Parcel Direct Blog

How To Improve Your Ecommerce Abandonment Rate

Avoiding Shopping cart abandonment means a better conversion rate to your e-commerce. So, to make sure your customers are not going to leave before finishing their purchase, we have prepared a few guidelines you can follow. 

  • Be transparent about all costs.

Give your customers all costs upfront, including any shipping costs, taxes applied, and any other fees they should expect. It will reduce the likelihood that you’ll catch shoppers off guard with an unexpected price increase.

  • Include progress indicators on the checkout page.

A progress indicator helps users understand where they are in the checkout and how much further they have to go. 

A near-completed progress bar can also serve as a visual reinforcement for shoppers to continue with their purchases. Shoppers might be even more motivated to complete their shopping if they’ve seen how much they’ve already invested in your checkout. 

  • Include thumbnails of products throughout the checkout process.

Including thumbnails of products throughout the checkout process can be a way to reassure customers of their current purchase. 

During an in-person purchase, customers can see and feel the item they are buying — something they can’t do during an online purchase. Product thumbnails will keep these products top of mind during the entire checkout process. 

  • Make navigation between cart and store effortless.

Customers want to quickly add items to their shopping cart and get back to browsing. The more work you force your customers to do, the less likely they will buy the products in their shopping carts. 

Make it effortless for your customers to drop items into their cart and quickly return to checkout when they’re ready to buy. Another good idea is to make it possible for shoppers to checkout directly from the product page to minimize the number of clicks and page views necessary to complete a transaction.

  • Optimize page load speeds.

The last thing you want is for a customer to question if their order went through successfully. Having a fast-loading page can satisfy your shoppers’ demand for a speedy checkout experience. Not only will your customers be happier, but they’ll also be more inclined to buy additional products from your website because they wouldn’t have to wait as long. 

When buying online, customers always want to make sure their items are going to arrive in a fast and secure way and with fair prices. Making sure they know that you have an efficient shipping service at your shop, will only re-ensure their trust in your business. – Parcel Direct is the cheapest delivery company in Ireland, we work hard every day to make sure you don’t have to worry about your customer’s deliveries.

Do not forget to create a solid refund and return policy. Return policies are essential for e-commerce since shoppers don’t have the luxury of trying on items or seeing a product in person. Offering customers a good return policy gives shoppers peace of mind when they purchase items from your store. 

Visit www.parceldirect.ie for more tips

Are Your Children Staying in College This Holidays?

Getting something in the post is always special – especially for students who have just left home. And receiving a parcel can be just as exciting as opening it. In order to make you children’s holiday even more special we have prepared a quick guide to sending them the perfect care package.

1. Write them a letter.
Even if you speak to them regularly on the phone, a handwritten letter is a more personal reminder that you’re thinking about them. Chances are they will recognise your handwriting as soon as the envelope falls through the letterbox, which makes the post even more special. You can also include some family or pets photos.

2. Make your Christmas gifts more personal.
How about sending an exclusive pair of pyjamas? You can have them printed in a nearby shop with a nice phrase or cute picture. A good addition, if you are an artistic parent, would be a handmade scarf or hat.

3. Homemade food will help them to feel less lonely.
A food parcel is perhaps the most obvious choice and is most likely to cheer up a student who’s been living on jacket potatoes. Home-baked goods are always a good idea. Just remember to make sure that they don’t have cream or anything highly perishable. Pack the items tightly in a plastic container. – Take a look at our restricted items list at www.parceldirect.ie/resources/restricted-items

4. Small Toiletries will help them to save some money.
If there are customs restrictions on sending food to where they are studying, you could send small toiletries as travel-sized bottles of nice shampoo and conditioner. You would be helping them save some money and make sure they would have their favourite perfume around.

With care and love into your parcel, your kid will be able to feel a little closer to home, and you can make their holidays even more special.

A Helpful Guide To Hand Luggage: What You Can and Can’t Take On A Plane

We all know what we can or not bring in our hand luggage until we have to pack one. So if you are travelling with only hand luggage, here is a complete list of restrictions for most major airlines flying out of Ireland.

EVERYDAY ITEMS:

YES:

Nail Clipper; Tweezers; Knitting needles; Umbrella; Cane; Wheelchair; Children’s stroller; Liquid for contact lenses.

NO:

Corkscrew; Cutlery; Knife (with sharp or fixed blade more than 6 cm); Folding blade knife; Scissors with blades longer than 6 cm; Razor Blades; Cutter; Lighter; Safety Matches; Printer cartridge.

ELETRONICS:

YES:

Laptop; Tablet; Smartphones; Hairdryer or Straightener; Camera and camera equipment; Travel iron; Electronic razor; E-cigarettes (only a maximum of 100 milliliters of vaping liquid).

MEDICINE:

YES:

Cooling gel pack; Medical equipment; Drugs and pills; Syrups and other medicines in liquid form; Hypodermic syringes; Inhalers.

NO:

Scalpels

NOTE: You will have to contact the company directly if you need to bring Bottles of oxygen with you.

BABIE’S NEED:

YES:

Milk, powder, cow or soya; Sterile water for baby; Baby food; Dried Fruit; Nuts.

NO:

Any drink (water, fruit juice, tea, coffee); Jam; Syrup; Honey; Fresh cheese in liquid or malleable form (cheese, spreadable); Yoghurt; Soup; Sauce; Oil; Vinegar.

SPORTS EQUIPMENT:

YES:

Sports parachute.

NO:

Bats and rackets; Golf clubs; Darts game; Hiking stick; Ice skates; Fishing rod, harpoon or rifle; Firearms (including reproductions); Martial arts equipment; Diving equipment; Crossbows, arrows and arrows; Fronds and catapults; Crampons; Javelins; Ice axes and ice picks; Swords; Canoes and paddles.

WORK TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

NO:

Blade or cutting tools larger than 6 cm (screwdriver); Drill and accessories; Professional knives; Cutting mats; Saws (including portable electric saws); Hammer; Machete; Aerosol paint; Turpentine and paint thinner.

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

– Can I bring my photography equipment on board?

YES, as long as your cameras and tripods can all fit in a hand luggage bag that meets the airlines’ restrictions

– Can I bring camping equipment in hand luggage?

Tents will need to go in the hold during the flight, as the poles can be considered dangerous. Gas for the fire is not permitted onboard, and any of your camping snacks (tinned fish) need to fit the 100ml liquid limit.

– Can I bring my drone as hand luggage?

A drone or “unmanned aerial vehicle” (UAV) can be safely carried on TUI flights provided the following precautions are followed: If lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries are used, the drone can be carried as checked baggage or carry-on baggage, as long as the drone can be protected from inadvertent activation. The size and weight limits of checked or carry-on baggage are not exceeded. Spare batteries must be protected from short circuits and damage and can be carried in carry-on baggage only. For drones powered by batteries up to 100Wh, prior approval by TUI is not required. For drones with batteries exceeding 100Wh but not exceeding 160Wh, prior approval by TUI is required. Drones and batteries exceeding 160Wh are forbidden from the carriage.

Send a parcel to anywhere worldwide with www.parceldirect.ie

Sending Gifts This Christmas? Here’s Our Handy Guide

christmasgifts

Over the many years, Irish people have also moved to all four corners of the globe. We might love to visit all our family and friends over the Christmas period, but with the current restrictions and situation with Covid-19, unfortunately this will not be possible for a lot of people this year.

This is why so many people choose to send their friends and family those precious Christmas gifts and Irish Goodies by courier.

The run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for sending parcels, so to help make sure your Christmas presents are posted and delivered on time, here’s our guide to Sending Gifts To Family & Friends This Christmas by courier.

1. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

This time of year is extremely busy for sending parcels, and especially this year with a lot of the travel restrictions still in place. Unfortunately this surge in deliveries can lead to delays, so your parcel may take a little longer than normal to get to it’s final destination. If you want to make sure your Christmas presents arrive in time, get them sent as early as you can. Hopefully they will not be tempted to have a sneaky look! If you’re a last-minute shopper, please be sure to check the final sending dates, and choose an express courier service.

2. Avoid The Post Office Queues

You can avoid those long queues at the Post Office in this cold and wet weather by booking a courier who will collect your parcel right from your door, while you sit back and relax with a cuppa. You can also choose a handy Local Drop-Off option, and drop your parcel off at a time and place that suits you, even at night or the weekend. A really handy option if you can’t wait in for the courier, or have some extra shopping to do. As an added bonus, you will save loads of money.

3. Pick Presents That Are Suitable For Sending

If you’re still choosing which gifts to send, try and pick gifts that will travel well and are easy to pack and are not restricted in the country you are sending them to. A number of items aren’t allowed to be sent with couriers (restricted and prohibited items) so make sure you don’t buy these items to send. If an item is restricted or prohibited, we suggest ordering it directly from the retailer and having it delivered directly to the receiver.

We do advise you check with the local customs websites to see if your items are prohibited or not. If you need any advice at all, Parcel Direct is a great resource for sending parcels all over the world.

4. Packing Your Christmas Presents

Packing is very important to ensure your Christmas gifts arrive in the same great way you sent them. Your parcel will be travelling for thousands of miles, along conveyor belts, and in and out of trucks and planes, so it is important to remember this when packing your parcel.

It can also be tempting to add some festive decorations to the outside of your parcel, but we’d advise against this. Tinsel, bows, ribbons etc, can get tangled up when the parcel is being processed by the couriers. If you want to decorate your parcel, we suggest using two boxes, and put your nicely decorated box in a larger plain box. Remember to use padding to protect your gift box.

Parcel Direct have created some great resources on their website and blog to help you with this

5. Sending Christmas Presents Abroad

If you’re sending Christmas presents abroad, there are some things you should remember. If the parcel is staying within the EU, then you won’t have to complete any extra paperwork, like commercial invoices.

If your Christmas presents are being sent outside the EU, then you will need to complete a commercial invoice and send 3 copies with your gifts. Completing this is easy with Parcel Direct, and will be completed as you make your booking online.

6. Sending Christmas Presents To The UK

This year will be so different for so many people sending gifts to the UK. Remember, the UK is no longer part of the EU, so sending your Christmas presents there make take longer than usual, as they will now have to pass through customs and require customs documentation. Completing this is easy with Parcel Direct.

7. Customs Clearance For Non EU Shipments

You’ll also need to check the different customs and import procedures and charges for each country. In most countries, there are no duties for gifts, but this is not always the case, so it’s best to find these out in advance, rather than leave the receiver of the gift with an unwanted bill.

If you still think you need some more advice on sending your Christmas presents to family and friends this year, Parcel Direct provide lots of great shipping advice on their website and blog pages and you can contact them through phone, email and messenger.