The Do’s and Don’ts of Product Fulfillment
In 2020 alone, online business activity increased 27.9 percent.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the switch to eCommerce for most brick-and-mortar businesses, eCommerce was already gaining popularity pre-pandemic. However, whether you’ve been doing business online for several years or you’re new to it, one thing you must get a handle on is product fulfillment.
Getting a product to the customer quickly, cost-effectively, and in great condition is the key to increasing your online sales. Keep in mind that about 40 percent of online customers will abandon a shopping cart if the delivery will take longer than a week.
Now that you know the importance of product fulfillment, how do you streamline the process? Read on for some dos and don’ts.
Do Ensure Your Product Is Stocked Up
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of product fulfillment is the product getting packaged for shipping. You rarely think of the product being unavailable for shipping.
Yet, the first step to ensuring successful product fulfillment is to ensure the product is in stock. You don’t want a scenario where a customer makes a purchase on your website, the order is confirmed and scheduled for shipping, only to realize that the product isn’t even in stock. There will be delivery delays, which is a sure way to hurt the consumer’s confidence in your business.
Whether you’re doing inventory management in-house or outsourced to a third party, keep your product in stock or clearly indicate that it’s out of stock on your eCommerce website.
Don’t Use Poor-Quality Packaging
The choice of packaging material and style depends on the nature of your product. But the quality of the packaging must be impeccable.
Quality product packaging serves two major purposes: protects the product from damage while in transit and helps improve the client’s overall order fulfillment experience. No one wants to receive a delivery that’s wrapped in cheap-looking, frail material.
Poor quality packaging will also damage your brand’s reputation, especially if you market it as a premium brand.
Do Ensure Speedy Deliveries
36 percent of online shoppers will choose a merchant/online store based on whether it offers same-day delivery.
There’s no doubt that offering same-day deliveries will increase your sales. However, most small online shops don’t have the capacity to do this. It’s not a deal-breaker for most consumers, but they still want their orders to be delivered quickly.
At least, offer next-day delivery to customers who are in your region, and 2–3-day deliveries for customers who are outside your state.
Don’t Fail to Stay Abreast of Product Fulfillment Regulations
Product fulfillment codes regulate how various products can be shipped – if at all. Regulations vary from industry to industry, and they change from time to time.
It’s your responsibility to keep abreast of any legal changes affecting product fulfillment in your industry and ensure your business stays compliant. If you’re a cannabis retailer, for instance, you need to be aware of the vape mail ban. Learn more here about it.
Efficient Product Fulfillment Is Key for Online Business Success
Product fulfillment is central to the operation of any online business that sells physical products. As a business owner, you must strive to ensure an efficient product fulfillment process. With these tips, you now know what you can do to ensure your product gets to the customer’s address as ordered.
Keep reading our blog for more eCommerce and business tips.
