Tips on shipping and order fulfilment for your online business
Nowadays most people shop online for presents or something for 
themselves. This is because there are not enough hours in the days and it is easier than nipping to the shops.
However as online shopping continues to grow, ecommerce shipping and fulfilment services are becoming a highly competitive market. This is why it is important to stand out and do things correctly.
Here is our guide to Ecommerce shipping and fulfilment services.
Presentation is everything
When pick and packing your gifts to send off, add a little creative touch so that you will be remembered. For example if you are sending out wedding invitation, wrap them in tissue paper and tie a ribbon around them. People like the personal touch and will act as a constant reminder.
Good customer service
Ensure that you give out good customer service, from start to finish as people will expect more. It is also very competitive therefore if you stand out it will be better for you.
Research your shipping company
Make sure that the shipping company you decide to use have good reviews. As it is something you have no control over, you could find that if a delivery is late, you may get a bad review; therefore you should make sure that you do your research and use the right shipping company.
Packaging options
Before sending out your products with your courier, you need to make sure they are packaged safe enough, for the customer to receive in one piece.
There are many different boxes to choose from such as: wood crates, wine shippers, easy fold mailers and many more
Which packaging you choose all depends on how big or small your product is, however you should make sure that you have packaging such as bubble wrap or polystyrene, to ensure that there are no breakages during transport.
>Small and Light
Courier’s charge by size and weight and can be quite expensive, so try to keep it light and small to keep costs down.
Offer free delivery
If you offer free shipping then customers are more likely to go for you. Research says that 43% of people who shop online say that delivery is a very important factor and 68% would recommend you if free shipping was offered.
Consider using a fulfilment warehouse
A fulfilment warehouse will help and automate the shipping for you.
There are many advantages to using one. For example you will get cheaper shipping rates, shorter shipping times and many more. However you have no control over the packaging and may incur additional costs.
Research fulfilment warehouses thoroughly when you get to this stage to ensure you are doing the right thing for your business.
Alternatively you could try drop shipping instead
Drop shipping is where you buy a product at a discounted price then sell it. The company then take care of the packaging and dispatch it for you on your behalf. They have their own fulfilment warehouses therefore lowering your risk. The disadvantages of this are that you do not have any control of the fulfilment and shipping service.
Therefore to have a successful Ecommerce shipping and fulfilment business you need to ensure that you have an easy website to negotiate around, a good shipping company who will delivery your products on time, good presentation along with a high standard of customer service.