According to Statista, over 2.14 billion people are expected to shop products/services online in 2021. That speaks to one thing: offering delivery services will remain the best choice for small businesses that want to grow and stand out of the competition.
Though it takes money to integrate a reliable, faster delivery service into your small business, you can easily look for a number of easy financing options like access to a merchant cash advance from a fintech lender to cover the upfront cost.
Importance of delivery services in 2021
While delivery services were booming in 2019, many customers joined the eCommerce bandwagon in 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans will spend an incredible $791.70 billion online in 2020, representing a 32.4% YoY jump in the U.S. eCommerce industry. Only businesses with delivery services reaped the benefits.
As social distancing and stay-at-home measures took center stage, most brick-and-mortar small businesses that couldn’t deliver goods to their customers’ doorsteps closed their doors. That was a big lesson.
With the lessons learned, the importance of delivery services in 2021 cannot be underestimated.
Delivery services benefits for small businesses
Meet changing consumer demands
COVID-19 has changed the way we work, shop, and interact with brands. Not so many people want to risk their health shopping at crowded stores or standing in long queues in-store.
Shoppers are becoming accustomed to ordering their goods and other daily necessities online. To meet changing customer demands, small businesses should jump into the opportunity and launch reliable delivery services to accommodate modern purchase behaviors.
Growth opportunity
Ecommerce is expected to make 22% of global retail sales by 2023, with over 75% of customers shopping online at least once a month. That’s an opportunity for small businesses to reap big.
The market is ready for delivery services. Savvy entrepreneurs should take advantage of a reliable delivery system to grow and expand their businesses.
Offer customers more convenience
The modern consumer is busy and time-strapped. Most people work all day and may have little to no time to visit your premises. They want the convenience of being able to order goods online and have them shipped home.
Convenience is the top reason why more than 70% of consumers shop online. With a reliable delivery service, you can help your customers save time and money on gas.
Drive customer satisfaction
53% of online customers won’t shop at your store if they don’t know when their order will be delivered, while 43% will abandon a cart due to high shipping charges.
Offering speedy, low-cost, and transparent delivery services can help grow your business, drive customers satisfaction, and encourage repeat purchases.
Competitive edge
With Amazon and other big-box retailers moving towards same-day delivery, consumer expectations are rising. Buyers have come to expect faster, and affordable (free) delivery services.
That represents an opportunity for savvy merchants. You can beat the competition by building or partnering with a well-functioning and efficient delivery service.
Prepare for uncertain times
Delivery services are a powerful way to pivot businesses during uncertain times. 2021 is the best year to build and partner with reliable delivery services.
Delivery options available to small business
In-house delivery services
You can build your in-house delivery service if you have the financial muscle. With this option, you use your vehicles to deliver goods and services. You’ll need to purchase, repair service vehicles, and employ your drivers, which can be expensive. Leave this to big-box retailers like Amazon.
Third-party delivery services
This is the way to go for small businesses. Partner with a reliable courier company that will pick up orders and deliver them to your customers. Outsourcing delivery services from the experts leave you enough time to focus on what you do best: growing your business. You’ll not only slash operation costs but also offer more scalable delivery options to your customers.
There are so many third-party delivery services available, and you’re sure to find one that best meets your needs. The top ones include:
- US Postal Service
- Sendle
- UPS
- ShipBob
- EasyPost
- FedEx
- DHL Express.
- Easyship
Fund your delivery services with a merchant cash advance
Whether you go for a third-party delivery service or establish your in-house delivery system, you’ll need cash to integrate a reliable, affordable, and faster delivery service into your business. That’s where a merchant cash advance can help.
Visit the link in the intro to learn more about an MCA and decide whether it’s the best way to fund your delivery services.
