In present times, eCommerce is one of the most thriving business segments. People are lured towards the idea of online shopping via different platforms with the advancement of technology and the rise in digitalization. Various small businesses are picking pace from their resistance towards makeshift offices. Shipping is one of the most urgent and essential processes for eCommerce fulfillment, and improving your ecommerce order fulfillment process can give rise to your business.
Once the products begin to sell, shipping comes into the game. Shipping enables you to send products to the right customers throughout the globe. If an organization sells on a small scale, it is equitably easy and convenient to record every product and where it is delivered. But once you plan to scale up, or you might encounter a sudden boom in orders, shipment can become a significant pain point for your organization. There are numerous eCommerce fulfillment companies available that provide you with shipping services. The more variety of products you have, the more orders you will begin to receive. Sorting products, tracking delivery, and shipping might get cumbersome. So, in such cases, smart warehousing can be a boon for your business.
How to Plan the Product Shipment?
It is essential to chalk out the shipment process of your products before you start an online shop or eCommerce business. You have to decide the selection from the available options to make your products available to customers on the basis of the weight and cost of the products. However, numerous logistics firms are providing their service across the globe at different charges and rates. You have to decide which organization is most suitable for you as per your budget and needs. Nowadays, most industries prefer a third-party logistics method for eCommerce order fulfillment to efficiently handle the shipment process.
How to Ship Products from Your Home to Customers?
Packing a box in shipping can make a massive difference in the customer’s mind. You must choose different types of packing for different varieties of products. For example, sensitive items that can break easily need to be packed with bubble wrap and ample stuffing to avoid damage. Similarly, products that require more space and have irregular shapes must be packed in boxes. It is also advised to pack them so that customers are flushed with satisfaction and excitement while unboxing the parcel.
- Choose further packaging alternatives such as a secure fold or corrugated pad mailers for distinctive products.
- Choose a friendly and convenient shipping option that must fulfill your cost and budget targets. You could opt for local shipping carriers or contract shipping, relying on the items to be shipped and as per their costs.
- Always pre-inform your customers about the additional constraints and charges you want to impose on them.
- Always calculate shipping rates in advance and make some protocols for ready reference, which might be based on weight, insurance, size, and departing country.
Once everything is in place for your products to reach your consumer, check in with the shipping company periodically to ensure they are on schedule and communicating with the intended customer within the time limit that you promised. You can give what your customers anticipate if you take care of each step.
How to Manage Returns?
Returns Management are an inevitable part of the online business. Even the highest rates and popular products available on the internet get returned. Organizations must focus on return policy as it can make or break their business.
Most customers look at a brand’s return policy while buying any online product. An online purchasing decision can be a risk-reward decision as while buying online products, you don’t have access to hold the product to inspect it physically. If you have a customer-centric return policy, customers’ insecurities might be reduced to a certain extent. Suppose an organization provides a good and favorable return policy, customer retention, and rebooking rate increase. When choosing an eCommerce fulfillment company, ensure that the company can handle the return of the product efficiently.
The sellers selling their products overseas must make clear, explicit, and transparent policies in handling the product return, as international returns might be more expensive and time-consuming. Also, make refund or return policies based on item value.
Conclusion
Shipping is one of the most crucial aspects of your business, as it is the first physical interaction between the customer and your business. There are numerous variables you need to consider during the shipment process, such as different carriers, speed, and product packaging. The most crucial thing is balancing profitability by providing satisfactory customer service.
In this, AAJ Supply Chain Management can be your reliable logistics and warehousing partner. AAJ SCM is a multi-channel shipping organization that allows you to ship all of your orders with maximum efficiency. They offer you fulfillment by 3PL to completely automate your multi-channel shipping & inventory management. We are experts in operating and developing large-scale and shared warehouses for their clients with their own investment in the products such as technology, racking, and equipment which result in no investment from the clients. With 100+ clients, we are catering our services across India.
AAJ Supply Chain Management
