: this mainly concerns sensitive goods (food, cosmetics, etc.), which may be altered by storage conditions prior to transport
• The fault of the shipper: the package is damaged due to a problem related to the shipment (packaging problem, bad packing...)
• Unexplained disappearance: the package is marked as delivered and the customer claims not to have received it.

To be noted: In case of gross negligence of the carrier, the shipper may benefit from a de-capping of liability. 

Bigblue tips: Suggest delivery against signature 

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Delivery against signature is a solution that ensures that the package will be given only in exchange for your customer's signature. This delivery option will provide additional security for your packages. 

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2. Ad Valorem insurance:

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What is Ad Valorem insurance?

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“Ad Valorem" insurance, which means "according to value," is an insurance policy for the transport of goods. 

Unlike carrier's compensations, it covers the transported goods on the basis of the real value declared by the shipper (or "loader") at the departure of the goods. This means that if your product is worth 50€, it will be reimbursed for 50€. 

Ad Valorem insurance is not mandatory and can be taken out for all means of transport (land, sea, air, or river) with the transport companies or your logistics provider.

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Why should you buy it?

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We have seen above that the carriers compensate the loss of parcels according to the weight of the parcel and that the Ad Valorem insurance allows you to insure your product at its real value. It seems that this insurance is essential for your e-commerce. But it is not necessarily profitable after a quick calculation. 

Let's take 2 different situations to better understand.  

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Example 1: 

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Let's take an e-merchant who sells an expensive but very light product like a watch.The information is as follows:

• The value of this watch is 199€
• The weight of the package is 200g 
• His carrier compensates lost or stolen packages at 25€/kg
• The value of the Ad Valorem insurance is 2€.

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Let's say he makes 500 orders in a month and that 2% (i.e., 10) of the packages are lost or damaged: 

• If the Ad Valorem insurance is not subscribed: the carrier will compensate the e-merchant up to 50€ (for all the lost goods) 
• If the Ad Valorem insurance is subscribed: the e-merchant will pay 2€ more per order, i.e., 1000€ of insurance but will be completely refunded for the 1,990€ of missing goods.

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In this case, the Ad Valorem insurance is beneficial for your finances 

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Example 2: 

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Let's take an e-merchant who sells a light and inexpensive product like jeans. The information is as follows: 

• The value of the product is 35€.
• The weight of the package is 1kg
• His carrier also compensates for lost or damaged packages at 25€/kg
• The value of the Ad Valorem insurance is 2€.

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Let's say he makes 500 orders in a month and that 2% (i.e., 10) of the packages are lost or damaged:

• If the Ad Valorem insurance is not subscribed: the carrier will compensate the e-merchant up to 250€ (for all the lost goods) 
• If the Ad Valorem insurance is subscribed: the e-merchant will pay 2€ more per order, i.e., 1,000€ of insurance for a refund of 350€ for this 2% of loss.

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Without insurance, the e-merchant would have been reimbursed €250, and with the insurance in addition to the loss of his goods, the insurance would have cost him more than the final reimbursement. 

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Please note: the price of the Ad Valorem insurance per order is not fixed and depends on your carrier, destination, and the price of your cart.

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So or a low-value package, it's not really cost-effective to insure each of your shipped packages at X price.

It is up to you to make a quick calculation between the amount paid to the insurance and the loss in value of some of your products.

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3. In brief …

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Losing a parcel because of a carrier can be a real loss of profit for your e-commerce and is what can push you to think that it is necessary to take out Ad Valorem insurance. 

It is important to make the calculation between the value of your product, the weight, and the cost of the insurance for it. It is very often more profitable to count on the indemnities of the carriers than on a complete refund of the value of your product.

What is customer experience in logistics? It starts in the shopping cart and ends once the order is delivered and sometimes even afterward when the customer returns the order. 

89% of companies surveyed by the Boston Consulting Group say that personalization positively impacts sales. When we hear "personalization," we immediately think of the product, but we will see in this article that it is possible to create a logistic experience for your image.

1. Personalize to boost your sales

Making the delivery experience unique to your customers by personalizing it with your brand image can be a fabulous sales booster. Delivery options and returns are important elements that your customers will focus on before ordering. 

Delivery options

Delivery options are essential to customers. According to IFOP, 62% of consumers consider delivery as a priority criterion in the purchasing process. 

It is not enough to offer a wide range of delivery options but to offer those that will appeal to your personas. For example, if your company is environmentally friendly, you may want to favor drop-off points and not offer express deliveries. There are many possibilities:

• At home: a classic solution proposed by all e-tailers 
• Relay points: a solution that may suit a customer who is never at home during the day or a customer committed to respecting the environment
• Express: can correspond to a customer in a hurry, for example, one who has forgotten his little sister's birthday
• Slots: Solution that allows customer’s packages to be delivered at home without blocking a full day

Returns

The returns stage can really make a difference. A customer who returns a product is not necessarily going to be in a good frame of mind and will therefore be very demanding. It's up to you to make their experience as positive as possible. But how? 

‍1. By creating a return page:

The process of returning a product can be different from one brand to another and therefore become obscure. 

Creating a page that details all the steps involved in the return process will improve the logistical experience for your customers. You'll be able to answer all the questions they have: 

• Where to download the return form, 
• How to pack the package 
• Where to drop off the package, 
• How to request a refund…

Making the return experience as straightforward as possible will improve your retention. In the future, if one of your customers needs to buy one of your products again, they will remember that you were there for them throughout the delivery process.  

2. Return methods:

We often talk about the importance of delivery options, but we forget that there are different return methods: in a branch, in a relay point, or even in a mailbox (the customer drops his return directly in his box). 

Few brands give their customers the choice of return method, so why not stand out? Your customers will not only remember you because you will have made the return process easier, but they will also have confidence in you, which will encourage re-purchasing.  

2. Personalize the delivery experience

In e-commerce, once the order is paid, your customer will wait between 1 and 7 days to get his parcel in his hands. The most stressful moment for your customer is waiting for his order: is it in preparation? Has it left the warehouse? When will it be delivered? 

Creating contact points with your customers will make the delivery experience more fluid, and they will feel assisted throughout. 

Follow-up emails

Follow-up emails allow you to inform your customers about the status of their orders in real-time(in preparation, on the way, delivered) and make the experience as smooth as possible. 

But receiving a tracking email from Chronopost or Colissimo, out of nowhere, can make the delivery experience confusing, especially since consumer habits have evolved a lot and consumers order from many different sites and may be waiting for several packages at once. 

Creating follow-up emails with your image (colors, logo, slogan) in addition to improving the user experience can help you re-engage your customers through upsells (push other products) or promotional codes, for example. You can even personalize your emails to your customers' names and orders. 

Customer service

The delivery of a package can be impacted by external elements: weather hazards, carrier delays, the pandemic... Your customer service must sometimes be proactive to avoid any friction with your customer. 

It is possible to inform your customer via different tools: a FAQ, chatbot, or email.The main objective is to give a good image of your brand to your customer. He will associate your e-commerce with a good delivery experience. 

On the Bigblue application, it is very easy to access all the information in real-time about your customers' orders. 

To be noted: A good customer experience can also lead to positive reviews on your website, which will improve the acquisition of new customers. 

3. Personalization of the package:

The package is the only physical contact you will have with your customer. It is important not to miss it! 

The packaging 

At Bigblue, we advise our customers not to burnish the outside of their packages to avoid theft. But the inside of the package can be designed to reflect their image: company name, a little word printed on the box, organization of the products... It's up to you to make the unboxing experience as memorable as possible. For example: ‍

The little touches 

How do you make your customer feel privileged? 

By adding small elements that they did not expect in their package. From a small user's guide to a package filled with candy or a nice thank-you card, it's up to you to choose which little attention you're going to slip into your customer's order. 

A real re-engagement tool, your customers will recommend you (and you) also because they remember these little touches.

Gifts

What if you surprise your customers by giving them gifts? 

81% of French people like to receive samples in their packages. Adding samples to your orders is both a way to reward your customers for choosing you and also tomake them test another range of products that they might like, potentially triggering a new purchase. 

For example, a cosmetic brand can add a hand cream or a mini body wash. 

4. In brief…

E-tailers sometimes forget that offering the best possible logistics is also about customer satisfaction. Transactional emails, samples, delivery options... It is possible to act at different levels to make your customers' experience unforgettable, which will push them to order again and recommend your brand to their friends and family. And who knows, you may have an influencer in your customers!

On March 17, 2020, Snapchat bought German giant Fit Analytics for an as-yet-undisclosed amount. Like Facebook and Instagram before it, the social network is entering the world of e-commerce. But the stakes of this merger seem all the higher. 

1. Snapchat and Fit Analytics: the main players in this merger

Snapchat: 

The little white ghost is a social network created in 2011, which allows you to share photos and videos with your friends in an ephemeral way. The strength of Snapchat is the creation of filters that punctuate the lives of its 249 million daily users.

Fit Analytics:

Founded in 2010, Fit Analytics is a German company specialized in solving the size problem on e-commerce sites of fashion brands like Asos, Puma, or Patagonia. It calculates the ideal size of a user from his morphological information: height, weight, belly shape, and hips. Today, Fit Analytics has more than 18,000merchants as customers. 

2. Why can this acquisition revolutionize e-commerce?

2020: the Covid crisis has turned retail upside down   

The closure of physical stores, the impossibility of trying on clothes in stores, the rise of e-commerce in France... Covid has pushed companies to go digital. They have also had to rethink the entire customer journey to try to offer the same experience online as in a physical store.  

This new wave of online consumption has pushed Facebook, Instagram, and now Snapchat to include e-commerce at the heart of their business models.

Merging a customer experience expert with a size calculation specialist, what could it look like?

E-shop user experience at the heart of acquisition

Snapchat, already a master in the art of artificial intelligence, could revolutionize e-commerce by recreating the remote store experience. 

But how? 

We can imagine that the merger of these two experts will lead to the development of virtual fitting. 

For example, Snapchat users could try on their favorite brands at home before ordering them online. Or that after a quick scan of a photo, a customer could find out his or her size at a particular brand.

Snapchat has already used this technology in augmented reality campaigns with cosmetics brand NYX. Users could try on products directly through the creation of filters that correspond to the different types of products of the brand: lipstick, eyeshadow, blush, etc.

Ecological spin-offs:

Today, brands like Zalando play on the "order now try later" strategy, which pushes consumers to order several sizes and colors of the same garment to try on at home and then send back those that do not fit. This practice has a significant environmental impact. Forbes has identified more than 17 billion product returns each year, emitting 4.7 million tons of CO2.

And yet, there are ways to effectively reduce these returns. We advise you to read our article: how to improve your eco-responsible image by reducing your returns?

Snapchat's latest takeover could make a difference on the environmental level. The possibility to try on clothes remotely could reduce the return rates, which are between 15 and 20% in the fashion industry.

Customers will be guided to choose the right size and try on clothes remotely. This will reduce, for example, multiple orders of the same product and returns, as well as the carbon footprint of e-commerce.

3. In brief...

Snapchat's acquisition of Fit Analytics is a source of speculation about its potential. It could be a value-add for fashion brands in terms of customer experience, environmental footprint, and cost reduction.

But, today, a week after the deal, Snapchat still hasn't said anything about itsplans for Fit Analytics. We're waiting to see what happens next! 

In 2019, e-commerce in France passed the historic milestone of 100 billion euros in turnover. Why not get started?

Asan e-merchant, it is easy to get lost, so many possibilities and choices to create or develop your online store. Which platform to choose for your e-commerce? Which payment solution? How to retrieve emails from potential customers?

In this article, we will see what the best tools are to create and boost your e-commerce.

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1. The choice of the platform (the CMS): 

Thee-commerce platform, called "CMS" (Content Management System), is the most important thing; it is where you will present and sell your products to your customers. It is the showcase of your online store. You might as well choose the one that best suits your needs! 

The universal platform: 

According to us, Shopify is a platform adapted to all styles of e-commerce, from the creative to the most developed. 

Why choose Shopify?

1. Easy to set up: 

Creating a store on Shopify can take only a few minutes! The platform has made e-commerce accessible to everyone: pre-created templates, affordable prices, Saas solution (i.e., you don't need to know how to code to use the platform on a daily basis).

2. Adaptable:  

Contrary to other CMS, Shopify is both ideal for e-merchants who are just starting out, but also for those who make several thousand orders thanks to differentiated offers: Shopify classic and Shopify plus for high volumes of orders!

3. Manages itself: 

The plus of using Shopify: is that the platform updates itself automatically, much like an application on your smartphone. You don't need to touch the code to manage regular updates. 

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The tailor-made solution: 

For e-merchants who want a flexible and fully customizable platform, we recommend Sylius. It is a more complex solution that requires one to know how to master open source (code in common language), unlike Shopify, which is SaaS. 

The advantage of this CMS is that it is flexible and allows you to adapt your e-commerce to your business: multi-shops, multi-currency ...

The disadvantage is that it involves a significant amount of development time, either in-house or outsourced. 

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2. A payment solution: 

As soon as your products are online on your brand-new CMS, you will have to ask yourself: which payment solution should I adopt? 

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For the French market: 

Payplug, in our opinion, is one of the two best payment solutions when launching an e-commerce. In addition to being reliable, it helps small e-merchants to develop by collaborating with partners who could support them. For example, if you choose Shopify and Payplug, you get 3 months free on both platforms. 

Why choose Payplug?

• Secure payment: Payplug gives access to 3-D secure, which systematically calculates the risk of fraud of a buyer. 
• CMS: it is perfectly compatible with many CMS (Shopify, PrestaShop, Magento, Woocommerce, etc.)
• Physical stores: Payplug can also be used as a payment solution in your physical stores with the provision of card readers

The little extra: Payplug is integrated with Oney, which is a solution for multi-payment for expensive products. 

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To develop abroad: 

Mollie is also a very good payment option that will appeal more to e-merchants with a large volume or who are looking to expand abroad. It allows your customers to choose the currency they prefer to pay in. But Mollie does not integrate multi-currency on Shopify. 

The little extra: Mollie is very well adapted to the German zone and the Benelux countries, which have a very particular payment system. 

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3. The choice of its customer service:

One of the peculiarities of e-commerce is that you have no direct contact with your customers. It is, therefore, essential that you choose a tool that will be your point of contact with them. 

In our opinion, there are two solutions that stand out, the first one allows you to have access to free customer service, and the second one is a turn key solution for Shopify users. 

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A solution to get started: 

Tawk.to is a perfect solution to get started. It's a service that allows you to follow your customers' activity in real-time, thanks to a summary dashboard, and to communicate with them in real-time via chat. This solution allows you to understand your customer service needs before spending part of your budget. 

The benefit of this solution: In addition to being completely free, it is quickly installable and integrable on your shop. 

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To take it up a notch: 

Our favorite solution, in terms of customer service, is Gorgias. It is a platform that allows you to centralize all your customer information: from your customer tickets to your comments on your social networks and the updating of order status from your shop. You won't miss any more of your information! Forget the Facebook message that went un noticed or the email that went unanswered. 

Gorgias is a "made in Shopify" solution, meaning that it has been developed to integrate perfectly with the platform. 

The little extra: A personalized onboarding and daily support by a French team. 

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4. Enrich your customer databases: 

Once your store is up and running, and it is possible to order on your site, you will seek to acquire new customers or bring back those who have already ordered from you. How can you do this? By collecting the email addresses of visitors to your site. 

What are the three tools that allow you to enrich your databases? 

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First step: 

The first solution is Privy. It is an application that allows you to retrieve contacts via the appearance of pop-ups. 

What is a pop-up? 

It is a small window that opens on your website to offer something to a visitor in exchange for his email address. For example, Big Moustache offers €10 from €60 in exchange for an email address: 

 The little extra of Privy: it's free! It's a good alternative to start with.  

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To spend the second:  

Wisepops is an application that also allows you to create pop-ups, but this time you can modify all the parameters that compose them:

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• The content: text, images, CTA...
• The appearance time: it can appear at the opening of the page or after 25 seconds, for example. 
• The design: it can vary according to the pages, the customers ...
• Appearance pages: pop-ups can be present on product pages, for example.

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A tool that converts: 

One of the tools that we recommend to e-merchants who are on Shopify is the Wheelio application. It is a wheel of fortune that will be displayed as a pop-up on your site and that will offer your customers in exchange for their emails to win various prizes (discounts, free e-book, free shipping, etc.)

Wheelio says that the wheel of fortune converts about 9% of your site visitors.

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5. The emailing strategy:

You've convinced your potential customers to give you their email addresses, now what can you do? You will convince them to buy your products through an emailing strategy!

For our customers, an average of 30% of their sales come from an emailing strategy.You might as well not be mistaken about the choice of software. 

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An almost universal solution: 

Klaviyo is the solution that best suits all sizes of e-commerce. The platform offers options to suit all budgets. 

With Klaviyo, it is possible to: 

• Create newsletters for your community 
• Create automated emails to bring one of your customers back to the site after a shopping cart abandonment
• Set up very advanced scenarios according to the purchasing process of your potential customer 
• Segmenting databases in a very precise way

We chose Klaviyo and not Mailchimp, mainly for the quality of the database segmentation. Klaviyo allows more flexibility in the choice of criteria for the automatic emails of e-merchants.  

The little extra: Klaviyo is perfectly adapted to Shopify.  

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For more information: 

We realized that the emailing strategy: the segmentation of the bases, the creation of scenarios, and the sending of automated emails were not necessarily very easy. So, we selected Splio, which has the same features as Klaviyo, but with more support. 

Each customer is followed and advised by an account manager on a daily basis. E-merchants benefit from a turnkey emailing strategy. 

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6. The importance of customer feedback:  

Customer reviews are very important for an e-merchant; they help to trigger the sale. According to Search Engine, 88% of Internet users trust online reviews more than those of their relatives. 

Therefore, it is essential to collect the opinions of internet users about your products! 

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Take your first steps: 

We selected Judge me to take the first steps in collecting customer reviews. It is a very simple, affordable solution developed for Shopify that allows you to setup a rating system on your products very quickly. The small negative point is that it is not possible to customize the rating in terms of design, for example. 

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To go further: 

Once you're familiar with customer reviews, you can move up the range with Yotpo. 

It allows you to collect and display customer reviews with a design customized to your site, such as colors, font, content, etc.

The little extra: Yotpo is certified by Google, which means that the reviews your customers have left will appear directly in the results after a search on the search engine.

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For more guarantee: 

We decided to offer you a 3ᵉ solution for e-merchants who have specific products and who need a very strict rating system to avoid fraud. 

Trustpilot is a real guarantee of quality and trust. A large majority of Internet users are familiar with the famous star logo, which is an extremely powerful and indispensable reinsurance argument in competitive sectors. Trustpilot guarantees its reviews are 100% verified, i.e., only those who order on your site are allowed to write a review. 

The little extra: Trustpilot can improve your Google ranking by creating a "brand" page on their website. 

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7. Manage its logistics: 

Once you have launched your e-commerce and start taking orders, it is important to take an interest in logistics: how will I send my products? 

We talk about logistics at the moment the payment is made by your customers. It, therefore, includes the preparation, shipping, and return stages. 

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For less than 150 orders: 

If your e-commerce does not yet make 150 orders per month, you can internalize apart of the logistic process, such as the preparation of orders, for example, but you will need help for the rest. 

Boxtal is a solution that we recommend to small e-merchants. It comes in the form of a platform on which you can centralize all the carrier tracking of your parcels in transit, but you can also generate shipping and return labels. 

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For more than 150 orders: 

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The preparation and management of orders above 150 orders becomes time-consuming and can impact the development of the brand: delay in the creation of a new product line, little time for a marketing strategy, difficulty in finding partnerships, etc. 

Why not completely outsource its logistics? 

Bigblue is a turnkey logistics solution. You can outsource 100% of your logistics: product storage, order preparation, and dispatch return management. Thee-merchant benefits from expert order management while monitoring the entire logistics process in real-time on the Bigblue platform. 

6. Other apps: 

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Manage cookies:

The RGPD (General Regulation on Data Protection) is essential on your website. It is a law that regulates the use of cookies on websites. Each e-merchant must inform and request the consent of its visitor on the use of its navigation data.  

Some applications used for the creation of pop-ups sell RGPD in their services, while they only display the message on websites without managing customer data. Studio Zerance has developed an app to meet this need: Cookibot! 

It allows you to manage 100% of customer data, display the famous cookie pop-up and record user preferences. In case of control, you can provide a recent audit of your site's cookies.  

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7. Find an accountant: 

As a company, you will have to manage your compatibility yourself: expenses, VAT, salaries, and so on.

Why not use a digitized solution that would be in line with your e-commerce? 

For us, Studio Zerance, the solution for e-merchants is Pennylane!  This is an accounting firm offering a custom online interface that is directly linked to Shopify. It is possible to import all sales flows automatically from your shop and manage all accounting operations online.

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8. In brief... 

In this article, we have made a non-exhaustive list of tools that we believe can help you on a daily basis to develop your e-commerce. There is no perfect solution that fits everyone. It's up to you to try and find the one that suits you best.

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Main image created by pikisuperstar - en.freepik.com