1. Know Your Weights and Measurements

It might seem like a no-brainer, but knowing how much your product weighs, as well as the shipping materials in use to get it to the customer safely, all play an essential role in the shipping process.

Consider that you have a heavy product, you will have to calculate the weight of the product alone as well as the materials that will wrap it up for the customer to get the correct shipping weight. In contrast, if you have a product that is rather big and bulky but does not have much weight to it, you will have to consider the possibility of dimensional shipping costs. Dimensional shipping can charge you more than shipping by weight if you have a bulky product because shipping partners will base the item off of the size of the box, rather than the heftiness of the contents.

2. Use A Flat Rate Regional Shipping Company

This one is pretty simple, choose a flat rate shipping provider that ships per region for a far easier time figuring out all your shipping needs. These partners are much easier to navigate and tend to have competitive pricing. When it comes to choosing your shipping provider, make sure to work smarter, not harder, and opt-in for an easy-to-understand process.

3. Get Yourself Some Shipping Software

Here's another gem for you to make life easier; Find yourself shipping software for a one-stop-shop experience. You can purchase postage and shipping supplies as well as track your shipments right from the software. Enjoy the option of integrating with other marketplaces and set up shipments easily through the software, rather than heading out to the post office to purchase your postage and supplies.

4. Do Not Reuse Boxes

The first experience that your customer will have is the shipping and handling process with your company, but the first physical impression they will receive is the box in which their item will arrive. The packaging is what tells the story of your brand; If you merely reuse old boxes to save yourself a dime here and there, you are going to make yourself look unprofessional and sloppy, and this is not what the customer wants to see. Spending an extra dollar or more on fresh, unused boxes, will keep your customers coming back time and time again, and repeating customers is what you're looking for, right?

5. Loss Is A Part Of The Business

One thing you will want to understand right off the bat is that if you are shipping in the E-commerce industry, there are going to be losses that come with it. For example, if for some reason your customer wants to return their order and your policy is paying for reshipment, then you can expect to see a loss there. There are many reasons why you might lose a few bucks on shipping costs. Try to keep it in perspective by blocking your shipping figures by week, month, or even quarter, rather than overwhelming yourself by looking at each line item of an order.