Whether you spend the day reading all the TrueShip reviews you can find, or a general list of reviews for ecommerce shipping solutions; starting by getting a better understanding of what makes a program work for different volumes of traffic is essential. As many of the reviews of ecommerce brands have pointed out, some companies have obviously invested a lot of money into creating a winning SEO strategy, but then drop the ball when it comes to creating a fulfillment and shipping strategy that can carry the momentum forward. What you should be looking for in a review is a practical assessment of whether or not a software package can work for your present, and anticipated, rate of volume for shipping.
Why shipping is so important
A
recent analysis of what customers look at when making a decision to order from
an online store caught many businesses off guard. Over 70% of the shoppers said
that the cost of shipping was an influential factor, coming in a close second
at 50% were the returns policy. If you are trying to stand out in the market,
you can't go wrong by putting your ecommerce focus on these two areas. There
are literally millions of ecommerce stores online, and thousands that will be
like yours – how you handle the details that your market has identified as
important is going to determine the conversion rate you have.
Don't drop what your SEO started
Everyone
is on the same page that SEO and online marketing strategies are important, but
there is a lack of follow through with what is done with the market once they
get to your online store that can hurt your conversion rates. Potential
customers may tell everyone about you from your brand building, but if they
aren't also buying – that doesn't really mean anything. If they aren't buying
because your shipping and returns aren't as well thought out as your landing
strategy – that is something that will go from being a problem, to being
something you are known for quickly.
Studies
support that being able to deliver orders fast, and to do so through free or
low cost shipping is one step to improving your conversion rates. If you really
want to bring the numbers home, then you want to also offer a simple and
effective online returns policy. To do all of this, you have to have a system
in place to handle an increasing number of orders as they come in. Your
fulfillment operation has to be as finely tuned as your SEO strategy and
campaign. In fact, every time your SEO strategy launches a special campaign,
you need to revisit your fulfillment plans too.
If
this is starting to make it sound like it is beyond your scope of resources,
and like you don't have the budget to hire an outside fulfillment company to
perform these tasks – think again. There is a time and place for 3rd
party agencies, what many companies make the mistake of doing is looking at a
fulfillment operation as if it were still in the stone age, and not looking for
viable digital solutions. With a digital
solution, you can automate:
- order receiving;
- billing;
- packing lists;
- shipping lists;
- label generation;
- return label generation;
- returns management;
- inventory control.
All
of that can, and should be done, using software. Even if you are managing
multiple locations during fulfillment, the right integrated shipping software
is what will make them all work together fluidly. Digital solutions use an API
to provide this connection between all of your input fields across different
interfaces from the order form to inventory to shipping, which then unites the
information in one manageable format. This speeds fulfillment, but increases
the accuracy of fulfillment and the ability of your team to respond to customer
inquiries, issues complaints and returns.
Taking a closer look at TrueShip and their ReadyShipping solution
One
of the ecommerce shipping solutions that is rising to the top of all the lists
is TrueShip. Like many of the other TrueShip reviews, our goal in
looking at the company and what they have to offer was not to decide whether it
was good or bad – but to assess if it was viable at different levels of
ecommerce volumes. You don't want to subscribe or purchase an ecommerce
solution that has gotten rave reviews only to discover it works perfectly for a
small business, not a medium or larger size business like yours.
When
we looked at TrueShip we wanted to know:
- Who TrueShip is as a company
- What their company performance is like
- What product solutions do they make?
- What features are in the solutions?
- What volume of ecommerce shipping can these features handle?
TrueShip
ReadyShipper is proving to be one of the most popular software solution
packages for any one doing ecommerce shipping. We took a look at those 5 top
areas to see how well ReadyShipper can fit your volume shipping needs.
TrueShip – the company
TrueShip
is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and released their first version of their
ReadyShipper product back in 2006. They are focused on providing ecommerce
shipping solutions and returns management software using cloud-based software.
ReadyShipper is their flagship product, but they also offer several other
ecommerce shipping solutions. In the decade plus that they have been in
business, TrueShip has received accolades and positive reviews from:
- Inc.,
- Internet Retailer,
- Inbound Logistics,
- iSource,
- Modern Materials Handling,
- Logistics World,
- and Retail Online Integration.
What is the TrueShip product line?
There
are four main products that TrueShip offers:
- ReadyShipper
- ReadyLabels
- ReadyReturns
- ReadyCloud
ReadyShipper
This
is the flagship product that gets featured in all of the TrueShip reviews,
it first debuted in 2006 and the program quickly set a new standard for
ecommerce shipping support. It offers multiple carrier support and now
integrates with over 15 of the major ecommerce host sites available. One of the
reasons it has become a leading ecommerce shipping solution is that TrueShip
developed it as one of the first truly user friendly shipping solutions around.
It has gotten high marks for its clean design and intuitive interface.
ReadyShipper:
- connects to the most widely used marketplaces and shopping carts
- allows you the ability to import orders
- allows for order edits
- generates digital postage
- generates shipping labels
- and offers one-click customer update notifications.
ReadyShipper
also comes with a 14-day complimentary trial for new users. It also includes a
complimentary Stamps.com or Endicia account and a complimentary Express 1
account to connect users to discount postage.
ReadyLabels
The
TrueShip ReadyLabels software allows uses to print all-in-one invoices. These
can include a comment card, packing list, invoice and peel and stick shipping
label. While ReadyShipper allows you to do all of this using standard thermal
printing, ReadyLabels allows you to use ink-jet and laser printers too.
ReadyReturns
This
is a feature that is gaining more momentum as customers discover that
increasing ease of returns online gains them greater conversion and retention
rates. ReadyReturns is a plug in that can be added to almost any store site,
allowing customers to manage their own returns easily. It integrates with the
ecommerce API so there is enhanced tracking and processing information
available. This is a fully customizable product, allowing you to set the terms
and conditions for your item return offers.
ReadyCloud
The
world is going mobile and there is no reason why your sales and fulfillment
departments shouldn't be as well ReadyCloud offers cloud based reporting that
can also serve as a backup to your ReadyShipper installation. Get real time
reporting, and real data security, by keeping what you need in the cloud.
Where can you use TrueShip products?
One
thing that all the TrueShip Reviews point towards as being the effective
edge the company has over its competitions are the partners it can count on in
its roster of integrated platforms.
These
partners include some of the top names in ecommerce business, such as:
- WooCommerce- WooCommerce is one of the most widely used shopping cart services in the world. Users can create stunning online stores using the pre-made templates, which are also customizable. ReadyShipper integrates into WooCommerce, able to import orders, sort, process and edit them, and update the cart and customer with tracking number and ship status.
- Shopify - One of the most popular shopping cart services, Shopify makes it easy and fast to get an attractive ecommerce store up and running. ReadyShipper has direct integration into Shopify. It can import orders, sort and edit them and generate digital postage and shipping labels. Once orders are ready to ship, ReadyShipper can update the store with ship status and tracking number.
- Amazon - ReadyShipper integrates into Amazon stores. It is able to import the orders, allowing users to sort, edit and process them. It can then generate the postage and shipping label, sending updates to customers with order status and tracking number.
- Volusion - ReadyShipper directly integrates into Volusion. Users can pull orders, edit them, assign a carrier, generate postage and shipping labels and post updates.
- Ebay - ReadyShipper integrates into eBay, and offers easy-to-use functionality. It lets users press one button to import orders, make changes, generate postage and shipping labels and update customers.
- Network Solutions - ReadyShipper can talk to the API of a Network Solutions store, it’s able to import the orders instantly for fast updates, processing, shipping labels and customer and shopping cart status updates.
- 3dcart: - A very popular shopping cart, ReadyShipper offers the same functionality in this cart as it does for the aforementioned ones.
- Yahoo - ReadyShipper was the first shipping software to offer Yahoo integration, with the same features available for it as the previously mentioned integration.
- Rakuten – This is a Japanese based ecommerce solution site with an emphasis on B2B and B2BC sales. With ReadyShipper, your customer satisfaction will improve with tracking, return and speed of shipments available with this software.
- Shopsite – A popular shopping cart system that is targeted toward medium volume businesses. The ReadyShipper API connects clearly to the host system and can make sure that your volume stays where you want it by boosting conversions.
- PayPal – PayPal is a global leader in online payment portal and shipping integration with ecommerce sites and proprietary sites as well. If you are planning on using UPS shipping for eBay, Etsy and other sites, then the redirect to PayPal doesn't mean you will lose ability to track your fulfillment if you are connecting via ReadyShipper.
- Bigcommerce – A relative newcomer, this company focuses on providing ecommerce solutions for showcase and enterprise businesses. The multiple tiers, and feature options of ReadyShipper combine well with this new platform.
- Magento – Geared towards enterprise ecommerce, Magento also has targeted the fashion and apparel industry with their ecommerce design. The ReadyShipper and ReadyReturn products are perfect for Magento as apparel has one of the highest rates of customer returns. The two programs can save your company money in streamlining and automating return processes.
- Etsy – Etsy is one of the fastest growing ecommerce sites that launched an IPO announcement in 2015. It caters to both small and large online stores from all over the world and its integrated order and shipping features integrate well into the total ReadyShipper environment.
- New Egg – An electronics and digital retailer, New Egg also offers ecommerce solutions for distributors and start-ups, as well as small to medium sized companies. ReadyShipper can integrate into their platform to create a direct line of communication between orders and fulfillment.
TrueShip
is also integrated with the following accounting & order management
systems; and shipping carriers too.
- OrderMotion
- LimeLight
- QuickBooks
- Monsoon Commerce
- Channel Advisor
- AcctVantage ERP
- CoreSense
- Stamps.com
- ReadyReturns
- UPS
- APC
- Endicia
- Express1
- FedEx
TrueShip
also has integration with required flat rate shipping and volume shipping label
production with USPS through their standard and Commercial accounts.
Additional Details
It
is hard for any one of the TrueShip reviews to really present all of the
features available with ReadyShipper and their product line as there are so
many. Here is a summary of some of the main feature points you should be aware
of.
- Shipping labels – Shipping labels can be created and printed directly from ReadyShipper that are compatible with all of the major carriers such as FedEx, UPS and USPS. The software creates the labels by importing the order information, which can then also be used to generation return labels and tracking information.
- Documentation – TrueShip carried user friendliness to a new level by applying the principle to how they offer documentation for their software and programs. While their documentation is extensive, it is also well organized and presented in multiple media formats so you can get the information you need, in the way you need it – fast. They also offer phone and email support options that come highly rated for customer service satisfaction.
- Shipping Discounts – In addition to the shipping discounts on USPS postage available for new users through a complimentary Stamps.com or Endicia account, TrueShip also includes a complimentary Express 1 account. Express 1 offers discounts on priority and express mail shipments. Out of the box, ReadyShipper is set up to access Flat Rate Select, which is the Priority Mail discount rate for packages under 20 pounds.
The final word on TrueShip and ReadyShipping
Like
the rest of the TrueShip reviews you will find, we have nothing to say
but the best about this company and their products. We tested it for 5 days
using an eBay store and came away impressed enough to give it a full 5 star
rating. ReadyShipper, and all of its components, provide a smooth experience
for both the customer and the business. It was easy to manage the fulfillment
process from any location using the cloud services too.
Here
are just a few highlights we want to draw your attention to in closing:
- It's plug and play. Install the software and you can get going.
- It’s easy to use, and what you don't know how to do they have a tutorial for that is easy to find.
- It isn't a cloud based or web based service, which means it is reliable and secure. That also means there is zero downtime with your ability to interact with your orders and shipments processing.
- ReadyShipper comes with a full catalog of add ons and integrations that can help you customize it quickly to your business needs. Its compatibility with almost all the major ecommerce suppliers also means you don't have to have multiple solutions for your ecommerce store placements.
- The shipping discounts that are accessible with ReadyShipper made a noticeable cost savings in just a week, project that over a year and the savings possible are substantial
The
last thing to mention is the price point. The ReadyShipper software starts at
$29.95 a month and includes one ecommerce module integration. You can then add
integrations for a nominal fee on a month to month basis. This is one of the
most flexible payment structures available that will make your shipping
solution a cost saving solution too. There is nothing to be said about TrueShip
except good things. Their products are the solution for your ecommerce shipping
needs.
