Brexit

Picture of Jonas Raaschou

Jonas Raaschou

Content Manager

The United Kingdom is no longer a part of the European Union (EU), and a withdrawal agreement has been signed and made efficient from January 1st 2021. 

This means that online businesses sending goods across the UK and EU need to be vigilant in regards to new rules and guidelines. Although the rules are not as strict as some predicted by some, there will be changes and considerations to be made. 

  • No tariffs or quotas have been alloted on trades, signifying that there is no need to pay customs duties on goods shipped across the EU-UK border.
  • The free movement of goods has ended. Now you must document, register, and process customs clearance regardless of duty free customs. 

Regarding your consignments please note that: 

  • Be sure to check up on your carrier agreements. Are you in need of new agreements or do you have the same options for your shipments under the new rules? (PostNord Mypack, Collect, Return drop off, and Pickup Request amongst others are no longer covering the UK)
  • Have your freight expenses changed?
    It is not unlikely for your freight rates to have changed. They may have upped since the new agreement has been put into effect, and therefore it may be an idea for you to seek out more profitable offers on freight rate solutions. 
  • Be sure that you have acquired the necessary details on your customs clearance documentation.

You also need to be sure to have information attached such as the EORI-number of your business and essential information on your products such as unit price, tariff numbers, and country of origin.  

Please read the information located at virk.dkif you are yet to acquire a EORI-number. Read here how you add EORI-numbers to your Webshipper-solution. 

At Webshipper we have made sure to remove the UK from the list of EU countries, which means you will be required to create customs information for shipments to the UK.  

Please read more on Paperless Customs here, if it is not something you already utilize at Webshipper.

Also, read the press release published on December 28th, 2020 by Dansk Erhverv. Here you will also be able to read more about financial services, insurance, contracts, VAT and tax, and much more.

https://www.danskerhverv.dk/presse-og-nyheder/nyheder/er-du-klar-til-brexit/

We have made a free customs generator, to print your own customs declarations. 
Read more about customs declarations i this article. 

Podcast #16 How to enter the German market successfully

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

Are you not able to view the podcast player above? Please accept marketing cookies in order to view the player an listen to the podcast. 

We Grow Webshops and Webshipper have joined forces! Together with We Grow Webshops Managing Director Maarten Vissers and Webshippers Sales Manager Peter Engedal Koch, we give you a thorough introduction on how to grasp the German market. A market where gaining trust from the German consumers, having a local presence online and a clear market knowledge is key! Knowledge you can attain with We Grow Webshops.  

The episode revolves around:

  • 00:00 Focus
  • 01:16: Introduction to Peter Engedal Koch and Webshipper
  • 02:04 Introduction to Marten Vissers and We Grow Webshops 
  • 04:02 A characterisation of the German market – Gaining trust 
  • 06:40 Key factors to be aware of 
  • 07:36 Be open to other markets – Amazon
  • 09:11 The right carrier agreement 
  • 12:03 Cultural barriers as a struggle 
  • 12:56 The partnership between We Grow Webshops and Webshipper 
  • 14:40 Dutch business cases in relation to the German market
  • 16:52 The biggest barriers in relation to the German market  

Podcast #14 Amazon – To conquer Sweden

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

Are you not able to view the podcast player above? Please accept marketing cookies in order to view the player an listen to the podcast. 

After long termed future prospects, Amazon has finally arrived in Sweden. A mastodont that some webshop owners fear. In relation, Swedish Amazon-specialist Anna Nordlander focuses on its advent, what to benefit from its coming, how to succeed on the platform plus common mistakes in this Amazon-special of Webshippers podcast Ship It.  

We will focus on:

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 00:47 Annas experience in relation to Amazon
  • 05:11 Amazon as a mastodont 
  • 09:19 The opening in Sweden 
  • 15:24 Amazon  – A friend or an enemy 
  • How to succeed
    • 16:05 To work from a customer perspective 
  • Common mistakes
    • 17:53 The lack of research 
    • 19:40 Missing legal details 
  • 21:57 To look after your customers

Please, also read the blog entry: The Swedish Amazon is here!

The Swedish Amazon is here!

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

Amazon is, in all probability, the largest contender within e-commerce and besides being known as a marketplace and “the everything store” the e-mastodont has been known for ruling the markets in which they enter. 

Now the mastodont has entered Sweden and the question is to which the Swedish population should consider Amazon a friend or a foe. 

Due to the advent of Amazon, Swedish Amazon expert Anna Nordlander says her piece on how the Swedes should benefit from Amazon and how to succeed.

How to conquer Sweden 

In Anna’s opinion, one of the reasons why Amazon is a large contender within e-commerce is because of their ability to focus on customer needs and create high valued customer loyalty. They have become an e-commerce ecosystem and in theory, customers do not have to seek other markets in relation to their position as a marketplace and a so-called “everything store”. 

Now Amazon has launched in Sweden but according to Anna it will take a while for Amazon to conquer the market, since the Swedish population is already used to most of the services that Amazon brings, such as fast and free shipping and great prices. Plus, the Swedish consumers already have a fairly advanced webshop- and e-commerce presence. Only “the everything store” and marketplace experience is specialized and unknown to Sweden.

As a customer you will have to keep in mind that Amazon has a general communicative approach in relation to its customers, which can lead to a lack in customer service. 

If Amazon wishes to win over the Swedish consumers they will have to change the behaviour of the consumers, since the Swedish population is used to shop from product categories. Last but not least, Amazon will have to cooperate with big international and local shops. Perhaps, you are the shop they need? 

How to succeed

According to Anna the Swedish population has a sceptical approach towards Amazon since they all in all consider them a threat. Retail owners may struggle while webshop owners should use the advent of Amazon as an easy way to gain traffic. However, if webshops wish to succeed and gain trafic they will have to work from a consumer perspective as a main factor. Anna mentions, that one of the best ways to succeed in Amazon is first and foremost to check out one’s competitors. Study what your competitors are up to plus which price margins they are working with. Also, you should take a close look at your own prices and rethink whether your product will bring anything new to the market and last but not least potentially re-develop your product. Besides, you should always have a native speaking consumer service in order to succeed. It is crucial for your credibility and communication plus it is what the Swedish population expects. 

One of the things that webshop owners tend to forget, according to Anna, is to have your research in order. You should focus on SEO, keywords and image and always try to test your product on a specific audience. 

If you wish to have further advice and whish to know more about the Swedish advent of Amazon, please have a listen to our episode The Swedish Amazon from our podcast Ship It:

Scale globally

Picture of Jonas Raaschou

Jonas Raaschou

Content Manager

After Black Friday and the Christmas Sale you might be ready for your business to scale globally. But where to start? And which markets are relevant for your products and competitive for your business? 

When it comes to branding and marketing our partners are ready to help you if you need any answers for that. They are the experts.

At Webshipper we are experts on automations, offer technical support and simple solutions when your business grows. 

In the article we will focus on what you should be aware of when you want to scale globally.

New carriers 

If you are thinking of adding new carriers or services to your checkout for your customers we are ready to help. Get an overview of your current carrier agreements or setup new carriers – quick and simple. 

We have a large number of carriers and we are ready to set up new carriers as soon as the need arises. You only need to find the carriers or services you and your customers find necessary to give you all the flexibility you need.

Customs

Starting shipping globally, there’s a lot of things you need to be aware of (link til e-bog).

One thing when shipping outside of Europe is the customs. And it can be unmanageable

and difficult – but with the right data it can be done simple and automated. 

It’s all about collecting the right data from your shop then sending the customs in the right form to the carriers.  

With an automated dataflow you’ll make sure the right data always reaches the carrier and you will save a lot of time. And even better – fewer mistakes will occur. 

Emails and notifications 

A minimum for shipping global is for your customers to get the necessary information and notifications in English. Of course information in the origin language would be to prefer.  

We know it can be confusing and sometimes seem unnecessary but it can mean a big difference for the customers. 

Studies have shown that Scandinavian are satisfied with reading in English but there’s still a larger number of the Swedish population who prefers reading in Swedish. 

Are you shipping to Germany or France, you can expect a lot of inquiries and support if you only communicate in English. 

Take a look at the market you want to enter and your resources to have the best solution. 

Orderflows

Each country has different types of customers who buy different kinds of products. Therefore, when scaling globally you might need to take a look at you orderflow for a different approach. 

In time you might even notice a huge request in a specific country and if this country is out of the EU, you might consider having a warehouse in that country to save time and money on customs – it benefits both you and your customers. 

Carrier quoting

As a supplement to your new carrier agreements your rates in checkout need to be updated. Your price sheets and checkout rates need to be aligned. Otherwise you will have a big loss on your international shipments. 

With Webshipper you can set rates at your checkout based on various parameters to assure you won’t lose money on your shipments. 

You can show rates based on your price sheets so that you for instance always will earn 5% extra. You’ll also have the possibility to show rates based on different services so that shipments to the countryside or out of city-areas will give you a higher income, if the costs are more expensive to you. 

At Webshipper we can help you automate the above so you won’t have any frustrations or worries when it comes to your shipments. 

Get a free demo

Get to know more about dos and don'ts for scaling globally. Get a free demo of Webshipper and let us talk about how easy you can scale globally.
Signup_Tips_Tricks

Get Tips & Tricks directly in your inbox

We continuously update our website with Tips & Tricks in the form of blog posts, video and podcast.

Sign up and get notification when we have Tips & Tricks for you. 

Podcast #13 Louisiana Channel – A digital work of art

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

Are you not able to view the podcast player above? Please accept marketing cookies in order to view the player an listen to the podcast. 

Some associate museums with words such as old fashioned and outdated instead of young and innovative, but the museum Louisiana has succeeded in renewing itself in a modern and innovative way through Louisiana Channel. A non-profit production unit with videos that focuses on pictorial artists, designers, architects, writers and musicians including their work and what it means to be an artist. A universe that has succeeded in capturing an extremely rare target audience: Men at the age of 18-35 who constitute 60 % of the viewers. But how has Louisiana succeeded in creating such an innovative initiative and target one of the most difficult audiences? Listen and get the answer below, or read more about Louisiana in the blogpost: Digital marketing – When video is key  and receive further advice on how to create valuable video content.  


Furthermore, Louisianas Head of Digital Peder Wuth gives you tips and tricks to how you too can innovate your marketing strategy.  

The episode revolves around the following subjects:

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 01:18 Introduction to Louisiana Channel 
  • 04:41 The importance of Louisiana Channel in relation to the museum 
  • 06:51 Louisiana Channel and subscribers 
  • 08:52 To reach target groups 
  • 11:33 Louisiana Channels significance for the future of the museum
  • Tips and tricks
    • 12:53 Digital marketing – A way to obtain guests
    • 14:36 to be patient 
    • 15:36 Be aggressive in your marketing method

Outsourcing to 3PL

Picture of Jonas Raaschou

Jonas Raaschou

Content Manager

If you have been managing an online shop for a while now, you might be thinking of ways to optimize your workflows. There’s a couple of things you need to consider if you’re scaling your business and want to see a change in your daily processes. A WMS does a lot of the hard work that you do down in the busy basement, but there’s also a few other integrations you should be aware of. Find answers to your questions here.

If you have a simple orderflow and a medium amount of shipments, it is a good idea to outsource your warehouse so that you can take advantage of economies of scale such as procedures and IT systems. 

As you know it can be complicated to make a schedule for your employees when the amount of shipments is seasonal or varying for any reason. When outsourcing you don’t have to worry about that.

Before making a decision

It is necessary to have an overview of your present processes and costs. Having a total overview of your needs makes the dialogue with a 3PL transparent for both parties. Transparency is the keyword. Having no transparency will create a huge distance between you and your customers.

Some of the cons when outsourcing is that you will have less flexibility compared to having your own warehouse and managing the orders yourself. Furthermore, you risk a lack of quality control which might affect your customers in the end. Therefore it is important to clarify your wants to your partner when it comes to their service such as customer service and quality. It will always be in everyone’s interest having satisfied customers – no doubt about that.  

Outsourcing to one of Webshipper’s 3PL partners gives you the opportunity to keep track of your orders and your order management. You will have the same insights into your orders, shipments, shipment status and tracking information as if you had your own warehouse. 

When should you invest in a WMS-integration?

Do you need or do you use a warehouse? The answer is simple then; Your business needs a WMS. If you send hundreds of parcels every day a simple setup is just not going to cut it – by now your business is scaling and challenges with failed deliveries can be a huge daily pain, which will undoubtedly result in dissatisfied customers. 

The infrastructure you provide your scaling business will pay off in the long run and make it easier for you to focus on other business aspects. 

When should you outsource your logistics? 

As a minor online business sending parcels every day outsourcing your logistics to a 3PL can be very beneficial. By having a logistics partner you save on the cost of rent for your own warehouse and its employees. 

3PL’s can offer your business very favorable and competitive prices on freight agreements that you might not be able to obtain yourself from your individual couriers. 

As a larger company with an e-commerce business it might make sense to outsource some of your warehouse to a 3PL, maybe in another country saving your out-of-country customers time and money on shipping and customs. 

You will also eliminate your need for maintenance and constantly upgrading your warehouse to modern facilities.

 

Get to know our WMS partners here.

The small guide to warehouse management

Learn how to get an overview of your warehouse and how to optimize your order flow.

Digital marketing – When video is key

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

What is best practice when it comes to digital marketing? Our experience is that the main object is to be innovative and seek to be one step ahead of your competitors in creating digital content that captures the attention of your target audience. Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge your limitations. It is impossible to excel in everything, why highly skilled collaborators is a must in achieving the right message and creative output. But what is innovative digital content and how do you succeed in capturing and sustaining the attention of your target audience?   

Louisiana Channel – A strategic work of art

Even though digital content can be founded in creative and unstructured processes, determination, focus and not least a well formed strategy is, from our experience, key to be ahead of your competitors and to achieve the best communicative tool.

One example of an institution that has succeeded immensely in creating an effectual strategy and capturing the attention of a former unreachable target audience is the museum Louisiana.

With the online video platform Louisiana Channel, the museum has managed to gain a YouTube-community with over 148.000 subscribers, and capture the attention of men between the age of 18 and 35, since 60% of the channel viewers are men within this age. Highly unusual in a cultural context according to Louisiana’s Head of Digital Peder Wuth, who emphasises that the success did not occur overnight. Since the formation of Louisiana Channel back in 2012, the museum decided to create a firm and clear strategy before launching, since strategy is key according to Peder. Louisiana wanted to be a part of the new digital Youtube-era and visualise art and the artistic work in a qualified and leading manner, and show the artistic work from a personal view. Last but not least, they wanted to create a platform which worked as a self-contained unity without a direct connection to the museum itself and its art exhibitions. A strategy that paid off. According to Peder, one of the most essential factors in the success of the platform was the combination of the museums ability to follow their gut when they noticed a lack in the artistic communication and video materials on YouTube, plus their ability to seek a different path within the communication of arts, as opposed to their competitors. 

Choosing the right platform  

To use a video platform with a clear strategy in mind is essential if you ask Daniel and Bettina Weissensteiner from the video production company Augenblick Film. Besides being able to communicate with your target audience, you also have the opportunity of collecting useful data and see how your target audience behaves in relation to your videos. Besides collecting data, which is a key factor, you also have the opportunity of adding CTA’s (Call to action) and communicate in a direct manner. 

Video content – Means to an end

Even though video content is highly used and regarded as a must have-content, Daniel and Bettina emphasise that video content must be created and used with a purpose. Just as Louisiana, it is crucial that you create a communication strategy from the beginning with a clear purpose of what you are trying to achieve, since the video has to be seen as a means to an end. It is important also to include your target audience in your communication strategy, since there are numerous aesthetic paths when it comes to video content. 

Branding-videos in high quality can for instance be used for customer testimonials or situations where a professional output is key, whereas hand-held camera aesthetics can function in a quirky or personal manner. No matter what, you have to take your target audience into account, in order to sustain your recipients. 

 

To build af crowd

Additionally, consistency and personality is key. According to Daniel and Bettina, it is crucial when building your crowd. A clear communication strategy combined with the correct aesthetics equals trust, and creates a bond between you and your recipients. Furthermore, taking a clear stand regarding your strategy and aesthetics is important. Even though you may wish to widen your communication in order to create a larger crowd, you have to remember that every brand is not for everyone. Be niche to have success. This also goes when choosing your streaming- and SoMe-platform. Every platform communicates differently in relation to target audiences. 

A way to create a crowd and create a personal and direct communication strategy could be in the form of webinars. A digital content form which is highly used among our customers, and with great success. By using webinars you, first of all, have the opportunity of saving a lot of money by not having to rent seminar rooms. Furthermore, there are no limits when it comes to webinar participants, which means that you will have the opportunity of gaining a larger reach. As opposed to physical webinars, your participants also have the opportunity of asking questions through the webinar on chat-facilities.   

If you wish to know more and receive further advice on how to create great video content, please follow the webinars from Augenblick Film on their facebook-page: https://www.facebook.com/augenblickfilm/ 

Podcast #12 Louisiana – Between Corona and webshop

Picture of Marie Andersen

Marie Andersen

Are you not able to view the podcast player above? Please accept marketing cookies in order to view the player an listen to the podcast. 

Corona has been an obstacle for a lot of people, but it forced the museum Louisiana to think disruptively after the shut down of the museum, which functioned as a catalyst for the launching of Louisianas webshop. According to the Head of Digital Peder Wuth, the launching process was an example of how much that can be accomplished through a massive drive and determination. A process that required adjustment in order to attract attention from the users of the museum, and has not at least shown how a museum can find the balance between sales and commercialisation.   

In the episode, we focus on the webshop in relation to Corona, and last but not least Peder gives you tips and tricks to how you can have your webshop exposed.   

we focus on:

  • 00:00 Intro 
  • 00:22 To run af webshop during the Corona-crisis
  • 02:13 Corona and webshop proces
  • 03:32 Why Louisiana decided to choose Webshipper
  • 05:56 Marketing and webshop
  • 08:39 Web and the future
  • Tips og tricks
    • 10:57 The use of SoMe-channels
    • 11:29 Create commercial- and digital activities 
    • 13:29 Choose a range of products that stands out