Online shopping is easy. But that doesn’t make it any less mysterious. Most buyers are satisfied to receive their order in great shape and don’t feel inclined to think about the process that has eased their shopping woes considerably. Even those who work at the e-commerce fulfillment centers are often restricted in their overall understanding of the system. This lag can be reversed by positively influencing the sorting, packaging, and delivery process. In this article, Cory Muroff, an expert in online shopping and social media marketing, shares three steps to help businesses improve the e-commerce order fulfillment process.
Choose your supplier carefully
You, not your supplier, are the face of your business. This is especially true in the case of new and lesser-known suppliers. In the beginning, this will be a trial and error method, but if you invest the right amount of time in finding a reliable supplier, you can ultimately rest easy. Here are a few traits you can look for in a supplier:
– Well-informed about their product
– Values quality above everything
– Price determinations
– Staff proficiency
– Response to criticism and crisis
Connect seamlessly with your suppliers
An e-commerce business grows in two ways – by increasing the number of buyers and sellers. While the buyers see and receive only the final product, it is the supply end of this chain that entrepreneurs can constantly improve upon.
To begin with, you’ll need to integrate seamless connections with all your suppliers. Since your suppliers can be anywhere worldwide, your priority must be to improve the communication between your system and each supplier. This will improve the time taken to receive and ship a particular product. And for the customer, prompt service or lack of it often makes or breaks the deal.
Don’t compromise on your warehouse location
A good warehouse will eventually become the most critical part of your business. It’s the place where goods will be received and picked from. Needless to say, it should have enough space to allow products to be sorted in a way that eases finding what you are looking for. Apart from space, make sure that the location is easy to find and available online. Multiple locations also help in cutting down the delivery time.
When it comes to the order fulfillment process, time is of the essence. And those who value their customer’s time stand to enter their good books quicker.
