2021 is nearing its end, and unless youre living under a rock, youve already contemplated starting an e-commerce business. It isnt surprising considering the remarkable growth of the e-commerce industry ever since the novel coronavirus brought the world to a halt.
Pandemic-driven restrictions and changing consumer preferences have accelerated the adoption of online shopping across the globe. In fact, worldwide e-commerce sales are projected to reach $4.2 trillion by the time 2021 comes to a close.
That means there hasnt been a better time for retailers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs to hop on the e-commerce bandwagon.
But its important to understand that running an e-commerce business is more than building a spectacular online store. With more business owners taking the plunge, you can expect to face stiff competition in the e-commerce industry.
The only way to rise above your competitors is to ensure that all orders reach the right customers within the right time. This, in turn, highlights the importance of outlining a robust order fulfillment strategy.
In the following sections, well discuss a few useful techniques to ensure seamless order fulfillment for your e-commerce business. Lets get started.
1. Leverage Label Automation
Reliable and error-free labels play a key role in e-commerce inventory management and shipping. In the absence of accurate labeling, orders could end up getting shipped to the wrong customers. Worse still, you might ship products that have passed the expiration date or are in need of minor repairs.
Thats why it is important to label all products and shipments with relevant information packed into handy barcodes. Typically, youll need to use distinct barcode labels for dispatch and warehousing. Also, youll have to use labels to specify safe-handling instructions, as well as whether the shipment contains any hazardous materials.
Now, manually printing and applying labels for each order is time-consuming, inefficient, and error-prone. A more efficient alternative is to use an automatic print and apply labeling machine. Itll automatically generate the right barcode from your existing database, and directly apply it to each product or shipment.
Automating the labeling process will be instrumental in reducing shipping errors and operational costs. This, in turn, can help improve order fulfillment and customer satisfaction. You can check out paragonlabeling.com for more information on the different types of labeling machinery available on the market.
2. Curate an Outstanding Last-Mile Delivery Experience
When youre running an e-commerce business, youll have to collaborate with various third-party logistics providers who handle the task of shipping, transporting, and delivering your products to customers.
But as far as your customers are concerned, your online store is the face of their purchase experience. When they buy a product from you, they expect you to work out a way to ensure that their orders reach them on time. So, if there are any gaps and delays in order delivery, its your brand reputation and credibility thats at stake.
It is, therefore, important to work with the right logistics providers. Its particularly crucial to find a trustworthy last-mile delivery partner thatll leave no stone unturned to ensure seamless delivery of products.
You can take things up a notch by offering white glove delivery services, such as room-of-choice and inside delivery. Similarly, you could ask the last-mile delivery provider to offer additional services, such as dunnage removal and reverse logistics. It’s just as important to work with them to ensure hassle-free return and exchange of products.
While youre at it, you should also give your customers the freedom to choose the date and time of delivery. The days of same-day and next-day delivery are gone. Today, customers want the power to schedule order deliveries according to their convenience. Dont forget to provide them with real-time updates about the order status.
3. Deliver Flawless Customer Support
Heres the thing – despite working with the best logistics and delivery partners, there will be times when orders are delayed or misplaced. Similarly, your customers could end up with damaged goods or products they dont like.
The key to retaining your customers is to provide them with access to round-the-clock customer support. Whether a customer wants to track the order status or return a product, make sure your customer support team is always available to assist them.
Similarly, if there are any delays in shipping or delivery, make sure your team keeps the customer informed. Train your customer service reps to handle different types of customer queries. Lastly, make sure you provide multiple customer support channels, including live chat, email, phone, and ticketing.
Prioritizing customer satisfaction is crucial for surviving in todays competitive e-commerce landscape. Use automated labeling for accurate inventory management and dispatch of orders. Work with a reliable last-mile delivery partner. Lastly, make sure you handhold customers through any issues they may face before, during, and after placing an order.
