Shipping labels are one of the most important aspects of eCommerce logistics, but they seem more challenging than they seem. If you commit a mistake with your printing shipping labels, it can become costly and ineffective regardless of your business dimensions. Whether you want to distribute products for the first time or have experience delivering packages, you must go through the guide to shipping labels to learn everything you need to know.
Shipping labels help you to identify your products before dispatching them to the required destinations. Hence, they should be given more attention than what they get. If you own an online store, you must know that customer satisfaction depends on how efficiently you sell your products. If your orders get delayed, your customers may have a false impression of your business. They may never consider your online store again for purchasing purposes. Therefore, you must ensure that the store's orders are managed effectively.
One common reason businesses need to arrive on time to deliver their products is the delay due to printing shipping labels. Many business owners must learn how to create and paste a shipping label on their product packaging. Since you are a business owner, you must understand the impact of an accurate shipping label as it is part of every product you send through your eCommerce activities.
What is a Shipping Label?
A shipping label is labeled as a sticker pasted on every product's packaging before it gets shipped out. This sticker contains all the shipping information of the sender and recipient. Here are some of the details mentioned on a random shipping label:
- Name
- Contact numbers
- Address
- Products delivered
Image taken from Amazon
Shipping labels indicate where the products came from and their final destination. Shipping labels aim to ensure that products purchased from eCommerce websites reach their required destinations. They behave like a safety stickers on the products so no one can claim the item belongs to them without proof. If a package is misplaced on its way to the destination, the shipping labels enable you to track its location.
Shipping labels are beneficial to people who purchase products from eCommerce websites. They guarantee them that they have received the correct package. Moreover, the barcodes on the sticker help to locate your package's location comfortably.
Importance of Shipping Labels
Shipping labels is an essential part of the eCommerce supply chain that allows the package to move in the right direction. Since the warehouse is the starting point, it directs the product to the correct customer. All the crucial information provided on the label, such as name and address, will help track the package from time to time.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
A customized shopping label plays a massive role in the branding of your online store. It gives a unique look to your brand and makes it stand out from the rest of the market. Hence, creating a shipping label that gives your eCommerce website, a separate identity would be best. If you want to create a good reputation for your store in the eyes of the customers, creating a shipping label is an exquisite way to do that. It provides a positive image of your business to the customers and shows you are serious about your business plans.
Moreover, shipping labels act like a savior if the product is lost somewhere in transit. The package may be delivered to a different address. Hence, it shows that you are taking all the proper steps to ensure the security of your customers' packages. If the customers have ordered their product online, they can track it by using the tracking information on the shipping label. This approach will help keep the customers in the loop and update them about the movement of their package.
When all the essential information is available on the shipping label, the job of the courier agency gets easier. All they have to do is to verify the sticker to gather all the customer information. There are fewer chances of error in the case of printed labels as compared to handwritten ones. Moreover, it helps you to save time and ensure the on-time delivery of the package.
How to Write a Shipping Label?
Shipping labels are similar to the place where you showcase your creative skills. It requires crucial information to ensure that it reaches its final destination. The information you add to your sticker depends on what type of package you are sending. For example, you can add a little information to an envelope as a package.
1) Addressing an Envelope
Envelope shipping labels must be attached in the middle of the envelope, and the return address should be displayed in the top left corner. Including the return address is unnecessary, but it can be beneficial if the package is delivered to a different address. The product will be returned to you rather than lost in the ether. Here are the elements that you must include in your envelope shipping label:
- Recipient's name
- Recipient's business name
- Street address (including the apartment number, if required)
- City, province, and ZIP code
- Country
Remember to place your stamp on the top right corner, and your package is ready to be delivered.
2) Shipping Label in a Box
You must require more information on a shipping label for a box. Just like the envelope shipping labels, you must put the label in the middle of the package and include the following information:
- Shipping method (such as expedited shipping, Priority Mail, or Priority Mail Express)
- Sender's name and recipient's address
- Recipient's name and shipping address
- Product weight
- Scannable bar code to verify the package in transit
Tips for a Successful Shipping Label
1) Choose Your Carrier
You can create a shipping label through your chosen carrier's site, kiosk, and counter. There is no way to generate shipping labels in bulk, but it can be effective for one-off purchases or if you deliver a handful of items each month.
Since you are the business owner, you must go to your preferred carrier's website, navigate their shipping label website template, download the required file and print it out. Here is a list of recommended shipping label templates:
- USPS
- FedEx
- UPS
- DHL
2) Add Special Instructions
Are your product contents fragile? Is your package food or another type of perishable? Being a business owner, you must highlight that on your shipping label. This approach will ensure that carriers remain vigilant while handling the package and they get delivered in perfect condition.
3) Include a Packing Slip
Packing slips are part of the package and act as a recipient. Here are the elements that must be part of your packing slip:
- Contact information
- Recipient's address
- Order date
- Tracking number
- Names of the package items
Specific website-building platforms, such as Shopify, help you to produce shipping labels and print your packing slips simultaneously.
4) Consider Your Shipping Label as a "This Way Up" Marker
By sticking the shipping label on top of the box, you must let the handlers determine which way up your package goes. This approach will stop it from getting shaken or unstable and ensure it is handled properly throughout the journey.
5) Ensure Clarity of Your Shipping Label
You must stick the shipping label to a flat surface of your package, which means it doesn't get bolded over the edge. This strategy helps you to obscure crucial information and render the tracking bar code unnecessary.
Shipping labels are essential for everyone in the fulfillment process. They make your customers know where the products are in the shipping process, enabling the handlers to deliver the packages to the correct recipients efficiently.
Create a Shipping Label on Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly
Strikingly is a professional website builder that helps you to build your eCommerce website without writing a single line of code. Once you register for a free account on our platform, we will provide you with all the necessary features to build a fantastic eCommerce website. Apart from that, we provide you with all the tools to support you in conducting and reviewing your marketing strategies.
Image taken from Strikingly
When you build an online store on Strikingly, you can print shipping labels for your products via the details stored in your Strikingly editor. You don't have to manually type your shipping labels on the products before delivering them to your customers. Here are the steps to create a shipping label through your Strikingly editor:
- Go to your Strikingly store manager and click "Orders."
- Choose an order from the list and click on the option "Print Details."
- Choose the correct settings on your printing options screen
- Remember to uncheck "Headers & Footers" in the "More Settings" option, or the website URL will become part of your shipping label
Image taken from Strikingly
Conclusion
Shipping is a massive part of the eCommerce process. Although widespread, many business owners need to pay more attention to its impact. The more you learn how to create a shipping label and its application, the more chances you have to grow your business effectively.
To transform your shipping policy into a competitive edge, you must learn the primary methodologies to save money and satisfy your customers. Furthermore, you can understand how to manage carriers and choose the best one for your needs if you want to minimize shipping costs. Even if you have decided on your carrier, you should always identify ways to save money on shipping. Hence, continue to learn innovative ways for your shipping policy and blossom in the eCommerce world.
