Let me help you with sending your Ecom products

2021 is offcicially the eCommerce boom.  This year we have seen more and more companies jump in and make millions.  It is reather awesome to see the economy shift and adapt to the world we are now in.  We all adapted to the regulations put in place to stay alive and profitable.  It is a way to get around a lot of the regulations put in place and it allows many companies to stay open and to sell online.  There are lots of things to know about starting an online company, but one area that many people skimp on research is the sending of the product to the actual customer.  The packaging is a huge deal and can be a financial breaking point if it is not done correctly.  I don't want any companies going bankrupt due to purchasing the wrong boxes and tape.  If you are a small company that was brick and mortar I want to help you in the transitition. 

If you think one box is the same as another you may be wrong.  And the same goes for bags too.  There is so much complexity that it can cost you tons of money to chose wrong.  Each different item you are going to be sending may need special packaging or it may be simple and cheap.  What I have found is that talking with the right people to determine this before you purchase your packaging items is key.  The best thing to do is not to make guesses but talk to consultants who have been doing this for decades.  You may think this will cost money, but instead, all you have to do is go online and find the customer service numbers for packaging supply stores.  This tip will save you thousands and maybe even millions of dollars.  Shipping supplies are important and you need to be aware of the differences and what you actually need.

If you chose a product and package that costs you an extra 10 bucks a sale then you could be in big trouble. That margin could cost you precious money that you need to move into other areas.  If you could use a bubble mailer that costs much less and now you don't need to buy a box and fill it with stuffing and still get the product safe to the purchaser why wouldn't you want this.  But we miss these opportunities because we are scared, feel we don't have the time, and just don't want to risk it.  Taking a little time to help find the best product could save your company.

It is fun to compare prices from, Amazon, and then these huge online shipping supplies stores.  Most of the time I see massive savings by taking a little more time and shopping a big online retailer.  Sometimes 50% versus the local shops.  It is amazing what you can save and how you can take that money and put it into say more inventory or marketing.  So just this little tip can be the difference between closing, surviving, and thriving.  So take the time and talk to the experts for free. With margins like this, it would be very unwise to not look into it.  Over time this is the difference between being a 100k business and a 10 million dollar one.

 

Top ecommerce problems that a lot of retailers face

While a lot of ecommerce businesses are growing and can manage a lot of the overhaul of the system, there are a few major problems that are coming to light. We’re going to highlight each of these here, and some of the solutions that can be used. 

Scaling the fulfillment 

This is one that’s challenging, since it does mean that you need to manage the stock that’s there, get more, fulfilled this correctly, and reduce the errors. You only have so much team to work with, and  while you may need t hire other people, a big problem, is how expensive this gets. One way to do this is to optimize the inventory through the use of shipping services. 

Keeping up with Competing Businesses 

One of the problems that people are running into is competing with the shipping. While you can usually ship out fast, the speed is what matters. Amazon and other companies are some of the major ones that offer shipping that’s expeditated. This is something that’s expensive for certain brands. If you can’t manage this, it definitely does eat into who is looking at the business, and also will make customers upset since you’ve got to charge a bit more. whatever you choose you do lose with this one. 

Leveraging Data 

Another big problem is the data leverage. A big part of managing fulfillment is making sure that the analytics, reporting, and data is correct. The problem is that a lot of employees don’t get the correct data, they log it too slow, and sometimes it’s done in a way where the information makes absolutely no sense. If you’re looking to fix this, the best solution is  to make reports of the inventory, the order history, different reports, and other kinds of information that is properly leveraged. 

Training and Getting More fulfillment Experts 

This is something that can actually be cheaper at the forefront. You’re not hiring someone specialized, so it’ll be a lot cheaper. You can always train them, right? That’s not super simple. The fulfillment of warehouses does involve a lot of processes that must be executed in a way that’s efficient, with care that’s great. This , if not done right results in damaged packaging, delayed orders, and a lot of problems. 

Because a lot of workers aren’t experienced, you’re basically letting ga bunch of inexperienced people run the shop, and that results in huge returns for many, and customers that aren’t happy. The solution is either hire something expensive, or make sure that these guys are trained. 

Demanding Inventory management and forecasting 

A big part of this is also making sure that the warehouse management is properly predicted. When do you know when something will be in low stock? If you don’t’ properly forecast this, it leads to the dreaded out of stock issue. This is one that plagues people, and it can make or break the orders that you get into. 

Fulfillment requires you to have this competitive stocking, so if you need to add more stock, you always can. Plus, there are also problems with deliveries, especially weather and whatnot, which can impact the way a person manages their shop. With all of this, you may wonder what you can do. You can get warehouse management software that’s up to date or have a fulfillment or shipping service help with a lot of this. 

These are both viable options, and for an ecommerce business, it’s definitely something that’s worth checking out, so make sure that you do proper inventory management for your business and needs.