eCommerce has been growing at a breakneck speed over the last five years, and there’s no indication of it slowing down. The logistics industry has certainly kept up with this incredible pace; while you once would have had to physically fulfill all orders and ship them out yourself, there are now order fulfillment services to complete the task for you. The result is a smoother purchasing and delivery process for you and your customer.
If you manage an online business, you'll want to be sure you have access to top-notch eCommerce fulfillment services. Not only will this improve your efficiency, but it will also make it easier for your customers to track orders, while ensuring that they receive them on time. It will also increase their overall satisfaction with their purchasing journey and turn them into repeat customers.
What is eCommerce fulfillment?
To put it simply, eCommerce fulfillment refers to the entire process of delivering items to clients. It can be difficult to properly fulfill an order unless you have a system in place, and if this step of the process fails, it may be quite frustrating for both you and your customers.
Fulfillment is, without a doubt, the most crucial aspect of your company. You may have a fantastic website, outstanding products, and payment methods set up and in place, but if you’re still manually fulfilling orders, things can quickly get overwhelming– especially if you have a lot of orders coming in.
But is it really worth it to invest in eCommerce fulfillment services?
The short answer is yes. Here’s why.
Why it’s worth it to outsource eCommerce fulfillment
There are multiple reasons why eCommerce fulfillment services can take your business to the next level.
- You don’t need to have your own warehouse
One of the main advantages of outsourcing your fulfillment is that you won't have to worry about storing your products yourself. Owning and operating a warehouse can be incredibly costly; you must not only pay for the space, but also for everything that goes in it.
Depending on your company's size and order volume, this might mean:
- Racks at a warehouse
- Forklifts
- Belt conveyors
- Boxes and packaging supplies
- Software for order management
- Software for warehouse management
- Computers
- Packing label and packing slip printers
- It's simple to integrate with a variety of eCommerce platforms
For a stress-free solution, a fulfillment centre can assist you in integrating all of your eCommerce systems. Rather than working out how to connect each system on your own, which may necessitate more IT expertise (more money), you can outsource this to an experienced order fulfillment service that can integrate all of your systems for you.
eShipper’s hassle free integrations work seamlessly with your shopping carts for optimized eCommerce fulfillment, so you can easily manage and ship your online orders. Having professionals assist you not only guarantees that your system is properly set up, but also allows you to spend your time and money on building your business.
- You can negotiate lower shipping costs
Working with an order fulfillment business like eShipper+ can allow you to benefit from lower delivery costs. Why? You don't have as much bargaining leverage if you're doing your own fulfillment and sending 50 orders per day as you do when you're working with a much bigger organization. Partnering with a fulfillment centre that ships hundreds or thousands of items every day means that savings are passed to you, so shipping stops eating into your profit margins.
- You don’t need to hire warehouse staff
When you maintain order fulfillment in-house, you must not only pay for warehouse space and equipment, but you must also hire staff to manage the warehouse. This is both costly and time-consuming! But the costs don’t stop there. Business owners care about their staff, and hiring new personnel during peak season– only to have to let them go when sales decline– can be painful. Outsourcing fulfillment simplifies your operations so you don’t have to worry about these staffing issues.
- Outside Support
No one can claim to be an expert in every field of business, and sometimes a little help in the right place can make all the difference. Order fulfillment services can offer valuable support, allowing you to focus on what you do best. They also give you the chance to reexamine your supply chain and identify opportunities for improvement.
With eShipper+, you receive excellent customer service because you’re more than a number; when you contact support, a live person resolves your issue. That’s because our purpose is to help you scale and grow your business.
The Takeaway
Fulfilling orders yourself may appear to be a good way to save money, but in reality, warehouse setup costs can be prohibitively expensive. An order fulfillment service, on the other hand, saves you time and money while also supporting your growth.
At eShipper+, we're excited to help you grow by taking the hassle out of fulfillment. Contact us today to see how we can support you.
