Choosing the right partner can make or break your company’s logistics, customer service, and repeat purchases. Using a fulfillment center like Shipfusion frees you from navigating the fulfillment landscape with zero stress. Below are some insights on how Shipfusion can take your business to the next level.
Modern consumers are wild about the world of eCommerce. In the past year, eCommerce spending has risen by nearly 40 percent. If the first financial quarter of 2021 is any indication, eCommerce growth shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Whether you are relatively new to eCommerce or you’ve been in the industry for a few years, finding ways to optimize your online business should be a top concern. Educating yourself about common eCommerce struggles can help you mitigate the risk these problems pose. Here are some common problems eCommerce businesses face and what can be done to fix them.
1. Fulfillment Problems Can Cause Profit Losses
The goal most eCommerce business owners have is selling products to people all over the world. As this dream starts to become a reality, your online business might start to experience growing pains. If you cannot fulfill orders fast enough, it is only a matter of time before your domestic and international customers start to get angry.
Instead of getting in the way of growth, you need to solve your fulfillment issues by working with a third-party logistics company, like Shipfusion. Choosing a company with access to multiple warehouses helps ensure that your customers get the fastest fulfillment times. Using warehouses based in different areas also allows you to get shipments to customers in a hurry.
One of the best fulfillment services on the market is Shipfusion. This service has access to many fulfillment centers and provides their clients with real-time technology designed to make growing an eCommerce business a breeze. If you are ready to take your eCommerce business to the next level, using a fulfillment service like Shipfusion is imperative.
2. Customer Retention Can Be Challenging
Did you realize that around 80% of your future profits will come from approximately 20% of your existing customers? One of the biggest challenges you will face as an eCommerce business owner is keeping your customers loyal and engaged. Failing to focus on the development of customer retention strategies can be extremely problematic for your online business venture.
If you want to keep your existing customers interested in what you offer, you need to do things like:
- Send out emails that contain promotional offers
- Develop a customer loyalty program
- Offer rewards for referrals
- Engage with your customers on social media
- Prioritize great customer service
- Address customer complaints quickly
By implementing these solutions, you will start to see a rise in customer retention rates. Reaching out to your loyal customers and asking them about the changes they would like to see is a good idea. With this information, you can start to optimize your eCommerce website and your approach to customer service based on what your audience wants.
3. Edging Out The Competition
The rising popularity of eCommerce has led to tons of new businesses entering the market. Instead of allowing competitors to come in and take your customers, you need to put up a fight. Ignoring the need for a competitive edge can put your eCommerce business at a disadvantage.
One of the best ways to highlight what sets your eCommerce business apart from competitors is by engaging in digital marketing campaigns. Using the power of blogs and videos can help you build your brand and reach a wider audience. You also need to realize the value of marketing your products on popular social media platforms.
Creating posts that feature links to products on your website can help you drive more traffic to your domain. Providing your social media followers with special discounts on your products is a great way to grow your bottom line and customer base.
4. Addressing Shopping Cart Abandonment Issues
As an eCommerce website owner, you have to monitor certain metrics to discover common problems early on. Shopping cart abandonment rates are one of the main metrics you need to keep an eye on. If you start to notice a drastic uptick in the number of shopping carts that are being abandoned, you have to figure out why.
A host of different issues can cause this problem. For instance, if your existing checkout process is filled with hurdles for the consumer, they are more likely to abandon a cart. One of the biggest mistakes made when designing the eCommerce checkout process is requiring consumers to make an account before buying items.
Most people will abandon a cart quickly if they are forced to go through a lengthy sign-up process to checkout. Instead of losing customers due to a flawed checkout process, you need to remove barriers that get in the way of a person purchasing products on your website. Making the checkout process simple can help you remedy high shopping cart abandonment rates.
5. Product Returns and Refunds Can Be Frustrating
Dealing with returns and refunds is a major part of operating an eCommerce website. Dealing with the shipping costs that accompany a return by a customer can be frustrating. If you want to reduce the losses you incur by dealing with returns, a detailed return policy is a must.
Approximately 63% of online consumers check a company’s return policy before buying products from them. Ideally, you want to create a return policy that is both easy for the consumer and cost-effective for your business.
As you start to develop a return policy for your eCommerce website, consider factors like:
- Use easy to understand language
- Include clear deadlines for returns
- Make return labels accessible and easy to print
- Set expectations regarding how long returns/refunds take
By including these elements in your return policy, you can avoid confusing or angering customers who need to send items back.
Don’t Let These Common Problems Affect Your Business
Owning an eCommerce store can be both stressful and rewarding. If you face one or more of the problems mentioned here, you need to attack them head-on. With some hard work and the help of professionals, you can keep your eCommerce business on an upward trajectory.
Shipfusion sets your business on autopilot and combines flexible, reliable fulfillment with powerful, real-time technology. Shipfusion has multiple fulfillment centers across the US and Canada– making it easy to manage your eCommerce business. For more information on how to set your business on autopilot, contact one of our fulfillment specialists today.
