Top FedEx Ship Manager Alternatives and Competitors
Introduction
In your search for the best ecommerce shipping software out there, you may have stumbled upon the FedEx Ship Manager. Some of you may even have used its services. In this article, we discuss its best alternatives and competitors.
Although the FedEx Ship Manager is a great logistics solution, we would like to introduce our readers to other options that bring equal, if not greater, benefits.
As logistics experts, we recommend every online store owner to start using some software solution as soon as their monthly orders increase. Doing everything in-house is often not feasible and can turn out to be extremely expensive.
What is the FedEx Ship Manager?
FedEx Ship Manager is a world-class shipping software from FedEx that aids global ecommerce businesses in reducing their shipping workload. It is fit to be used by all small, medium and large retail and ecommerce businesses.
If you’re operating a remote team, you could choose to give some of your employees access to the FedEx Ship Manager to handle orders. Alternatively, you could control and monitor shipping activity, order statuses, and analytics from the Shipping Administration dashboard.
Things you can do with the FedEx Ship Manager:
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Print shipping labels at home with an ink or laserjet printer.
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Store 2500+ contacts and addresses for faster shipping.
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Track orders in real-time from the dashboard and receive order tracking notifications.
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Book instant courier pickups across the world.
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Get live shipping and transit rates.
Top 10 FedEx Ship Manager Alternatives for Online Stores
1. ClickPost
ClickPost is a global provider of SaaS-based multi-carrier logistics and supply chain solutions. It helps ecommerce companies integrate with 250+ shipping carriers and several warehousing and inventory management systems to improve their post-purchase customer experience.
It provides a unified dashboard for sellers to import and manage orders from various selling channels and websites. ClickPost’s automatic carrier selection feature sifts through hordes of data to find the best carrier for a particular order. This selection is based on key metrics like carrier’s past performance, zip code serviceability, type of shipment, SLA terms, etc.
Brands using ClickPost have reported a significant reduction in their RTO% and shipping delays. Its returns management portal has also been notable in providing businesses with insights into customers’ return patterns. It also provides a Shopify app called Returns Plus to help merchants streamline their reverse logistics.
2. ShipStation
ShipStation is an AI-driven logistics fulfillment and shipping platform that aims to reduce the time ecommerce entrepreneurs spend on shipping each day. ShipStation connects businesses instantly with hundreds of carriers, CRMs, WMS, ERPs, and OMSs for all round fulfillment.
From ShipStation’s dashboard, you could combine, split, merge, or delete orders and compare live rates from carriers. Businesses can keep track of dead stock and replenish inventory ahead of the sale season with inventory management tools.
3. EasyShip
EasyShip is one of the best FedEx Ship Manager alternatives if you’re looking to significantly reduce shipping costs and improve the delivery experience. This cloud-based shipping software provides huge discounts on pre-negotiated rates with carriers like UPS and USPS.
It offers shipping, tracking, and branding features along with an omnichannel checkout service that’s great for retailers with physical stores. EasyShip also operates several dark stores that allow for faster fulfillment and lower logistics costs. It handles customs and duties for all international shipments on behalf of the seller.
4. Shippo
Shippo is one of the popular names in the world of ecommerce shipping. It provides a multi-carrier logistics software that businesses can use to achieve their shipping goals.
Shippo’s web app enables ecommerce merchants to ship internationally with 85+ carriers through numerous marketplaces and storefronts. It supports batch label printing, customized packaging, and multi-user account access.
It also has an active customer support team to take care of all onboarding and technical issues. Shippo users can provide their customers with easy returns through its centralized returns management portal.
5. SendCloud
Sendcloud, headquartered in the Netherlands, started out in 2012 with the aim of making international shipping affordable for every ecommerce seller. It integrates with 50+ reputable shipping carriers like PostNL, TNT Italy, FedEx, DHL, and more to provide superfast international delivery and returns.
Business owners can custom-set shipping and return rules for automatic approval. They could also increase brand engagement with a white-labeled order tracking page for customers. SendCloud is a great cost-effective competitor of FedEx Ship Manager.
6. ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy is an ecommerce shipping and marketing platform that offers a ton of helpful services to make online selling easy and efficient for merchants. Its services are divided into 3 main categories, shipping, customer marketing, and Shopify seller tools.
Under Shipping, etailers get access to an intuitive all-in-one dashboard, automatic label printing, rate discounts, and order tracking notifications. Customer marketing tools bring in new customers with email marketing and increase customer retention with targeted campaign activities.
The Shopify Seller suite benefits all Shopify merchants who run and manage their online store with abandoned cart emails, product reviews, and cheap shipping rates.
7. AfterShip
AfterShip is a Hong Kong-based order tracking and logistics management company that identifies itself as a post-purchase customer experience platform. AfterShip provides many of the same services as discussed above, but its focus lies in improving the online shoppers' sales experience.
Its features include - multi-carrier shipping, live order tracking and alerts, actionable insights, estimated delivery date prediction, and shipping insurance. A new cool feature enables businesses to check their carbon footprint and deduce ways to minimize the impact and improve brand perception. But all of this comes at a cost. Most AfterShip competitors with similar features come at a considerable lower cost than AfterShip.
8. Stamps.com
Stamps.com is an online mailing and postage service provider. It allows businesses to print postage stamps and shipping labels from various shipping carriers. It has also entered the realm of ecommerce by providing automatic integrations with popular marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, etc. If you have an account on Stamps.com, you could easily connect your store to Shopify and BigCommerce and receive significant discounts on shipping with UPS and USPS. The platform provides real-time tracking updates to customers, so they’ll always be posted.
9. Shipsy
Shipsy is an AI-driven logistics and supply chain management platform that helps businesses offer on-time delivery to their customers. It ties up with 300+ freight forwarders and over 50 3PLs to deliver the best domestic and international delivery services.
Ecommerce companies can benefit from Shipsy’s numerous features like the first mile, middle mile, and last mile logistics optimization. These include QR code scan pickups, cloud-based sorting at distribution hubs, app-based mid-mile delivery, electronic POD, and shipping alerts.
10. ShipBob
ShipBob, established in 2014, is a third-party fulfillment provider that operates across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. It handles packaging, shipping and logistics, and inventory management through a tech-enabled platform.
Its services include - 2-day or Next Day shipping, customized packaging, storefront integrations, and performance analytics. However, ShipBob is most sought after for its excellent omnichannel supply chain management services that combine dropshipping and retail distribution.
Key Criteria for Selecting the Best FedEx Ship Manager Competitors
1. Price of the Software
The goal of finding a FedEx Ship Manager alternative is to streamline shipping operations and increase profitability. A pricier software can sometimes be a hindrance to that. However, evaluating price alone is no way to judge a logistics software.
You must check whether the platform is going to deliver all that your business needs at the moment. Weigh the cost against the type of services offered and opportunities for scalability to see whether the solution at hand is a good fit.
2. Number of Serviceable Zip Codes
When selecting a FedEx Ship Manager alternative, it’s important to look at the number of zip codes it delivers to. However, a higher number does not necessarily mean it’s active in the areas you want to deliver to.
Therefore, be smart, and talk to your provider before finalizing. The higher zip code serviceability comes in handy when you want to expand your business to reach a wider audience.
3. Multi-Carrier Shipping
The biggest disadvantage of FedEx Ship Manager is that it only supports shipping with FedEx. So if you’re in the market searching for an alternate shipping solution, opt for one that lets you ship with multiple carriers.
Having access to many carriers allows you to choose the one with the cheapest rates, deliver to remote locations, and offer expedited shipping. It also increases flexibility, range of services and reduces risk.
4. 3rd-Party Integrations
An ecommerce company needs to work with several third-party programs like order management solutions, WMS, payment gateways, invoice apps, etc., to reach its full potential.
Any shipping solution you add to the mix must be able to integrate with all existing systems and work smoothly to give you the greatest benefit. Therefore, look for shipping software that’s compatible with new integrations and updates.
5. Estimated Delivery Date Feature
The list above includes some logistics software that provide EDDs at the product or checkout page. While EDD is not an absolute must-have feature for a shipping solution, it’s still great for customer satisfaction.
We suggest you opt for a FedEx Ship Manager competitor with the EDD feature because they help manage customer expectations.
Since customers want faster deliveries now more than ever, it’s crucial to inform them during the pre-purchase phase when they can expect their delivery. Doing this will save you lots of WISMO calls and build a better post-purchase customer experience.
6. Live Order Tracking Notification
The moment a customer checks out till the time they receive their order is a great opportunity for businesses to increase brand engagement and loyalty. The best way to do that is through strategic customer communication. Sending shoppers regular updates about their order whereabouts is an excellent way of doing that.
You can also choose a shipping software that offers branded tracking to further enhance the customer experience and boost revenue with cross-sales. The best shipping solutions provide tracking updates via SMS, emails, and WhatsApp.
7. Shipping Delay Management
Shipping delays are common in ecommerce logistics. Therefore, you need a shipping software that can contain customer anxiety during such delays through prompt actions and communication.
For instance, ClickPost’s NDR (Non-Delivery Report) Management feature quickly identifies the cause of the delay and notifies the carrier of the same.
It also communicates with customers to contain the situation and assures them of the speediest delivery. This reduces the chances of an order becoming an RTO and also keeps customers informed and satisfied.
8. Reverse Logistics
Like delays, returns, too, are almost synonymous with online buying. Of all things sold online, 20%-30% of them end up as returns. Store owners hate returns for obvious reasons; they increase costs, reduce profits, and turn away customers.
That said, we need to figure out a way of managing returns well. Returns don’t have to mean lost sales. With a good return experience, customers would be more likely to buy from you.
Make sure the shipping software you choose offers returns and collects returns data that you can use to make your returns strategy more efficient.
Conclusion
A robust shipping solution is the backbone of every well-functioning online store. Although many businesses refrain from using one in their initial stages, we assure you, the sooner you make the switch, the better it is for your business.
It’s nearly impossible for a business owner to oversee all parts of their operations. This is why automated shipping and delivery are essential to your growth and survival in this highly competitive market. We hope this article will prove helpful in your search for the perfect shipping software.
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