THE IMPORTANCE OF LOGISTICS IN THE OPERATION OF AN ONLINE STORE

The process of placing an order is one of the most significant stages in the operation of an online store. For customers who are looking forward to their package, he is definitely the most responsible.

For customers to become loyal customers, you need to focus not only on their attraction to the store, but also on excellent after-sales service so that they have positive memories of the store and order fulfillment. What should business owners and managers keep in mind?

Customers have the first contact with the store during the selection of goods, and then when their order is completed and the money is paid for it. When the payment has already been made, the e-commerce system automatically assigns the status of the order as unprocessed. And after that, the logistics processes begin. The order is processed after checking all the data. If everything is indicated correctly, it is transferred to the warehouse, where employees collect the necessary goods, pack them and hand them over to the courier. Only after that the status of the order changes to “completed”.

The most frequent statuses that occur during the execution of an order on well-known marketplaces are:

• unprocessed – the order is placed by the client and is in the system, but the process is still starting;
• waiting for shipment – the status appears when the goods are out of stock and need to be delivered, for example, from a wholesale store;
• completed – products are assembled;
• packaging – products are delivered to the warehouse and packed;
• ready to ship – this status means that all goods are collected, checked, packed and are waiting for delivery to the courier;
• shipped – this status appears when the courier has picked up the goods, after which you can check the status of this order according to the invoice received by customers.

Monitoring each status allows you to see the whole picture and quickly correct critical situations.

It is important to know how long the storekeepers work and what time the courier arrives at a given warehouse, because the later he collects the parcels, the more they can be prepared and sent on the same day.

When buyers have already chosen the product, paid for it and are now waiting for shipment. Lead time, packaging quality, and the information customers receive during order fulfillment affect their experience with a given store and whether they will buy a new product from the same store again. Therefore, it is extremely important that this experience be positive as a result of the best execution of the order. Efficient logistics ensures that customers are satisfied at every stage of order fulfillment.

Logistics processes should be divided into smaller stages, each separately evaluated and checked.

In addition to the price, buyers pay attention to the speed of order fulfillment, packaging, delivery time and contact with the seller at each stage of the order. A properly packaged and protected package, especially if it contains an individual money order, is an additional advertising medium.

Courier service is also very important for the client. Of course, the customer chooses it, but the store should also have a choice. Very often, due to the lack of the ability to choose a carrier, customers decide to buy goods in another online store.

The next important aspect is the availability of goods, as buyers pay attention to whether the shipment will be on the same day or in a month. It is good to have a pre-prepared stock of the most interesting products for buyers.

Personal touch – adding a marketing materials with a discount on the next order, instructions for use or a creatively designed return form to the package can make customers smile when they open the package. It is also nice to sign the package manually and write, for example, “This package has been prepared for you.” In such a situation, customers feel that they are not treated anonymously and they know that the package has been prepared especially for them.

Customers often call to find out what the status of the order means, where the package is, whether the store received the money, etc. Therefore, it is worth training employees so that they patiently answer all questions and help customers not only before the purchase, but also after the transaction is completed.

Satisfied customers are those who will definitely return to the store. An improved logistics process is also very important, because by streamlining processes, the store can run faster and process more orders daily, often saving time and money.

Expansion Fulfillment specialists are ready to help you build an efficient order processing process. Build all warehouse processes and logistics for your online store.