The holiday rush brings big sales to WooCommerce stores, but it also brings higher expectations from shoppers. More than half of Christmas shopping now takes place on mobile devices, and customers want the entire shopping process to be seamless from checkout to delivery.
Shipping and tracking play a bigger role in this experience than many merchants realize. Clear options, accurate delivery estimates and real-time updates don’t just get packages to your door – reduce hesitation, build trust and keep customers coming back.
In this holiday shipping guide, we’ll share seven strategies to transform shipping and tracking this holiday season to drive conversions, using WooCommerce and its fulfillment partners to help you deliver the kind of experience today’s customers demand.
Shipping and tracking are part of backend logistics, but they also influence customers and their purchasing decisions. According to the Baymard Institute, almost 50% of abandoned carts come from additional transportation costs. Shoppers also expect visibility after checkout. Research by DispatchTrack shows that more than 90% of buyers track their packages.
When shipping is clear and affordable, shoppers gain confidence and are more likely to convert. When it doesn’t, carts are abandoned and customer support teams are inundated with “Where’s my order?” news.
That’s why strategic shipping and transparent tracking serve as more than operational details. Actively manages growth. Done well, they reduce friction, lower support costs and turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.
Clearly, shipping has a huge impact on customer decision making. Now, let’s take a look at some practical steps you can take to turn fulfillment into an advantage this holiday season. These strategies help get packages out there and provide customers with clarity and certainty that leads to more completed purchases.
1. Clarify your transport options from the start
Surprise costs at checkout are one of the biggest reasons shoppers abandon their carts. You can prevent this by making shipping rates and delivery times visible early in the process. Show customers how much they will pay and when their order will arrive before they get to the checkout screen.
With WooCommerce Shipping, you can download real-time rates from USPS and DHL directly to checkout, so there are no surprises. For more flexibility, the Table Rate Shipping extension allows you to set rules based on order weight, location, or value.
The free shipping offer is also effective. Highlighting “Free shipping on orders over $50” removes friction and encourages customers to add more items to their carts. Research by Invesp shows that this approach can significantly increase average order value.
Clear options, predictable costs and advance delivery estimates put shoppers at ease, reduce hesitation and make it easier to close the sale.
2. Use follow-up to build trust
Customers will not stop wondering once they place their order. In fact, the time between checkout and delivery is when anxiety is at its peak. Customers want to know exactly where their package is and when it will arrive. And they reward stores that keep them in the loop.
Real-time tracking updates reduce support inquiries and build trust in your brand. Instead of endlessly nagging “Where’s my order?” emails, you provide customers with proactive updates via email or SMS.
Tools like ShipStation and Packlink PRO make it easy to automate tracking messages.
ShipStation also allows you to offer branded tracking pages that keep customers connected to your store, not the carrier’s website.
This of course provides convenience, but also when customers see you communicate clearly after paying, they are more likely to order again. Transparent tracking helps close sales and sets the stage for repeat business.
3. Create urgency with speed of delivery and clear delivery times
Holiday shoppers are notorious for pushing their purchases to the last minute. If your store offers fast shipping options and clearly states cutoff dates, you’re much more likely to capture those orders instead of losing them to larger retailers.
Start by making sure your carriers support expedited service, such as two-day or overnight shipping. With WooCommerce, you can display these options right at checkout, so shoppers don’t have to guess whether their package will arrive on time.
Deadlines are just as important. Shoppers act when they see a clear deadline. A simple banner on your website, something like “Order by December 20th for Christmas delivery,” creates urgency without being intrusive. Add these banners with the WooCommerce Customizer or the Banner Images for WooCommerce extension and place Christmas promotions all over your website, schedule them to appear and target them by shipping zone.
When customers know exactly how long to place an order, hesitation turns into action. Pairing fast delivery with visible deadlines not only ensures more last-minute sales, but also encourages customers to fill their carts while they still can.
4. Offer buyer protection to build confidence
Holiday shopping is stressful enough without having to worry about what happens if something goes wrong. Package protection programs remove this doubt by covering stolen, damaged or lost items. It provides peace of mind for shoppers. For marketers, it serves as an instant way to increase conversions.
Services such as Norton Shopping Guarantee with Package Protection provide a safety net for shoppers and the impact is reflected in sales. Many merchants have seen an increase in conversion rates after adding Norton protection because customers know their delivery is guaranteed.

Buyer protection includes refunds and works to build trust in the critical period between checkout and delivery. When customers feel safe, they complete their purchase with confidence and are much more likely to order from you again.
5. Simplify returns to reduce hesitation
Complicated or hidden return policies are one of the fastest ways to lose sales. Shoppers want to be sure that if a product fails, they won’t be stuck with it. In fact, FedEx research shows that about two-thirds of customers check the return policy before making a purchase decision.
Make your return policy visible where it matters most, such as on product pages, FAQs and again at checkout. Clear promises like “30-Day Free Returns” remove hesitation and make buying decisions easier.
Equally important is the process behind the policy. No one wants to spend hours searching for labels or waiting for email confirmations. The WooCommerce Returns and Warranty Requests extension automates the workflow, allows customers to initiate returns themselves, and gives you an easier way to manage approvals and shipping labels.
When returns are simple and fair, they cease to be a hindrance. Instead, they become another reason for shoppers to buy from you and come back after the holidays.
6. Automate fulfillment to handle holiday volume
Sales often spike during the holidays, and even well-prepared teams can struggle to keep up with volume. Automation makes a huge difference in times like these. Instead of spending hours on repetitive tasks, your store can process orders in seconds.
ShipStation and Packlink PRO connect WooCommerce to multiple carriers and bulk handle label printing, carrier selection, and status updates. This time savings adds up quickly when you’re processing hundreds—or thousands—of holiday orders.
Automation also helps communication with customers. With ShipStation for WooCommerce, you can automatically send branded post-purchase emails with tracking details, turning routine updates into another touchpoint that drives engagement and loyalty. And with WooCommerce Shipping, you can purchase and print discounted USPS and DHL labels from your dashboard, making day-to-day operations even easier.
The result is a smoother experience on both sides: customers receive timely updates and reliable deliveries, while your team avoids the hassles that manual processes cause. In the busiest season of the year, this efficiency translates directly into more completed orders and happier customers.
7. Optimize shipping for mobile customers
More than half of holiday shopping is now done on mobile devices, and that number is growing every year. If your shipping options or tracking links don’t display well on the phone, you risk losing sales to stores that make the process smooth and easy.
Test your checkout flow on different screen sizes to make sure costs, delivery times and options are easy to read and select. Shoppers should be able to choose between standard, expedited or free shipping without zooming or infinite scrolling.
The same goes for tracking. Confirmation emails and links should open to mobile-friendly pages that inform customers seamlessly.
Performance is also important. A slow website can cause buyers to give up before completing a payment. Caching plugins like Jetpack Boost and mobile-optimized themes can help, but even small tweaks like compressed images and simplified checkout fields make a noticeable difference.
When shipping and tracking are seamless on mobile, customers are more likely to complete their purchase and less likely to abandon their cart out of frustration. In an era dominated by on-the-go shopping, optimizing for mobile is one of the clearest ways to convert browsers into buyers.
Holiday sales don’t start in December. Many shoppers start their gift shopping more than a month before the peak of the season. If your shipping strategy isn’t ready by then, you risk missing out on those early orders and the repeat business they can generate.
Now is the time to implement your processes, policies and tools. Set up clear shipping options, highlight cut-off dates, and make sure your return and protection programs are visible. Automate where possible so your team can focus on serving customers instead of chasing labels or answering emails. And don’t forget mobile — if shoppers can’t get a smooth experience on their phones, they’ll go elsewhere.
With WooCommerce and a wide selection of proven shipping extensions, you have everything you need to meet customer expectations this season. Prepare early to meet demand and turn holiday shoppers into loyal customers long after the rush is over.

Laura is the Product Lead for Woo Shipping. When she’s not posting product updates, she enjoys spending time with her family in sunny Florida.