I have to admit when I first set up my online shop and chose those very first shipping settings I was very hesitant to add international shipping. But I did it. I took the plunge and I have to tell you that I have not regretted it one bit.
I really believe I would have missed out on some awesome sales if I had been too scared to add international shipping to my shop. It seems that every 1 out of 5 sales is going overseas. I know adding international shipping and stepping out of your comfort zone can seem scary, but it’ll open up a whole new world of customers for your online shop – quite literally.
Tips for Selling Internationally
I really learned all about shipping internationally by making a lot of mistakes first, but if you do your research you can avoid a lot of headache. Here are some tips if you’re thinking about taking the plunge and shipping internationally:
- Check out the list of materials considered hazardous by USPS and make sure nothing you sell is on the list.
- Weigh your items and start putting them in the price calculator of the shipping agency you use. I would pick a random zip code in a country I was hoping to get a price for and then round up by a $1 or $.50 and that generally made up for any differences.
- Start small. List shipping to only a few bigger countries first like the UK, France, Australia, and Germany. Once buyers see that you do offer international shipping, many will contact you to ask about pricing if their country is not listed.
- There are some odd restrictions for selling internationally. Once you pick your little country list to start with, check each country’s restrictions individually to make sure that you are not offering a service you cannot provide.
Now I always go directly to the post office when it come to international shipping because I find it’s easier to deal with someone if I have any questions. However, I believe it is possible to do international shipments from your home with printed labels. Either way, after you figure out the restrictions and pricing, the rest is easy! And now you have triple the customers you had before!
For more information and tips on shipping from an online store, check out these other great articles:
Adventures in International Selling
Etsy Thread: International Shipping
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I love knitting and other crafts with plastic canvas and i would like to know how i can sell online when i am ready to do so whitch maybe another month or two thanks
These are great tips! Some sellers are afraid to start selling internationally because of the fees for international shipping. Oftentimes it is very rewarding and worth every penny spent on shipping. For example, since I started shipping to Africa I have really grown my customer base.
Maggie,
Excellent article on international shipping. I have found that DHL representatives are always willing to answer questions about custom forms, duties and taxes too. I help at home businesses with their international shipping and since our company buys in bulk from DHL we can offer our customers about 64% off of retail prices.
Regards,
Jill