To help our transport providers get the most out of Shiply, here are some of our top tips which helps you get more bids accepted!
1) Fill out your profile page
This is the space where we let you write about your business. It is your space to really sell your business and it’s uniqueness to prospective customers. Use it wisely. We have seen great profiles and we have seen some really awful ones!
Make sure you cover the fundamentals, how many employees do you have, how many vehicles, what year were you established etc etc.
You really have to look at your profile through your customers eyes. Would you choose the provider with a one sentence long profile or the one who has made an effort and uploaded their company logo, specified their insurance levels and written a professional, concise 6 paragraph long profile?
Spelling mistakes look sloppy, and customers will think your work will be too! So, be sure to run your profile page text through a spell check, like the one in Microsoft word.
2) Upload a photo to your profile
This makes a big difference. We recommend a photo of yourself, your team and/or your vehicle(s). Customers like to see the real people behind your company. Don’t miss out on this important element of your profile page.
3) Chase feedback!
Just like eBay, customers often never get around to leaving feedback after a transaction if all goes well. But you can bet your boots they will remember to leave negative feedback that one time something goes wrong.
Ensure you protect your feedback score and participation on Shiply by asking those customers who have not yet left you feedback to do so.
We do send out email reminders, however often a quick phone call, or better yet a request in person upon delivery usually does the trick!
4) Keep on top of open bids
There is nothing worse than having a bid accepted which you can no longer service. Keep on top of your current active bids on at least a daily basis. Better still, if you know the latest date upon which you can accept the order, please put an expiry date on your bid.
5) Put information with your bid
Placing a bid with no additional information just looks a bit lazy, and customers notice this. Understandably they want to feel valued and like you have taken more than 2 seconds looking at their shipment request.
Be unique, tell the customer how you will carry out the work and any other information about your bid which will be helpful to them. Show that you care and that you want the job.
It is these little things which can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd place in any transport auction. Making that extra effort goes a long way.
6) Make use of custom email alerts
There are a few thousand shipments live on Shiply now, so sifting through all of them can take hours. Make use of the search filters to get the type of work which interests you, is along a similar route or is local to you.
Once you have a search criteria you are happy with, you can save it and have emails alerts sent to you daily with new shipments which match these.
This is an enormous time-saver!
7) Communicate!
Without a doubt the single most common reason for negative feedback on Shiply is poor communication. Negative feedback will cripple your account and you will find winning work on Shiply harder and harder. Excessive negative feedback will result in suspensions and even expulsion from the marketplace altogether. You only have one account and one chance on Shiply, you will not be given another, so work to protect your feedback score, it is so vital.
Remember, when your bid is accepted, the customer is waiting for you to contact them. Be sure to get the relationship off to the best start by doing this ASAP, don’t wait or expect them to call you.
Right from bid acceptance through to delivery, you must be contactable during normal business hours. If you are not, there must be a facility for them to leave a message and for you to respond in a timely manner.
We hope the above tips will help you get the most out of Shiply long into the future.