How a small business can take off with online commerce.

Italy is the country of small and medium-sized enterprises, which in recent times often find themselves floating. Yet, despite the crisis, many of them manage to take off, thanks to the development of the online market.

In fact, e-commerce is growing all over the world.

The value of the e-commerce market in 2015 exceeded EUR 16 billion (data from Il Sole 24 Ore), increasing by 16% compared to the previous year.

In this scenario, large companies are increasingly investing in logistics to meet the growing demand for goods from the Internet.

But, how can you develop e-commerce if you have a small or medium-sized business? How can you increase your turnover by sending customers products sold on the Internet? You have to focus on quality, as you do not have the numbers to turn to large logistics groups.

How to choose a freight forwarder

First of all, you can take advantage of price comparators that allow you to find the best forwarding agent for their type of shipment.

An excellent comparator is for example Packlink.it

Or you can always opt for the postal system, which is always the cheapest.

The problem you will face, however, will be getting the goods sold through the Internet safely to their destination.

Couriers often do not treat goods with kid gloves, and if the product is damaged in transit, you as the seller rather than the end customer will lose out. Keep in mind that from year to year, reviews on online sellers are becoming more and more consulted and indispensable.

If a customer writes about your e-commerce: ‘I received my broken parcel’, it is certainly not a good business card.

How to choose packaging

At this point, good preparation of the package to be sent becomes essential. In fact, one of the best ways to maximise profits for companies selling on the Internet is to prepare packaging that protects the goods inside for the entire duration of the journey. It pays to protect products in transit!

It happens all too often that entrepreneurs, even among the shrewdest, do not care enough about the packaging of goods to be shipped, losing out on time, profit margins and reputation.

Postal boxes of various types , whether white, havana, flat, long, with or without a lid, are the simplest and most economical solution for sending products sold through the postal service.

To send your boxes by Poste Italiane, here are the instructions to follow:

ORDINARY PARCELS

Length + width + height = 200 cm maximum

20 kg maximum

BULKY PACKAGES

Length + width + height = 300 cm maximum

50 kg maximum

Remember that for each product there is specific packaging that will preserve it best

Do you send large posters or documents? In order not to crumple or fold them, the best solution is postal tubes, telescopic boxes and long cardboard boxes. This way you can send your product by rolling it, without folding it.

How to choose the correct tube format?

To choose the right tube format for your specific product, add 3 cm to your useful internal length.

To send your tubes or long boxes by Italian Post Office here are the guidelines to follow:

MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS FOR SHIPMENTS TO ITALY

Length + circumference = 300 cm maximum

MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS FOR MAILINGS IN ITALY

Length + circumference = 300 cm maximum

For smaller items, on the other hand, you could use classic cardboard bags, or, to protect clothes that by their nature are not afraid of shock but of moisture, you can opt for waterproof plastic bags, which cannot be torn or damaged.

Does your company produce fragile items such as china, costume jewellery, jewellery, glassware, watch products, high-end cosmetics, knick-knacks, etc.?

These items require all possible care when sent in a parcel post. Don’t give up e-commerce even for the most valuable and fragile products. Just take care of the packaging! Add a protective layer between the stored item and the outside of the packaging to protect the contents from drops, knocks or careless handling during transit. For some products it might be enough to fill the box with bubble wrap, paper straw or polystyrene crisps, but in some cases this would not be safe enough: for more fragile products, more protection is needed. Postal boxes and padded mailing cases offer the best possible protection. These mailing boxes consist of a cardboard outer layer with a honeycombed, scratch-proof foam padding, a real anti-shock safety system.

Do you want to ship delicate but heavy products such as cutlery, chandeliers or furniture?

To send items that are heavier, but still require a high level of protection, you need to ensure that the packaging is strong enough to safeguard the item inside.

In such cases it would be best to choose a three-wave cardboard box: a triple barrier against impact! These boxes are suitable for a huge variety of fragile products, and in addition to resisting shocks, they provide excellent resistance to moisture and temperature variations.

How to securely send books, DVDs or paintings?

If you want to send these types of products, they should ideally be placed in special die-cut boxes for volumes, which fit the exact dimensions of the contents.

These boxes are easy to assemble and often come with practical closing stickers.

If, on the other hand, you want to send small electronic parts, it may be too much to do so in a box, and may even be more expensive than other solutions. In this case, bags or padded envelopes might be the best choice. For example, padded bubble envelopes guarantee maximum strength and protection, and also provide excellent water repellency. Or havana bubble envelop es an economical, practical but highly protective solution that is elegant and easy to open.

Don’t give up on increasing the volume of your business, sell online, but always choose packaging suitable for the product you want to send. This way you will avoid unpleasant inconveniences.

Make sure your product arrives at its destination in the ideal condition and get your business ready to take flight!

Sources

http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2015/10/23/ipo-poste-prezzo_n_8368004.html