1. Useful
Include all the information people need to decide if they want to order.
Location
Can you deliver to me?
Tell people if you can deliver to them first. If you can’t deliver to them all the other information is irrelevant.
Include:
- where you deliver to
- where you do not deliver to
- any restrictions on delivery areas
Worldwide delivery.
We deliver to all UK addresses except Isle of Man.
Time
Will it arrive in time?
Tell people exactly when their order will arrive.
Use the actual delivery date (for example: Tuesday 5 November) where possible. Baymard found people struggle to work out when a delivery will arrive when given estimated time frames.
If you use Shopify, you can use the delivery dates feature to set this up.
Do
Do the hard work for people. Display the actual date it will arrive.
Delivery on Tuesday 5 November
Arrives by 17 November
Don’t
Increase cognitive load with complicated timeframes
We aim to dispatch within 2 working days for orders placed before 1pm on weekdays. Orders take 2 to 3 working days to arrive after dispatch.
Cost
How much will it cost?
Don’t hide costs. In testing by NN, people strongly disliked unexpected costs at checkout.
Do
Let people know the cost as soon as possible
UK delivery: £4.95
Don’t
Make people go through checkout to see the cost
Delivery costs calculated at checkout
Courier
Who will bring it?
Where possible, tell people your delivery partners to help them make informed choices.
When I reviewed delivery information from 50 stores, only 22% included this information.
DPD next day
Royal Mail 2nd Class
Sustainability
What’s the impact of my delivery?
Every delivery has an impact, so if you’ve considered the sustainability of your deliveries, share this information with your customers.
Include:
- impact of different delivery options
- packaging
Help
Where can I track my delivery or get help
People might come back to your delivery information page with questions once they’ve ordered.
Add help links for:
- how to track orders
- what to do if something goes wrong
- how to get in touch
2. Easy to find
Early and often
Help people find your delivery information as early in their purchase journey as possible. Include it everywhere that’s relevant, from the product page to order confirmation email.
Do
Add delivery information or a link to a dedicated page throughout the purchase journey
- Product page
- Footer
- Checkout
- Order confirmation page and email
In one place
Don’t make people jump around between pages, help sections and FAQs. This means crucial information could easily be missed.
This also makes it easier to keep the content consistent. Contradictory information will increase uncertainty and reduce trust.
Do
Keep all your delivery information together in one central place.
3. Easy to understand
To be easy to understand, shipping information should be clear, simple and well formatted.
The average person can only keep about 5 to 7 pieces of information in their short term memory. When we’re presented with more information than this, we start to become overwhelmed.
Easy to read
Make your delivery information easy to read.
- use short sentences
- avoid complex and formal words
- add sub headings
- group information into sections
Do
Keep it as short and simple as possible
Standard delivery
Free for orders over £30, or £3.50
Express delivery
£6.50
Don’t
Use a formal tone and long sentences
Shipping is charged as noted below. All orders over £30 include standard delivery. For orders under £30 the customer will be charged a delivery fee of £3.50. We also offer an express delivery service for those who need their order promptly, in this case the customer will be charged £6.50.
Short and simple
People are only looking for the information they need, so be ruthless and delete any explanation that’s not needed.
Do
Only include the essential information
Express delivery: £5.95
Don’t
Over explain
Please note: Due to circumstances outside our control, for express delivery you will be charged £5.95.
Dial down your brand voice
This is a time to focus on being informative and clear rather than infusing your brand voice. You can dial up your brand voice after purchase, once people have the information they need.
Do
Be clear
Orders over £30: Free
Don’t
Muddy the message with too much brand personality
Amazing news! If your bag is £30 or more, delivery is on us. A lovely little bonus from us to you.
Avoid expanding FAQs
Don’t put each piece of delivery information in a separate expanding FAQ section.
The question and answer format creates lots of unnecessary content. This is hard to use and bad for the planet. Instead, put the information in one page.
Do
Answer the questions on your delivery page
Standard delivery:£3.50
Arrives in 2 to 4 days
Express delivery: £6.50
Arrives the next day
Track your order
Don’t
Use expanding sections
How long will my delivery take to arrive?
Standard delivery normally arrives in 2 to 4 days and and express delivery normally arrives the next day.
How much is delivery?
Standard delivery is £3.50 and express delivery is £6.50.
Can I track my order?
Yes. Go here to track your order.
Delivery information templates
Ready to use templates to help you write your shipping and delivery information quickly.
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