3 Smart Tips for Saving Money on Sending Avoid hidden expenses and simple mistakes that can damage profits and customer satisfaction.

Making a good first impression is essential, but the final interaction with a customer after purchasing a product may be how they remember your business. Finding the right shipping solutions can save time and money without sacrificing the quality of the experience for your clients.

While business owners know that shipping should be reliable and affordable, hidden expenses and simple mistakes can eat away at profit margins and reduce overall customer satisfaction.

Here are three smart ways to significantly minimize your sending costs:

1. Get access to better rates with a shipping solutions partner.

Selecting a subscription service for your sending needs can optimize your shipments to help with overlooked costs while saving you money on each package sent. Businesses with higher shipment volumes are able to secure better rates. By partnering with a shipping solutions company, smaller businesses can gain access to rates that they wouldn't have otherwise.

"Many smaller companies feel it's impossible to compete with big retail behemoths on shipping because they get great deals from the major carriers," says Michael Botti, product marketer at Pitney Bowes.

But a shipping solutions partner like SendPro Online acts as an aggregator, giving smaller companies the opportunity to ship their products at rates normally reserved for high volume senders. Companies can use SendPro's Return on Investment tool to determine the savings they may be missing out on when it comes to shipping costs each month.

Botti says businesses can save up to 40 percent by partnering with a shipping solutions company. A shipping service saves time as well by allowing you to schedule package pickups, eliminating trips to the post office. "Small-business owners have a lot on their plates," he says. "The ability to schedule package pickups allows them to focus on the functions that will move their business forward."

2. Weigh your package—and your carrier options.

Many senders become comfortable with one carrier, but shopping across major service providers can help you find the best option for the time frame, distance, and weight of each package.

Botti says weighing packages ahead of time gives companies even more opportunity to save.

"Getting the weight right at the very beginning is crucial to maximizing the savings on shipment," he says. "We had a client who was rounding package weight up to the nearest pound. By actually weighing each package with the scale we include with SendPro software, they saved $7 to $10 per package."

Once you know the weight of your package, online tools like the SendPro rate selector can help you compare all three major carriers to find the most cost-effective choice. "For some online retail companies, the amount of money they can save on shipping could mean a profitable sale versus an unprofitable sale," says Botti.

Businesses should think past common perceptions of carriers—like the idea that one is less reliable than another because of its lower cost—and decide when it makes sense to pay a premium for service based on the time frame of the delivery.

3. Make a great last impression.

Businesses invest in their marketing and customer support, but sending the product is the final touchpoint with clients. Package delivery is an extension of your company's brand and the last step in the user experience.

This intangible cost is one that's important to consider, Botti says, since it's getting the order to your customer's door on time that will leave them happy with their purchase. One way to prevent issues with shipping is by making sure all the information on the labels is correct.

Address errors often cause delays in delivery and also cost businesses address correction fees. Online tools like SendPro will automatically fix and verify addresses entered incorrectly to ensure they match standard requirements.

Since the shipping process means handing your brand over to a third party, visibility and transparency are also critical. Tracking provided through SendPro allows companies to update customers in near-real time, letting them know if their package is going to be diverted for any reason and making it easier to manage client expectations.

Click here to learn more about how SendPro Online can simplify the process of sending packages.