Introduction

For an e-commerce business, your shipping policy is one of the most critical pages on your website. It's often the last thing a customer reads before making a purchase, and a confusing or incomplete policy is a leading cause of cart abandonment.

The short answer is: a great shipping policy is transparent, comprehensive, and proactively answers your customers' most pressing questions about how and when they'll receive their order.

This article breaks down the five most common mistakes e-commerce stores make in their shipping policies and provides simple, actionable steps to fix them, helping you improve conversions and reduce customer service headaches.

Mistake 1: Hiding Your Shipping Information

If a customer has to hunt for your shipping costs and times, they're more likely to leave. Shipping information should be impossible to miss.

• The Fix: Link to your Shipping Policy directly in your website's footer. Additionally, display estimated shipping costs and delivery times directly on your product pages and in the shopping cart.

Mistake 2: Vague Processing and Delivery Times

Customers want to know when to expect their order. Vague phrases like "ships soon" or "fast delivery" create uncertainty.

• The Fix: Be specific. Break down your timeline into two parts:

  
  

  • Order Processing Time: "Please allow 1-2 business days for us to process your order."

    
    

  • Shipping Time: "Standard shipping typically takes 3-5 business days."

Mistake 3: Not Mentioning International Shipping

If you sell internationally, you must be upfront about the different rules and costs. If you don't ship internationally, you need to state that clearly to avoid disappointing global customers.

• The Fix: Create a dedicated "International Shipping" section. Clearly list which countries you ship to and explain that international customers are responsible for any customs fees or import duties.