Ecommerce companies are constantly looking for new ways to streamline and improve the customer journey. Personalized offers, tailored interactions, and custom recommendations seamlessly convert browsers into buyers—but what about the post–checkout experience?
The time after making a purchase is often filled with anxiety. Customers don’t have insights into where their parcel is, how long it will take to reach them, or the reason behind any delays.
This is where shipping notifications come in. A shipping notification provides information that transforms the anxious waiting period into one of excitement. And with seamless technology like QR Codes, it’s easier than ever to share proactive updates with your customers.
Let’s explore best practices for shipping notifications to create an excellent experience for your customers from checkout to unboxing.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
What is a shipping notification or update?
A shipping notification is a message sent to customers after they make a purchase from an ecommerce brand or retailer. These messages tell customers where their order is in the delivery process and provide an estimated delivery date and time. Most customers will get several messages as their order is packed, sent, and finally out for delivery.
These notifications are often sent as text messages as part of an organization’s broader SMS marketing campaign. The text message will typically contain a link that takes the recipient to a webpage with more detailed information.
However, text messages aren’t the only way to send shipping notifications. Some companies use email instead. If your brand has its own app, you can also provide shipping updates using push notifications and in-app updates.
Why do you need shipping notifications?
Shipping notifications are an essential part of your customer communications and post-purchase experience. Over 90% of consumers actively track their packages, and when orders are delayed, 70% say they would rather keep checking the tracking information than reach out to customer support.
The difference between proactive vs. reactive shipping updates
Customers don’t like being left in the dark about their order status. If they’re unsure where their order is at any point during the shipping experience, they could lose trust in your business. And if there’s any delay or damage to their order, it’s best to let them know before they have to ask.
When you send proactive updates, you’re in control of the situation. The customer knows that you’re taking action to help them rather than just reacting to a complaint.
Proactive shipping updates don’t require any extra effort on your part. You can set up automated tracking updates that kick in via SMS, email, or app notifications as soon as a delivery goes off-route or misses a time check.
How delays impact customer satisfaction
Just one late delivery can seriously impact customer retention. Nearly 70% of consumers are less likely to shop with a retailer if their package is more than two days late—and 14% will boycott that retailer altogether.
However, those statistics turn upside-down as soon as you send shipping notifications about delays. When 70% of shoppers say they’ve experienced parcel delays with poor communication, sending proactive delivery updates immediately places you in the top 30% of the ecommerce market.
Shipping notifications show customers you care about their orders and are making every effort to ship them as quickly as possible, even when you’re having supply chain issues. This restores customer satisfaction, builds trust, and demonstrates that your brand is professional and responsive.
The psychology of waiting: keeping customers informed
“Where is my order?” (WISMO) and “Where is my return?” (WISMR) queries can account for a significant chunk of your customer service team’s time. On average, each query costs your business $5-8, which can add up fast.
Shipping and delivery updates give customers transparency about their order details and delivery time. This keeps them informed and can reduce pressure on your people and resources.
Regular shipping updates can also support customer engagement. While automated updates don’t cost you any effort, they can engage customers with extra details, feedback forms, and added-value experiences such as tips on product care.
Research into the psychology of waiting has found that delays seem shorter when we know the reason for the delay, how long it’s likely to be—and, crucially, have something to occupy our minds while we wait.
Types of shipping updates businesses should send customers
There are several different types of shipping notifications you can send to your customers after they’ve placed an order. Each one marks a different stage of the delivery process.
Order confirmation
Right after the customer places an order, they should receive an order confirmation letting them know that their payment has been approved and their order has been processed.
Without an order confirmation, customers might assume that there has been an error and place a duplicate order, which can lead to customer service headaches.
Many brands use email for order confirmation messages, as emails provide more room to list product details, payment confirmation, shipping FAQs, and other important information. However, you can also send this information via text message with a link to an order confirmation page.
Shipment notification
A shipment notification lets the customer know that their order is packaged and ready to ship. This notification should contain an estimated delivery date and time so the customer knows when to expect it.
Additionally, shipment notifications should contain an order tracking number that links to a site where they can track their order. This could be hosted on your own website, or you can link customers directly to the delivery provider’s shipment tracking system.
Out-for-delivery notification
Once the package has been shipped, the next step is to send a notification letting the customer know that the product is out for delivery. Include the product tracking link again for convenience.
The timing of your out-for-delivery notifications will vary depending on your shipping strategy and carriers. Most ecommerce providers will send a “last mile” notification. This means that the shipment has left a local warehouse or sorting office and will be delivered within the day.
This is particularly important as porch thieves often target packages from ecommerce platforms. In 2023, over 35% of Americans had a package stolen. But if customers know when their delivery is due, they can prepare to intercept their package and prevent potential thefts.
Delivery confirmation
A delivery confirmation message lets the customer know that their order has been delivered so they can retrieve it. Depending on the shipping carrier, the order fulfillment notification could also include a photo of the package after delivery.
This message gives the customer a sense of closure in the shipping process. It also provides evidence that the package has been delivered, which can be helpful if any customer service inquiries or disputes arise.
Some high-value products require the customer’s signature for delivery. If the customer isn’t home, you can send a delivery attempt notification. This reassures them that their delivery was on time and provides an updated delivery time or option to reschedule.
Additional notifications
You can use additional notifications to cover special circumstances. They’re also useful if you want to share or collect extra information, such as customer feedback.
- Delivery exception: A delivery exception or shipment exception message indicates that the package is delayed through circumstances outside your control, like exceptionally bad weather or vehicle failure.
- Delivery delay: This notification lets customers know about delays that don’t fall under the delivery exception category. The message should provide an updated estimate for your delivery date and time.
- Delivery window update: When your shipping schedule changes, packages can arrive earlier or later than expected. This notification gives your customer a new delivery window to watch for.
- Customer satisfaction survey: After the delivery is complete, you can send the customer a quick survey about their delivery experience. This is a very effective way to collect feedback from your customers and improve your delivery processes.
5 best practices for shipping updates that improve customer experience
Eighty-five percent of customers say a bad delivery experience will prevent them from shopping with a company again. The good news is that you can upgrade the post-purchase experience by following a few basic rules for shipping updates.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when planning your organization’s shipping communications strategy.
1. Provide real-time updates at every stage of shipping
The golden rule of shipping updates is to be proactive by setting up automated updates that trigger at each stage of the shipping process. This gives customers live, real-time information about exactly where their order is before they have to ask.
Remember that most shipping notifications will be read as text messages, email subject lines, or push notifications. Keep it simple and use a URL shortener if you want to link customers to more details.
2. Personalize notifications
One of the most effective SMS marketing best practices is to personalize your messages to your customers. Small details like adding the customer’s first name to the notification make messages feel more welcoming and less generic.
These personalized touches show customers that you value their business and care about their experience. And it’s worth the effort—personalization can influence customer loyalty for 84% of customers.
3. Include tracking information
These days, most shipping providers empower your customers to track, divert, or reschedule their orders. But you can go further by sending automated updates so that customers can access information with the least amount of effort possible.
In every update, you should include the customer’s tracking number or a link to the shipping provider’s website where they can track their order.
4. Provide customer support information
Sending shipping and delivery notifications can reduce customer support requests. However, there are still instances where a customer might have questions or need help with their order.
Whenever you send a shipping update, let customers know exactly how to reach your support team, whether that’s via phone, email, live chat, or social media. You can use short links and QR Codes for instant connections.
5. Ensure mobile-friendly tracking
Almost half of consumers used a mobile phone for their last online purchase. They’re also likely to use their smartphone for order updates, tracking, and customer service requests.
So it’s essential for your ecommerce systems to be mobile-friendly. For example, if you send shipping updates via text, you’ll need to make sure they’re accessible and engaging. If you have a brick-and-mortar retail store, you can use QR Codes for mobile ordering to make sure that customers using in-store pick-up get the same support and engagement as customers using home delivery.
Deliver better customer experiences with real-time shipping updates
Shipping notifications can make or break the post-purchase experience for your customers. Sharing proactive updates, explaining delays, and providing extra support boosts customer confidence to keep them coming back.
The Bitly Connections Platform makes it even easier to build customer confidence. Bitly short links fit neatly into SMS or email shipping notifications, easily directing your customers to websites with more information. Customizable QR Codes can give customers immediate access to shipping details, even from physical materials.
Plus, you can customize each short link and QR Code to fit your brand, then track interactions to understand how your customers respond and tailor your strategy accordingly.
Get started with Bitly short links and take your shipping notifications to the next level.
