It’s officially time to hang your stockings by the chimney with care…and post shipping deadlines for all your customers! You understand the importance of shipping deadlines, but your customers may not. Knowing the shipping deadlines for carriers can help your customers avoid any late gifts. The best way to stress the significance of shipping deadlines is to post them everywhere you can on your site. This way, your customers can’t avoid seeing these dates.
To help you get started, we’ve gathered a list of tips from creating popups and in-cart messages to promoting these deadlines in your email campaigns and on social media. Communicating these deadlines clearly and creatively with your customers will give them a positive shipping experience and impression of your business. And hopefully, they’ll leave a holly jolly review for your business.
Make a dedicated holiday shipping page
Your customers should easily be able to find the shipping information they’re looking for. Making a page dedicated to the holiday shipping deadlines each year helps your customers by keeping all of the dates in one place. You can include this page in your marketing efforts by linking to it in email campaigns or sharing it on social media. Your customers will appreciate not having to scour the internet for dates, and you’ll also have a sheet for you and your team to reference during the busiest shipping season of the year.
Create a popup
We know that popups can be annoying, but they can be beneficial when it comes to communicating something major to your customers. Popups are hard to ignore which, in this case, is a good thing! However, we do recommend using your best judgment with popups. Don’t block other important parts of your site; opt for a side-scrolling popup instead. This way, your customers aren’t frustrated and close out of the shipping deadlines before fully realizing what they are.
Send a “last day to order” email
Let’s face it — the holiday season is super busy, so it’s easy to forget things. Shipping deadlines are no exception. Remind all of the customers on your email list, including those who abandoned their carts, about shipping deadlines throughout the holiday season. Especially the closer it gets to the cutoffs. Although you may include them in your email campaigns throughout the season, it’s better to send one, final email a couple of days before the shipping deadlines hit. Using a subject line that includes something about the “last day to order” just might do the trick for all of your last-minute shoppers who need a nudge.
Add shipping questions to your FAQ page
FAQ pages can be essential during the holiday season. If your business has a clear and comprehensive FAQ section, your customers can avoid having to contact your business via call, chat, email, or whatever other customer service lines you have available. Giving your customers the option to find answers for themselves is a quick and easy way to boost their shopping experience. Some questions to answer in your FAQ section include:
- How much does shipping cost?
- Do you offer overnight delivery?
- When is the last day to purchase to receive a package by Dec. 24?
- Do you ship to a PO Box?
- Which shipping carriers do you use?
- Do you ship to international addresses?
- How can I track my package?
- How quickly do you process orders at your warehouse from the time of order?
- What do I do if I haven’t received my package?
- What is your returns policy?
Add in-cart messaging
If a potential customer has already added a product to their cart, it’s up to you to convince them to complete their purchase. How can you give them the push they need? In-cart messaging is a great way to start! Add messaging that includes shipping deadlines as well as information about when their order will ship and if free shipping is included. Your customers will appreciate all of the proactive communication, and they’ll be more likely to finish their checkout.
Promote express shipping as deadlines pass
Sometimes, customers won’t be able to make their purchases before some of the earlier shipping deadlines. Although it’s more expensive, it’s still a good idea to highlight the expedited shipping options your business offers. Your customers will be more likely to use these options during this time of the year, and with Christmas on a Sunday this year, they might really need expedited shipping options where available.
2022 domestic holiday shipping deadlines
Now that we’ve shown you how to communicate the 2022 holiday shipping deadlines to your customers, it’s time to give you those deadlines! We’ve listed the shipping deadlines for UPS, USPS, and FedEx below.
UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
- UPS 3 Day Select®: Monday, December 19, 2022
- UPS 2nd Day Air® services: Wednesday, December 21, 2022
- UPS® Ground shipping: Check ups.com/ctc for details
- UPS Next Day Air® services: Thursday, December 22, 2022
USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
- USPS Retail Ground™: Saturday, December 17, 2022
- First Class MailⓇ: Saturday, December 17, 2022
- Priority MailⓇ: Monday, December 19, 2022
- Priority Mail ExpressⓇ*: Friday, December 23, 2022
*Priority Mail Express postage refund eligibility is adjusted for shipments mailed December 22-25
FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
- FedEx GroundⓇ Economy: Thursday, December 8, 2022
- FedEx GroundⓇ: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
- Home DeliveryⓇ: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
- Express SaverⓇ: Tuesday, December 20, 2022
- 2DayⓇ Services: Wednesday, December 21, 2022
- FedEx Same Day: Friday, December 23, 2022
Conclusion
Shipping deadlines are more than dates on a calendar. These cutoffs are the last possible day your customers can order gifts and still have them arrive in time for the holidays. It may feel like you’re overcommunicating, but it’s easy to lose track of time during the holiday season, so reminders can be extremely helpful. Using your website, social media, and other pieces of your online presence to give your customers shipping deadlines elevates your customer service and shows your customers you care about their holiday season.
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