There's so much more to launching an online business than just a good e-commerce website. Online stores are a dime-a-dozen today. But successful e-commerce businesses are defined by their order fulfillment.
The success of your e-commerce business hinges on the delivery of the physical goods you sell. This is why order fulfillment plays such a critical role in your business planning.
Here are some of the top fulfillment services you should consider for your online business.
What Exactly Does a Fulfillment Service Offer?
Other than the speedy and reliable delivery of the goods you sell, a fulfillment service allows you to scale your business.
Successful packaging and order fulfillment means happy customers. They are more likely to return to your site and boost your business growth.
In short, this is what a good quality fulfillment service should offer:
- Adequate warehousing, inventory, and shipping services
- Order processing and order management
- Manage order returns
- Other services such a production logistics and recycling methods
Popular Fulfillment Services Worth Considering
There is a myriad of top fulfillment businesses on the market today. But here are some of the top 4 fulfillment services worth considering for your e-commerce business:
1. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Naturally, if you sell your products via Amazon's platform, then FBA fulfillment is your obvious choice. But, you don't actually have to sell on Amazon in order to use this fulfillment service.
FBA allows you to store your goods at Amazon's fulfillment centers. Their staff are responsible for selecting, packing, and shipping all your orders.
Amazon FBA offer some of the fastest shipping on the market today, with a 1-day turnaround. While Amazon Prime members qualify for free 2-day shipping.
FBA is ideal for e-commerce businesses looking to sell via Amazon but can be used by other platforms.
2. FedEx Fulfillment
If you sell goods across a number of different platforms, then FedEx fulfillment is perfect for you. They support popular platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and others.
This fulfillment service selects, packs, and ships all customer orders. They also manage all your inventory. FedEx integrates with the platforms you sell on. This means they receive automated notifications about every single new order.
They also facilitate the shipping of your products from the manufacturing warehouse to the FedEx warehouse. This is the definition of a multi-channel fulfillment service.
3. ShipBob Fulfillment
ShipBob fulfillment has become very popular in recent years. This is thanks to their 2-day shipping policy that states that you don't have to sell your goods on one specific marketplace.
Essentially, their services are integrated with all major e-commerce platforms. Including Squarespace, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magneto, BigCommerce, and others.
They also provide shipping and inventory management and a vast storage network that spans the U.S. This is one of the best fulfillment services for multi-platform sellers.
4. Ships-a-Lot
This is a fulfillment service that has partnered with Shopify. They offer a lightning-fast turnaround time on shipping, standing by the promise of delivering goods in less than 24-hours.
Ships-a-Lot has a great track record, with a 99% accuracy rate when it comes to order fulfillment. However, their focus is on small-medium packages and products.
So, this is a great option for merchants who sell small-medium sized goods on Shopify, looking for fast and efficient delivery time.
Become an E-Commerce Business Management Guru
We hope this blog on top fulfillment services leads you in the right direction when establishing your e-commerce business.
If you're looking for a wealth of knowledge on business management, financial management, investing, loans, and marketing, explore this site for more! Visit the Business section of the Frugal Finance Blog for more information on fulfillment, e-commerce, shipping, and much more!
