Here we are into 2022 and COVID is still affecting businesses across industries, supply chains, e-commerce, and brick and mortar locations. The pandemic forced every consumer to think about how they shop and their habits. In fact, over 53% of North American shoppers surveyed by Shopify, said that the pandemic forever changed the way they shop.  

One of those habits that consumers adopted was the rise of new services like in-store pickup, curbside pickup and local delivery. Local delivery allows your customers to purchase your products online and have them delivered to their home. Local delivery is an alternative method to having products shipped or purchasing in-store.  

Businesses who have added a local delivery service to their business have seen an increase in sales, a deeper connection with their customers by improving their customer service and future proofing their business against changes from the pandemic and future challenges that will force businesses to close.  

We have shared this data before, but it shows the importance of how local delivery can make a big impact for businesses across industries. “Data shows that online shoppers have a 25% higher cart size” when ordering and choosing local delivery or curbside pickup as an option, according to Shopify. The Cupcake Room, an Australian based neighborhood bakery, increase their sales by 500% when they added same day local delivery around their Sydney location.  

Here are some incredible ways, Shopify merchants are promoting their local delivery service and making sure their customers know they have this option when shopping, while keeping a great shopping experience.  

Social Media:

A trend that is getting bigger and bigger each year is the intersection of ecommerce and social media. Social commerce has quickly become a staple for ecommerce brands to fully utilize to reach more people and grow revenue. Social media is now part of the buying journey for consumers from researching a product to seeing reviews on platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.  

In fact, 43% of shoppers are using social media as a search engine by researching products there before deciding to buy. From Instagram Shop to Facebook Marketplace to TikTok’s partnership with Shopify, social media is becoming a fast-growing channel for e-commerce brands and a great way to get exposure to new audiences.  

Through social media, you can let customers know about your local delivery option and how the process works to give them a simple way to shop. El Irish Pola de Pub, is a Colombian pub and micro-brewery based out of Bogota, Colombia. Pola de Pub uses their social media accounts to not only announce new beers but show how the local delivery process works.  

They use high quality images and video content to advertise their local delivery service through Instagram and Facebook. This allows their community to learn how their delivery process works and become familiar with those delivering the beer. It’s also a perfect way to engage your customers on social media, ensure you are on top of mind and stand out above competitors not using video to educate their customers.  

  • Use video content to show your local delivery process and how to place an order    
  • Talk to camera on social media and have visitors and customers become familiar with your team and business (behind the scenes)  
  • Be honest about the time it will take to have items and products delivered. Pola De Pub guarantees delivery within 60 minutes or less.  
  • Use Instagram Stories and Instagram Highlights to show your delivery process
  • Use your most popular social media channels to incentivize your customers by opting for local delivery through special deals and discounts.
  • Optimize your Instagram (and social media) bio by adding you offer “Local Delivery”  
SEO / Google My Business:  

When was the last time you googled a business? Did you know 3.5 billion google searches are done per day? A google search can often be the first place, potential and returning customers go, to access your website. You can optimize your Google My Business profile by adding all your business details, including whether you offer a delivery service. Google offers different badges on a Google My Business listing. This is available globally by editing your listing within Google’s settings.  

Bang Cookies based in New Jersey, United States, clearly defines their services through their Google My Business listing with their delivery badge listed, along with the times they can deliver.

Email:

Email newsletters are so underrated when it comes to communicating with your customers, straight through their inbox. We have mentioned it before, but to avoid over sending, focus on high quality emails that tell the most important information to your customers. Focus on letting them know which (and when) products are available for shipping or local delivery and your delivery schedule. This ensures customers know when they can order and receive products and know how the process works. Do they need to receive a product, or will it be left on their doorstep? When and what time can they expect their delivery? All questions to provide the best experience possible.  

  • Notify your customers of any changes in your local delivery process and schedule  
  • Use emails to send special deals customers can access when choosing local delivery such as a promo code or a special deal
  • Have a designated local delivery team? Introduce them in your email campaigns

Pictus Goods is a eco conscience floral boutique that uses their email’s to let their customers know how local delivery works, and their delivery schedule.  

Another example comes from Stanley Park Brewing is a brewery based in Vancouver, Canada that offers a wide rand of beers for their customers. They offer free local delivery on certain days of the week to their surrounding local area. Through emails and social media content, Stanley Park Brewing is able to let their customers know about local delivery and exactly where they offer free local delivery.  

Using Last Mile Delivery and Route Optimization:

Local delivery can be a tough service to implement, especially depending on your business size. If you’re asking if local delivery is more than you can handle, you can opt for addition help by adding a route optimization or last mile delivery partner to help with deliveries. Zapiet works with several through our last mile API integration, you can check out the list here.  

Deciding when it’s time to add local delivery to your Shopify store can be based on several factors. It can be based on needing to reach more customers, expanding your reach in a new area or maybe your customers are asking for a delivery service. Another factor to decide when it’s time to add local delivery, is if you feel you can provide an upgrade in your customer service. By adding this service, you can improve the experience by removing shipping costs, adding a personal touch to deliveries and making connections with your community.  

Jespen Produce serves thousands of families in the Chicago area by delivering the freshest produce right to the doorsteps of homes. Started by Jason Jepsen, in 1999, Jepsen combines Zapiet and route optimization partner Shipday to help deliver orders. “We launched the Zapiet app, in combination with the ShipDay, the delivery scheduling functionality of the Zapiet app matches what our customers have been requesting for a long time."

Raw Dog Food is another amazing company that delivers raw dog food straight to customer homes through last mile delivery partner Roadie. Their customers love having the ability to have the best ingredients for their pet’s, delivered to their doorstep.  

Local Delivery Incentives / Bundle

Everyone loves free shipping, a gifted item or just incentives to shop with your ecommerce store. Providing incentives to have your customers choose local delivery as an option can be an effective way to introduce customers to your local delivery service and have an opportunity to upsell products. Australian-based plant store Mosey offers free local delivery on orders of a minimum of $100. This encourages their customers to increase their order value in order to be eligible for free local delivery.  

Integrate with Shopify Tools:

One fantastic way for your local delivery service to stand out is through relying on tools from Shopify. There are various Shopify apps that can help with all that you need to make your store a one-stop shop for your customers, while giving them a great experience online and offline. Shopify’s native local delivery tool allows businesses to add a local delivery service at checkout. Merchants can define delivery areas and easily prepare orders from one centralized place.  

Australia-based Juicery, Cali Press uses Zapiet’s delivery validator widget on their site so site visitors can quickly input their postal code and see if they are eligible for delivery. This happens before they shop, leading to fewer abandoned shopping carts and a seamless customer experience.  

Moustache Milk and Cookie Bar use Zapiet to manage local delivery orders and customize where they deliver to customers. Through Zapiet, they can set their location and product availability so customers can decide when to have their cookies delivered and at what time through a calendar.  

Local delivery is a service that can help your business create a meaningful connections with your customers, community and overall provide an excellent customer experience. Not only can you add revenue to your business, but also safeguard your business from any unexpected challenges like a global pandemic. Through local delivery you allow your products to become more accessible.  

Try a 30-day free trial of Zapiet - Pickup + Delivery and get set up through our free one on one setup call with our customer support team.  

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