How to calculate shipping costs with Bob Go
Shipping smart is vital for any ecommerce business, and Bob Go provides various methods to streamline this process. In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for calculating shipping fees and optimising your shipping expenses
Firstly, accurately weigh and measure your products. Secondly, ensure this information is entered into the appropriate fields on your website’s backend. As a result this accuracy guarantees that the rates customers see at checkout are correct, fostering transparency and preventing potential issues.
When a customer adds a product to their cart, the shipping cost is calculated based on the entered information. In some cases, using an item’s volumetric weight instead of its actual weight can be more advantageous.
Methods for calculating shipping costs
Fixed-rate shipping
With fixed-rate shipping, customers pay a single shipping fee at checkout when certain conditions are met, such as a minimum order value or a promotional code. This method simplifies the purchasing process by clarifying shipping costs. You can also set a fixed rate of zero for free shipping if a spending threshold is reached, encouraging larger cart values and enhancing perceived value. Overall, this approach improves transparency and allows you to adjust shipping policies to drive sales effectively.
Courier Rates
Courier rates provide real-time shipping costs displayed to customers at checkout. These rates consider the order’s weight and the delivery and collection addresses, ensuring customers receive accurate shipping options tailored to their needs. By enhancing transparency and allowing customers to select the most cost-effective or convenient option, you can improve their overall shopping experience.
Dynamic rates
Dynamic rates are pre-saved shipping costs based on pricing information from delivery partners. They take into account factors like item weight and delivery address, using cached data for each service level, zone, and courier. To implement zone shipping costs:
- Determine average shipping costs for local, main centre, and regional deliveries.
- Always factor in weight and dimensions when calculating costs.
Formula rates
Formula rates help manage shipping costs effectively:
- Establish a minimum charge based on weight.
- Set variable rates per kilogram thereafter.
This method ensures pricing transparency while keeping shipping costs manageable for your business.
No rate
You can select this option if you do not want to service a specific area; it will return no rates if the criteria are met.
Setting up shipping rates
Enable the rates at checkout feature in your account.
To begin, you need to enable the Rates at Checkout feature in your account. This service from Bob Go allows you to establish shipping rates that will be charged to customers at checkout. These rates can be configured based on specific criteria and tailored for different service levels with various requirements.
