Growing an Ecommerce business can be an exciting time for the individuals involved in its success. Higher sales volume and increasing revenues are hallmarks of all successful businesses. Businesses may want to consider using outsourced fulfillment services to increase their efficiency and bottom line. The following information highlights the top 5 reasons to use a third party fulfillment service.

1. Saving Time

Of all the reasons to consider possibly outsourcing fulfillment, saving time is the most common reason. Fulfilling an ever-increasing number of orders requires a lot of time and very close attention to detail. One simple typo on an address and the product could go to the wrong destination. Being a small business owner and receiving dozens of orders in an afternoon is great, but on the flip side, there’s the headache of managing the timely shipment of many products, both large and small.

Hiring new employees is a possible solution, but then there’s the responsibility of training them on best practices, how to manage inventory, and what to do about product breakage, not to mention the possibility for employee theft among other items. Oftentimes, it is easier and more efficient to simply let the experts handle your fulfillment needs.

If you outsource your fulfillment to an expert 3PL company, you are able to utilize their technology and focus more on your business. A competent 3PL may even offer you tips and strategies on how to improve your business, instead of simply helping you ship and track products. Using the right service and technology can make all the difference, saving you valuable time and enabling you to expand your business operations even further.

FitSmallBusiness.com recently ranked Fulfillment.com as the #1 recommended fulfillment service for small businesses, as compared to Shipwire and Amazon. When examining each business for quality of service, pricing, reliability, technology, integration with other CRMs, etc, Fulfillment.com (FDC) came out on top.

2. Saving Money

Who doesn’t like to save money? If you are selling enough products to be considering outsourcing, you may be able to receive bulk volume discounts for both domestic and international shipping. With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, there’s no time like the present to begin exploring options to save on shipping labels, boxes, trips to the post office, etc. Without the hassle of buying and storing shipping supplies, you can keep your space clutter-free and focus on activities that drive more revenue.

Many fulfillment centers also combine the overall volume of their customers to negotiate great rates with freight carriers, allowing them to pass the savings onto you.

3. Leveraging Technology

At the end of the day, it is likely better to rely on fulfillment companies who invest heavily in software development, website infrastructure, shipment tracking, etc. Trying to do all of this on your own or hiring a staff to create this high-level technology requires a substantial investment and a good amount of patience. Simply paying a premier technology company to utilize their software capabilities is almost always a better option than manually shipping high-volume orders by yourself or with a small team.

Establishing a fulfillment infrastructure powered by big data is a sizeable undertaking. Going with an established logistics company allows you to make better decisions on how to increase/scale the size of your existing operations.

4. Expand Market / Reach International Customers

With advanced web-fulfillment technology available, it is increasingly feasible to sell thousands of products across the globe. Using a reputable logistics service, it is possible to expand your horizons to include countries you may not have previously considered selling and shipping your products to.

In addition to Canada and Mexico, using an experienced fulfillment company will allow you to reach Europe, South America, Asia, and other continents you may have never before considered a possibility. Efficient and organized Fulfillment technology makes all of this a reality for the average business.

When extending your company’s reach to other countries, always consult with an experienced professional or attorney who knows the ins and outs of the various laws and how to successfully navigate them.

5. Improved Customer Service

When a company takes the step to outsource their fulfillment needs, a positive impact on their business is vastly improved customer service. Rather than printing labels, buying shipping supplies, driving to shipment facilities, etc., businesses and their employees can instead focus on improving the quality of service for their existing customers. Following up with customers to ensure they are satisfied with their experience, sending a thank-you note to a first-time customer, asking for ways on how you can improve your service, all of these tasks are more feasible to do when you’re not heavily focused on warehousing and distributing products.

Which brings up the next point – instead of renting warehouse space or large facilities to house products, you can maintain your existing office space and not worry about leasing new offices or finding new warehouses to utilize. Strategize on the items that matter most, ensure existing customers are “fulfilled” with your quality of service, find new customers to utilize your products, improve employee satisfaction, etc. There are always ways to improve your business by simply zeroing in on your customers and ensuring that they are always one of the key aspects of your company’s focus.

An expanding business operation has many exciting and challenging decisions to make regarding their future. Considering outsourced fulfillment services may be a smart move for your business. To learn more about how outsourcing can propel your business forward, contact Fulfillment.com today.

Ready to save time and money on order fulfillment?