Are you looking to send a package soon?
Despite not being as big as it once was, the mailing industry has a new found purpose today. They’re an integral part for shipping in fulfillment centers and e-commerce websites.
They’re the reason many companies can improve their customer service with the promise of convenience.
Not everything is easy though if you want to ensure smooth sailing when you’re setting up your e-commerce strategy. There are factors to consider before sending an item in the state, delivery times, and of course, the shipping label.
But what is a shipping label though?
Read what we have below to explore what a shipping label is and why it’s important for mail:
What Is a Shipping Label?
To most people, a shipping label is nothing more than a piece of paper filled with their information. That’s true to an extent but that isn’t all that a shipping label is.
They are what ensures your package gets the proper handling it deserves.
This is due to the different parts of the shipping label. Each of these holds a vital piece of information that allows handlers to know how important your package is without knowing what contents are within it.
To help you understand the importance of each part, here’s a list of a shipping label’s parts.
1. Address of Origin
The first piece of information noticeable in a shipping label is the return address. This contains the information you want to have put there. You have a choice of either putting your own address or the address of where your chosen fulfillment center is when complications prevent the package from reaching its destination.
This is the most important part of the shipping label because it ensures your item returns to you no matter what. It’s important you keep the address here updated and accurate. A single mistake can complicate everything later on.
2. Address of the Recipient
This part of a shipping label is the most straightforward one. This explains, in detail, the destination of your package to wherever it needs to be. Its simple function doesn’t define how integral it is in a shipping label though.
This has the most influence on how long the delivery will take before it reaches its destination. This is also what decides which fulfillment center will handle the delivery if you’re in the e-commerce business. It’s important you’re clear with the address of your receiver.
If you’re unsure, there’s no harm in asking again to confirm.
3. Package Information
A shipping label will also display miscellaneous information about the package. For example, the tracking number of your package will be part of the information here. What’s displayed here will differ based on which company you got the shipping label from.
For example, a shipping label created by Amazon will have a routing code on it. This code helps in determining the route of your package. This will help you to recover it should it get lost along the way.
Other shipping companies will have other information on display. You can choose which one you’ll partner up with based on the info they put here. You should decide one based on what they cover if they’re what you think is necessary for your deliveries.
4. Electronic Codes
Some shipping companies incorporate electronic codes into their shipping labels. This helps streamline the whole process of processing packages for delivery. With more people opting for front door deliveries nowadays, this helps them get their packages sooner.
Electronic codes can range from bar codes to QR codes and to MaxiCodes. Again, what code is on the label is up to the shipping company you get it from. With a simple scan on any of these codes, the package becomes logged in the system.
You can use this to track your package along the way or to know where your package was last seen.
How Does a Shipping Label Work?
Now that you know what a shipping label is, it’s time to discuss how it works. The process of getting a shipping label for your package can either be manual or automatic. For the most part, people go for the manual process.
The manual process has you designing and filling out the entire label. This is the most common method because it eliminates the uncertainty of users. This ensures the packages have the information they need before getting shipped.
Meanwhile, those who have too much on their hands prefer the automatic process. In this method, a third party will handle the labels for you. They will both generate and fill out the information needed here.
This way, you can focus your time on marketing instead of delivery.
After you’ve gotten your label, applying it on your package is a piece of cake. All you need to make sure of is that it’s visible and unobstructed. This allows handlers to check it and verify the codes on it.
Importance of a Shipping Label
As you can tell, a shipping label is vital in deliveries for many reasons. For example, having a shipping label makes it easy to reclaim what you sent. There will always be cases where packages don’t reach their destination.
If this happens to you, you’ll be glad to have a shipping label. The whole reclaiming process becomes expedited because of the information found there. It will even help you bypass the need for a return receipt.
A shipping label also ensures the security of your package. Having a shipping label on anything you’re delivering is essential today as it confirms the package is from a legitimate establishment.
Handle All Your Label Needs Here!
What is a shipping label? It’s the key to ensuring a problem-free delivery!
No package today can get far without the help of a shipping package label. You can’t even begin to measure how important these labels are for your deliveries and your business. Make a purchase today and deliver your packages now!
Looking for pre-made labels and mailing services? If you are, contact us here! We have all your mailing needs from labels to informative posts like “How to label a package” and such.
