A customer, eagerly anticipating their recent purchase, refreshes their inbox, tracking the parcel’s journey across cities, continents, and time zones. The thrill of unboxing hinges on timely delivery and lies the magic of efficient shipping. It is not about moving goods from point A to B; it is about building trust and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Efficient shipping impacts every facet of an e-commerce business and enhances the overall shopping experience. E-commerce stores can nudge hesitant shoppers toward the “Checkout” button by offering seamless delivery options. A missed delivery deadline can tarnish even the most impeccable brand. Conversely, timely deliveries reinforce reliability and credibility.
While there are many aspects to improving your eCommerce deliveries, in this article we will focus on WooCommerce shipping extensions. Our ninjas will give you some recommendations to help you best manage and monitor your shipments, from real-time rates to customizable rules.
Why Use WooCommerce Shipping Extensions?
The top-rated e-commerce platform, WooCommerce, offers a solid foundation for your online store. It is basic – the default WooCommerce shipping configurations are standard, but the standard is not always enough. Here is why:
Extended Functionalities
- Shipping extensions expand WooCommerce’s capabilities, allowing you to tailor shipping rates and rules to your needs.
- WooCommerce shipping extensions allow you to set up complex shipping scenarios based on weight, location, or product type.
- These tools help you offer real-time shipping quotes from carriers such as USPS or FedEx.
Automation
- A reliable shipping plugin automates shipping cost calculations, saving time and reducing errors.
- No more manual rate calculations; let the plugin handle it seamlessly.
Enhanced Customer Experience
- Customers expect various shipping options, from standard to expedited.
- Real-time tracking information builds trust and encourages repeat business.
- Seamless integration with carriers provides transparency and keeps customers informed.
Top 5 WooCommerce Shipping Plugins
Here are some of the top-trending WooCommerce Shipping extensions with their features and pricing that you can go for:
Table Rate Shipping
The WooCommerce Table Rate Shipping plugin empowers you to create intricate shipping rules for your products spanning the globe. It offers a robust, user-friendly, and flexible shipping solution for customized product deliveries.
Whether shipping locally or internationally, this plugin enables you to tailor strategies precisely. Here are the key features:
Features
- Define multiple shipping rates based on various parameters, such as location, weight, item count, and class. Wildcards allow you to effortlessly match multiple regions.
- Create multiple tables of rates per shipping zone.
- Calculate rates using different methods, including per order, item, line, and class.
- Set conditions based on weight, item count, and price.
- Managing complex data becomes straightforward: duplicate, remove, and manage rates.
- Specify costs per row, item, or as a percentage, or based on weighing units.
Pricing
You can buy the plugin for $9.92 monthly, or $119 annually, from the WooCommerce official website.
ShipStation
The ShipStation for WooCommerce integration streamlines the order fulfillment process for online retailers. You can easily connect your online store to the extension and automate shipping processes.
ShipStation supports businesses of all sizes and enables global shipping success through its intuitive user interface. WooCommerce store owners can also use its app (available on iOS and Android) to create orders, print labels, and manage shipments on the go.
Features
- Save up to 84% off with top carriers such as UPS, USPS, and DHL Express.
- Bring your account from major US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Germany carriers.
- Sync orders from WooCommerce and other channels like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Etsy in one platform.
- Instantly updates tracking info to the selling channel and notifies customers.
- Customize shipping confirmation emails and SMS.
- Create a branded returns portal for customer-initiated returns.
- Generate custom declarations and forms automatically for international shipments.
- Verify international addresses.
- Add GlobalPost for fast and affordable international parcels.
Pricing
ShipStation offers a free version with only 25 monthly shipments under the control of a single user. However, here are several premium plans of the plugin:
- Starter plan for $9.99/month with up to 50 shipments
- Bronze plan at $29.99/month with up to 500 shipments
- Silver plan at $59.9