The foremost advantage of any online business for shoppers is the hassle-free shipping of the product in his doorstep. Several surveys highlighted shipping-related issues as one of the prime reasons for abandoning the shopping cart. The shopping cart abandonment is as high as 70% with key hassle being excessive shipping charges, lack of a particular shipping method, etc. The above figures indicate the importance of shipping concerns for an online business. Optimizing various facets of shipping has been the focal point for any eCommerce business. Magento 2 by default has included a multitude of features for easing shipping-related woes. Apart from the in-built features, several third-party extensions have been launched to fortify the shipping process further. There are certain restrictions on shipping options in Magento 2 platform which can be resolved if we hire magento developer for customized shipping options. Let us look at another way to achieve the same i.e. MageWorx’s Magento 2 extension. Before discussing the features and functionalities of the extension, let us first understand the basic terms related to shipping.
Basic Shipping Terminology
Shipping Carrier is the logistics organization responsible for shipping the package via sea, land, air, etc. DHL and FedEx are examples of shipping carriers. Shipping Methods provide customers various options to ship that package through a shipping carrier. Shipping methods depend on several factors e.g. location of the warehouse, size of the package, the weight of the package, country, etc. Economy, Express, Overnight, etc. are examples of shipping methods. Shipping Rate is the cost charged by the shipping carrier for delivering a package from the source to the destination. The criteria for deciding the cost depends on factors like transportation mode (train, truck, ship, etc.), package dimensions, the distance between the two points, weight of the package, etc. Shipping Rules are used to define the rules for product-specific, storefront-specific, and customer-specific shipping. Shipping Table Rates are used to define shipping costs for the destination vis-à-vis price, weight, and a number of items. Now let us try to understand the reasons online businesses hire magento developer online for customized shipping options.
Default Magento Shipping Issues and Solution
Certain shipping issues crop up on using default Magento settings. These issues, however, are settled if one uses MageWorx’s extension. First, we will look at the concerns involved and then elaborate on how these concerns are resolved by MageWorx’s extension?
Concern #1
There are limited options to specify shipping rules lacking the individualized approach that today’s shoppers expect.
Solution:
The extension brings in the capability to generate super customized shipping options. One can change the shipping cost by a range of methods like direct substitution, applying a discount rule, through an additional surcharge, etc. The shipping cost can also be based on the product or cart attributes as well as on the shipping information.
Concern #2
For including a customized shipping method or a new region, one should have programming skills. It is required to cover the costs of shipping for a specific scenario.
Solution:
The extension permits the creation of multiple shipping methods or shipping regions without any programming knowledge.
Concern #3
In Magento 2, it is almost impossible to alter the shipping cost restricting the flexibility of the merchants.
Solution:
One can create infinite custom shipping rates for any specific method with the help of this extension. It hardly takes a blink of an eye to process a checkout page having more than 23,000 shipping rates and 1,700,000 postal codes.
Concern #4
The shipping cost is calculated based on the data provided as input. The lack of details can hamper the shipping rate optimization process.
Solution:
The advanced zip code validation feature of this extension evades failed deliveries, unsatisfied customers, steep charges for address correction, etc. Besides, the advanced postcode validation for particular destinations can automatically verify the region, area, etc.
Concern #5
In case of a switchover from one server to another; there is no means of importing or exporting shipping data.
Solution:
The important shipping data can easily be imported to and exported from a CSV file by using this extension.
Benefits of using MageWorx’s Shipping Extension
The extension permits an infinite number of shipping carriers, shipping methods, and shipping rates to include a local logistics company in the mix. The shipping rules can be customized to automatically calculate the shipping price in case of discounts or surcharges. The shipping destinations can be grouped to create a location group for specifying a common shipping rule on multiple zones. The advanced postal code validation reduces the errors in feeding the address fields. The import/export feature allows the flexibility of copying shipping data to multiple servers or storefronts. The customization of shipping methods permits particular shipping methods to be displayed for specific products.
Conclusion
Out of the box features of MageWorx’s shipping extension offers a comprehensive set of tools to customize the shipping options of Magento 2 platform. Customized shipping methods, rates, careers, etc. can be created on the go. The advanced shipping rules let the merchants extend or restrict shipping choices as per the requirement. This robust extension facilitates optimization of shipping price enhancing the customer satisfaction level. To conclude, MageWorx’s shipping extension is a must for online stores to increase the flexibility in setting up shipping options and personalized approaches.
