You’re busy, and we get it! It’s hard to keep up with your small business order fulfillment and all of the duties that come with owning a small business. We know that you’re working hard to get your business off the ground and growing, but it’s time for you to focus on what matters most: your customers! Here are a few signs that might help you realize it’s time to call in a professional helping hand with your eCommerce order fulfillment.
1. Your order volume is unpredictable
Every eCommerce business experiences order volume variations throughout the year. Still, you might need to outsource some of your eCommerce order fulfillment if your eShop’s order volume changes drastically from month to month and/or the products that you sell are highly seasonal. An eCommerce order fulfillment center can ensure fulfillment is handled quickly and efficiently so that your products ship out on time despite weather conditions or holiday seasons.
2. You’ve had too many orders in the last week or month
It can be difficult for you and your team to keep up with all the organizing, picking, packing, and shipping when there’s a major spike in orders. When your sales start increasing and demand exceeds your ability to deliver on time, it’s time to outsource the order fulfillment. The likelihood is high that you’re not going to keep up with such fast growth without help from outside sources like an eCommerce fulfillment center.
3. Your team can’t keep up with the workload
If you’re a small team in charge of everything, managing day-to-day online store operations can become overwhelming. Order fulfillment is only one of the many jobs that eCommerce retailers need to do, and your team may be stretched thin. eCommerce fulfillment companies offer convenient solutions. They can help you handle inventory management and order processing, and they have trained experts to package and ship your products fast and safe. They’ll be able to free you up from having to micro-manage everything so that you and your team can focus on the most important things.
4. You lack the internal expertise
Sometimes eCommerce retailers lack order fulfillment expertise. eCommerce order fulfillment companies know all the ins and outs of logistics. They have a team of experts trained to handle stock, choose the most appropriate packaging materials and negotiate better shipping rates. They will quickly understand your eCommerce business needs and provide optimized fulfillment services.
You might be surprised by how much outsourced eCommerce order fulfillment can lower your costs while increasing sales revenue!
5. Your labor costs are increasing
If your labor costs increase more than your sales do, then you might have a problem. eCommerce order fulfillment companies have the space, the staff and other resources to manage orders for lower costs. You might be surprised by how much outsourced eCommerce order fulfillment can lower your costs while increasing sales revenue!
6. You can’t keep up with customer service requests on time
When eCommerce customers have issues with an order or aren’t happy about something, they’re going to let you know. If you can’t keep up, that’s a terrible sign. Upset customers will leave bad reviews and won’t return. At this point, it might be better just to let an eCommerce order fulfillment company take over for you so that your customers are happy and continue ordering from you.
7. Your returns are increasing
If you find that your returns are increasing, there’s likely a problem with a particular aspect of your eCommerce order fulfilment. Here are some common reasons why customers choose to return their orders:
– They received the wrong item;
– They received a defective item;
– Their order took too long to arrive.
In cases like these, returns are inevitable. As a small business owner, you’re going to find it extremely difficult to keep customers happy and ensure that they have nothing but positive experiences with your business. In this case, it’s a good idea to outsource your eCommerce order fulfillment.
8. You’re overpaying for shipping
Shipping is expensive, and you should never let shipping costs eat into your profits. eCommerce order fulfillment companies have bulk rates with eCommerce shipping carriers, which allow your business to save money on shipping. If you’re paying the same amount or even more for shipping as other businesses in your industry, it’s time to start looking for an eCommerce order fulfillment help.
Customers have grown accustomed to shipping being almost instant.
9. Your shipping is slow and is costing you revenue
Slow shipping can kill your business. Customers have grown accustomed to shipping being almost instant. If they have to wait a long time for their order, there’s a chance that they may not come back.
eCommerce order fulfillment companies can help streamline your eCommerce logistics by preparing orders in advance through batching and other methods, ensuring orders are prepared and shipped faster than your can say “one, two, three”.
10. Issues with shipping materials
If you’re spending a lot of money on shipping/mailing materials, it might be time to make a change. Sometimes small eCommerce retailers end up investing too much in packaging materials such as boxes/bubble wrap, wrapping paper, etc. These materials can be expensive in both money and space they require. If you find that your costs are too high when compared with other businesses in your industry, a good idea is to outsource eCommerce order fulfillment and let someone else handle the shipping/packaging materials.
Incorrect packaging materials can have a negative impact on your customer service. For instance, if the packaging materials you use are too flimsy and don’t properly protect the merchandise during shipping, customers might receive damaged products that they need to return.
If you worry about the returns increasing because of issues due to incorrect or poor packaging materials, outsource the packaging tasks and let eCommerce order fulfillment experts handle the mailing materials and shipping preparation.
11. You’re not able to focus on your business and marketing
If you find that order fulfillment is taking away from your time and energy, it’s time to look for eCommerce logistics help. Do you find yourself spending more time trying to manage eCommerce order logistics than creating advertising campaigns or responding to your customer requests? eCommerce order fulfillment companies can take some of it off your plate, so you have more time and energy to spend on marketing, expanding sales, and growing profits. That’s what eCommerce is all about!
12. You’re not taking the time to scale your eCommerce business
If you aren’t taking the time to take order fulfillment off your plate, then you’re missing out on valuable business. If scaling your eShop is what you want, outsourcing logistics to an eCommerce order fulfillment company may be the best option for you. eCommerce order fulfillment centers specialize in growth strategies that can help stores scale into online e-powerhouses!
International order fulfillment is a whole new ball game.
13. You’re expanding internationally
International order fulfillment is a whole new ball game. Most eCommerce businesses start in one country and move into others later on, but fulfilling international orders can be complicated due to pricey international shipping, customs requirements, and other factors. International eCommerce order fulfillment companies have done this many times before, so they’ll know what to do when the time comes for you to expand overseas.
Wrap up
If you can relate to any of the aforementioned signs, finding an eCommerce order fulfillment solution may be your best bet for your online business success. You’ll be able to focus on your growth strategy with eCommerce order fulfillment center’s assistance, ensuring that sales continue to increase, your customers are satisfied, and your profits are soaring!
