Our increasing use of and reliance on the internet has had one strange and unexpected effect on the way we live our lives: we expect everything to happen more quickly. With instant gratification now an intrinsic part of almost everything we do, we’re used to having what we want at a greater speed than ever before.

Online retail is a prime example. With a vast number of people now purchasing goods through company websites or selling sites like eBay, there has been an exponential rise in couriering enterprises, each of them vying to offer their customers the most competitive service.

For those who sell through this medium, choosing the right one is imperative. In order to offer the best possible customer experience, you must provide incredibly quick delivery; a feat best achieved in tandem with a company you can trust.

To help you out, here are a few handy tips to send your parcel faster…

1: Have Suitable Packaging to Hand

Almost as soon as your customers place an order, they will expect you to mark their parcel as sent, but you can only do this once it is properly prepped and packaged. To speed this process up, make sure you have everything you’ll need to hand before the order is even placed.

2: Get a Quick Quote

With the parcel prepped and ready to go, you now need to choose a courier, so be sure to use a website offering a quick quote service, whether this is a comparison site or an individual enterprise like TNT. Type in your location, destination, and a rough estimate of the parcel’s size to get an instant list of options and prices to choose from.

3: Cover the Address with Clear Packing Tape

Once you’ve chosen a suitable option, you must make sure that the recipient’s address is fixed to the parcel, preferably covered over with clear packing tape for protection. This will prevent the writing from smudging should it be exposed to rain or damp in transit, so that its delivery is not delayed because of illegibility.

4: Make Collection as Simple and Straightforward as Possible

Finally, make sure that the delivery driver can actually find your parcel when it’s time to collect it. Although many couriering companies will offer you the option of having it picked up from your premises, it’s often a good idea to forego this in favour of delivering it to a specific drop-off point, so that there’s no confusion over finding it.

Follow these four simple steps today to help your parcels get to their destinations as quickly as possible.