3PL Fulfillment - Why it's Important to Ecommerce Businesses

Fact: You need to be in close proximity to your online customers to be able to serve them well with your Ecommerce fulfillment services. Not only should you be in close proximity to your web-based customers, but you also want to be within arm's reach of your customers, since that is how they will pay you for the services that you render. In fact, one of the biggest advantages of using online fulfillment services is that it makes it easier for your customers to make payments using their credit cards, which is especially convenient if you offer online shopping. In this way, your company can expand and gain more business by growing its customer base.

Fact: Your ecommerce fulfillment services must be timely in order to help meet your deadlines. As a business owner, you know that time-consuming projects need careful planning in order to successfully complete them. Fact: Fulfillment providers who try to give you an unrealistic turnaround time may not have your best interests at heart. Instead of settling for a timely solution, consider analyzing both the time-consuming aspects and the return rate to gauge whether you are really getting the best value for your money.

Fact: Many ecommerce businesses include some type of storage inventory, either in their own offices or on-site at a third-party storage facility. While it can be beneficial to separate the packaging and shipping of orders, the storing inventory can actually slow down your ecommerce businesses. It can also create additional work for the customers, since it can be difficult to keep track of and delivery of orders. For these reasons, most fulfillment companies choose to warehouse their own inventory.

Fact: Shipping times for many ecommerce businesses are very long. Although it may be possible to obtain special shipping rates and deals through third-party packers and carriers, they can often take up to two months before they are completed. By contrast, professional ecommerce fulfillment services often have extensive relationships with all shipping carriers and can expedite shipping times even further. When you factor in the cost of packing and shipping, the difference can become rather substantial. The extra cost is well worth it, however, when you consider that you will have less waste, increased productivity, and an increase in customer satisfaction. In short, using professional ecommerce fulfillment services can help streamline your overall process and can help you save a significant amount of money in the long run.

Fact: Many ecommerce  fulfillment  centers suffer from poor customer service. Customer service may not seem like a critical issue at first glance, but the long-term effect of bad customer service can have a significant impact on the success of your online business. Fulfillment centers may offer very fast delivery times, but they often struggle with providing timely and adequate support. If you are experiencing problems with products, addresses, or order acceptance, simply contact the customer service department and speak with an agent. They can give you detailed instructions on how to best address your issues so you can fully serve your customer's needs.

Fact: Poor shipping logistics can quickly damage your sales and profits. Improper shipping destination selection can mean that your products arrive at their destination only to be unable to be shipped out to your customer. If this happens, you may need to spend additional funds on shipping costs to fulfill the orders or you may need to divert resources to increase freight shipping times to get your products to your customer. Professional fulfillment companies help you meet customer expectations by ensuring that your inventory is shipped to the proper shipping destination and that your product arrives on time.

Fact: You can greatly reduce your overhead costs by contracting with a 3PL provider. When you use a professional fulfillment company to maintain and guarantee your inventory, you can greatly reduce your own office overhead costs while making a small investment toward your online shopping business. Using a 3PL fulfillment center allows you to accept credit cards online and to provide your customers real time access to your inventory and services. This allows you to spend more time focusing on your customers and less time maintaining your office space. If you outsource your credit card processing to a 3PL provider, you don't have to concern yourself with payment processing time or having an actual storefront presence.

Fact: If you want to stay competitive in today's marketplace, you must ensure that you're storing your inventory efficiently. This includes keeping your records of your inventory completely accurate and up-to-date. A quality inventory management system will allow you to easily obtain timely data on the location of your inventory as well as how much storage capacity you have on hand. If you don't maintain an accurate inventory tracking system, you're likely to experience delays in receiving your goods from your supplier or in sending them out to your end customer. Your customers will feel frustrated if you cannot meet their product requirements, and ultimately they'll stop purchasing from you.