Are you looking for reliable ways to propel your eCommerce business to the next level? Your business is more than just the products and services you offer. While you may have a magnificent website, an efficient sales funnel, and unique branding, you still need first-class eCommerce fulfillment. It is an essential aspect of your business when it comes to attracting and keeping loyal customers.
Online shoppers love the idea of free shipping. A significant percentage of buyers abandon their shopping carts due to high shipping costs. Do not take this to mean that buyers would rather wait for months for a product instead of paying shipping fees. If your free shipping takes longer to get to the buyer, you may see them stopping orders. Being able to foresee fulfillment can help you keep customers happy and get positive reviews online.
That is why your eCommerce business needs an extraordinary eCommerce fulfillment provider to help you save both time and money. A successful fulfillment plan also allows you to expand your business with reliable schedules and multiple vendors. Your company’s operations need to run seamlessly, and eCommerce fulfillment is the way to do it. Do you want to transform your online business? Here is everything you need to know about eCommerce fulfillment.
What is eCommerce Fulfilment?
Ecommerce fulfillment is concerned with delivering your products to your customers. It is a comprehensive process that begins when your products hit the shelves in your store. They are then picked out and packed before being shipped to the buyer. All this is eCommerce fulfillment.
When you are starting your business, it’s easy to be your fulfillment provider. You can pack and dispatch orders because they aren’t coming in at an overwhelming rate. However, as your business starts to pick up and grow, you may want to get an eCommerce fulfillment provider. It is important to know what to look for in ecommerce fulfillment services as you want to make sure the company is reliable and gets everything done on time.
The eCommerce Fulfilment Process
The eCommerce fulfillment process isn’t just about picking and packing orders. An experienced eCommerce fulfillment provider can streamline the operations of your entire online retail business.
Outsourcing your fulfillment needs allows you to respond quickly and efficiently to orders, delivery, and even returns. You can always get more warehouse space as your business continues to expand. The eCommerce fulfillment process comprises the following aspects:
- Integrating your eCommerce store to the fulfillment center
- Inventory receipt and management
- Order fulfillment
- Processing returns
How eCommerce Fulfilment Works
It is accurate to say that fulfillment is the foundation of your eCommerce operations. As such, understanding how it works can help you cooperate with your eCommerce fulfillment provider and manage operations easily.
● Omnichannel eCommerce Store to Fulfilment Center Integration
Order fulfillment is as much about the shelves of products in your warehouse as it is about your technological systems. Technology is essential if you want to integrate your storefront with your fulfillment center for seamless operations. Your orders ought to flow smoothly from your store to the people responsible for packing and shipping. Let’s take a look at some essential fulfillment center features:
- Integrate your company with the multiple platforms where you sell your products. If you have any unsupported sales channels, a customized app can help make fulfillment quicker and more efficient.
- An excellent fulfillment provider should have a strong IT department.
- Downtime can cost you a significant number of sales. Be sure to choose a center with little or no downtime and standby customer support to fix any issues right away.
● Inventory Receipt and Management
When your products are shipped to your fulfillment warehouse, they need to be entered into inventory and put on the shelves, awaiting order fulfillment. If your merchandise pallets are sitting on a loading dock, that means your products are not in your inventory. As such, they are not selling.
That is why you need an eCommerce fulfillment provider who will place your merchandise in inventory as soon as they receive it. If your provider is responsible for shrinkage (items that are broken or lost on the shelves), you can forego it when calculating your stock levels.
● Order Fulfilment
Your online retail business needs a provider who can guarantee same-day or next-day shipping. A centrally-located warehouse can help ship to most customers within a day or two. It is also advisable to ask for recent data on the rate of errors at a specific fulfillment center.
● Processing Returns
If merchandise is returned to your fulfillment warehouse, it should be back on the shelf within two days. It would be best if your fulfillment provider could take care of customer service for returns. This way, you can focus on increasing sales for your business.
Now that you understand the basics of the eCommerce fulfillment process, you can evaluate providers and choose one that best works for your business. Reliable fulfillment should always be customer-oriented. This way, you can grow your business while keeping your customers satisfied.
