If you have just started up a small online retail business, you are no doubt wondering about your delivery options. The whole delivery experience – including the price and convenience of delivery options – can have a huge impact on whether your customers decide to buy from you again.

There were 5.9 million small businesses at the start of 2020, meaning that competition is tough. Not only do you need to be able to fulfill all your future orders, but you also need to make sure that your customers are happy with the options, and therefore willing to buy from you. In a lot of cases, courier and mail services are in control of this process, and as a result, you just have to hope that the items turn up quickly, and still in great condition.

If customers experience any issues with delivery, unfortunately, they tend to turn to the retailer itself. To ensure that you cover all bases, here are some of the delivery options you can consider for your small business.

Post office drop off

Most small businesses will start off by taking their packages to their local Post Office. If you are only sending a couple of parcels a week, you may prefer to just pop in and send them off so that you know they are done. However, once you start to become busier, you might not have the time to stand in Post Office queues, and that’s where other delivery services can really help you.

Courier collection

If you are looking for a cost-effective solution to send your parcels to your customers, using a reputable courier service is a fantastic idea. With a courier, you can send anything from small cards to big pallets via standard or overnight delivery.

This service will also save you a lot of time, which is vital if you’re extremely busy. Courier services take only a matter of minutes to book, and they can come to collect items from an address of your choice.

Drop off shop:

Drop off services allow you to drop your parcel at a local shop rather than having to wait around at home for the collection. Your parcel will then be collected from the drop point by a local driver. It’s worth checking to see if you can also benefit from a parcel locker service. Instead of dropping off packages at the drop point, you can take them to a parcel locker at any time of day. Ensure that your customers are always happy by offering delivery options to suit them.