USPS Can Help Your Small Business Succeed. Here's How. Everything you need to know about using USPS for your business.
For any small business that relies on shipping products to consumers, choosing the right company can make all the difference. As ecommerce continues to increase at an unprecedented rate — online sales jumped over 45% in the last two years, according to research from Shopify — selecting a service that's reliable and innovative can help you grow. The USPS delivers 430 million items daily—more mail than any other postal service in the world—amounting to half the world's total mail—so just imagine what they can do to fulfill your shipping needs. USPS leverages its massive amount of information along with cutting edge technology to deliver both physical products and results for businesses. Here's how you can use the USPS to make shipping easier and hit goals you never thought possible.
Work Smarter with Web Tools APIs
For business owners, efficiency is the key to success, and USPS Web Tools API Portal features a variety of tools to improve your shipping — all for free. APIs, short for application programming interfaces, allow different applications to communicate with one another to streamline communications. These features can be incorporated directly into your website to close sales and help customers make purchasing decisions with fewer barriers.
One of the most popular APIs is the Calculate a Price function. Customers can get an immediate estimate of the shipping cost of their order simply by entering their Zip Code™ number. The API then calculates the cost of shipping by considering what's in their cart. This gives consumers a quick understanding of shipping costs and improves conversions. Another API solves a common problem: According to USPS, millions of consumers enter their address incorrectly every year. With the Verify an Address tool, human error is cut down significantly, meaning your customers get their products without delay. USPS offers a whole library of API tools to fit the unique needs of every business and help customers click that "buy" button with confidence.
Make More Sales with Easy, Hassle-Free Returns
Making returns seamless helps customers feel comfortable buying from you. In fact, one survey found that a staggering 95% of customers who were happy with a business's return policy would shop there again. USPS features a wide range of return services, designed to meet different business needs with one thing in common: convenience for the customer and the business owner. Scheduling pickups, tracking and label printing are all simple with USPS. There's also an API that can help with returns for an even easier experience. The USPS Returns Label API generates accurate return labels with a click. Tracking and additional extras can be added easily to improve the customer experience.
Local Business, Global Opportunities
Small companies can do business on a global scale, just like multinational corporations. An estimated 300,000 small and medium sized businesses export products outside the US. Reaching the global market is a major opportunity, but the challenges of shipping internationally can seem daunting at first. USPS offers several tools to make it easy for small businesses to access the international market.
Global Shipping Software from USPS is a free, comprehensive international shipping solution that includes a step-by-step guide for doing business globally. "We almost exclusively use USPS Priority International Mail for overseas shipments," says Nina Zilka, co-founder and CEO of Alder New York, a clean, vegan skin and hair care brand. "In terms of cost and reliability, it's unilaterally the best option of any other shipping service out there, and we find USPS interface very easy to use."
The software makes it easy to calculate prices and generate labels, customs forms, manifests and more. "The ability to quickly get quotes and print shipping labels at our office has allowed us to reduce time spent at the post office and give our customers accurate estimates for shipping when they place their orders," Zilka adds. In addition to shipping tools, USPS offers businesses a wealth of information on export laws and rules along with insights on government agencies that help businesses work internationally. With USPS on your side, there's no limit to your business's potential — whether you're shipping across town or to the other side of the world.
The bottom line that can improve your bottom line: In a rapidly changing world, innovative solutions from USPS help you as a business owner keep pace with change, propelling your growth.