In every e-commerce business, fulfilment plays a vital role. The process of getting your product from a warehouse to a happy customer is fundamental, especially because this makes the customer experience even more special.
Before we get into it, you need to be aware of the number one reasons for cart abandonment which are expensive or slow shipping options. Therefore, you will need to ensure that you can provide an attractive delivery offer. Most customers expect free standard shipping and the availability of next day delivery. Falling short on delivery options can hit you hard, no matter how well your fulfilment partner is doing.
Therefore, it’s important to stress that there’s ONE thing all successful e-commerce businesses have in common; next-level fulfilment, and you’re about to find out why. Fulfilment is the entire process that takes your product from a warehouse to the customer’s front door and may at first seem like a very small and easy part of an e-commerce business that doesn’t require a lot of attention. But be aware, if your fulfilment isn’t on point, even if you have the world’s best product, the most compelling brand and marketing, and the best website ever if you can’t get your product to your customers, your business will end up all flash, no cash.
Ultimately, outsourcing e-commerce fulfilment will present you with plenty of advantages. You won’t have to worry about having enough storage for your inventory or wasting money on renting extra storage that sits empty after part of your inventory has been delivered to customers. A team of professionals will pick and pack your orders and send them off, giving you more time to think about other things like business growth and development. Your fulfilment company will also be able to store your products in various strategically placed warehouses, meaning your orders will get to the customers even quicker.
That being said, when it comes to choosing your e-commerce fulfilment partner, do some research first, you will need to trust them with your products as well as the entire process between the warehouse and your customer’s front door. If you choose an unreliable service, your business will be paying for it.
Consumers not only expect speedy delivery but also want to receive the correct items, so making sure the company you choose is highly rated for accuracy in picking and packing is indispensable. Happy customers are loyal customers, but if they aren’t impressed with your service they will become very unlikely to return to your store.
Speaking of which, your fulfilment partner should also have a good strategy for handling returned orders. As it is impossible to avoid getting returns, your fulfilment company should offer good customer care. Returns should have a quick turnaround rate with products being back on the shelves soon after they arrive at the warehouse so they can be re-added to the inventory and go back on sale.
Last but not least, while you might think of a fulfilment company as just a warehouse with thousands of shelves, in reality, they are more like a technology company. It’s key that they can be integrated seamlessly with all platforms you use to sell your products, ensuring they receive all orders directly and can process them as quickly as possible. Their IT department is just as important as the people packing and shipping your orders. If the company doesn’t have a robust IT department, do yourself a favour and steer clear of them. There are too many things that could go wrong and are not worth the risk, given the number of incredible fulfilment firms out there.
A masterclass not to be missed!
Because fulfilment is an integral part of the e-commerce world, at The White Label World Expo UK, they have a number of companies from this industry exhibiting on 27th & 28th November at ExCel, London. Huboo, a leading e-commerce fulfilment provider and one of the exhibitors, will also be hosting an unmissable masterclass.
During this masterclass Mark Elward, Huboo’s Commercial Director with over 20 years experience in the field, and CEO Martin Bysh will discuss, share their thoughts and answer questions about all things e-commerce fulfilment. You’ll discover all the benefits of outsourcing the fulfilment process start to finish and will learn more about how Huboo will help to put a smile on your customers’ faces while giving you time to think about business development.
If you’re interested in finding out more about e-commerce fulfilment and want to hear more about the exceptional service Huboo offers, you can book your masterclass space on their website.
Plus, you can register for a free ticket to the White Label World Expo UK here. For exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities please contact Nick Woore on 0117 929 6099 or email [email protected].
