This is Part Two in a two-part series. Read Part One here.
3. Are you having trouble keeping up with essential technology?
The IT needs and costs involved in a successful fulfillment process has skyrocketed in the last few years. Although technology like warehouse management software and inventory tracking are all helpful and result in a smoother experience, smaller ecommerce companies do have limitations.
You don’t have to pay high costs – or deal with finding and keeping technologically proficient employees – when you choose to outsource your fulfillment process. With a third party fulfillment service, you can let them worry about the technological upgrades. They upgrade their systems and improve their capabilities regularly so that they can stay efficient and accurate. When you outsource to a fulfillment company, you’ll get the benefit of their investment secondhand without having to deal with the upcoming changes in technology yourself.
4. Are shipping costs leaving your scrambling to keep customers and your bottom line happy?
One of the biggest costs when it comes to fulfillment is your outbound shipping costs. These can fluctuate and with the recent uptick in gas prices, they aren’t going to be falling in the near future.
When you’re a smaller ecommerce company, it’s difficult to manage these costs on your own. Free and low shipping on sales is the standard across many industries that sell online. If you increase the costs to your customers, they are going to end up clicking away and buying from one of your competitors. Since you don’t have the volume to access lower shipping rates, you can “borrow” the buying power of a large company by working with a fulfillment service. They can often garner better rates because they ship out for several different companies at once.
5. Are you missing out on customer service opportunities because you’re so focused on managing fulfillment?
Fulfillment is complicated – even for the simplest products – and it takes time. If you’re trying to manage it yourself, you could be missing out on customer service opportunities that could lead to future business.
Not only could mishandled shipments cost you customers, but if you’re so focused on getting orders out the door you won’t be able to follow up with customers, go the extra mile with special thank you notes or take time to ask how you could improve services. By outsourcing you can ensure that you treat your customers right so they’ll keep coming back and tell their friends.
If you’re ready to eliminate the hassle of in-house fulfillment and build a stronger future for your business, ask yourself these questions. Then look for a fulfillment service to help take your business to the next level.
