Any business – even a simple eCommerce store – can become clumsy and bulky, using too much money, time, and space. To help you avoid these pitfalls, here are seven ways to streamline your eCommerce business:
1. Outsource Order Fulfillment
Fulfillment can be a struggle to keep up with when you’re busy. If you keep missing orders, or they take too much time to complete, you could lose customers and damage your reputation. Then, of course, there’s the matter of paying for and managing storage.
To streamline this core process, find an eCommerce fulfillment warehouse in your region to pick and pack your wares. These professionals will save you valuable time that you can put to good use elsewhere in your business. You’ll find it far easier to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty – all while saving on storage and delivery costs.
2. Create a Business Plan
Many eCommerce business owners fail to construct a plan, ignoring the fact that it is one of the easiest ways to streamline any enterprise. By getting your goals down on paper, you can instantly recognize what you’re wasting time on and where you should be directing resources. Remember that this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your initial plan forever. You can always change things and adapt them to your evolving situation.
3. Automate the Sales Process
Processing individual orders can take up a lot of time. Automating the whole process – from order confirmation to warehouse departure – will ensure that you’re not bogged down with each and every customer order. There are also tech courier firms that can help with the delivery process, take UK based DeliveryApp who provide bespoke ecommerce delivery solutions for any online retailer requiring delivery solutions.
4. Boost Customer Service with Automation
An astonishing 96% of consumers say that customer service directly impacts whether or not they stay loyal to a brand. Poor customer service can cause you all kinds of issues, leaving you with negative feedback, complaining customers, and returns to process.
To maintain consistently stellar service, consider using automated programs capable of sending confirmation emails, follow-up emails, and other messages. You may even see the value in investing in chatbots to handle simple queries and direct more complex questions to your customer service representatives.
5. Improve Communication
Bad communication is the primary reason projects fail. In eCommerce businesses, poor communication can create issues with supply chains, remote workers, customers, shareholders, and partners.
Thankfully, you can ensure everyone is on the same page by using central calendars and project management software. Regular phone calls and emails will keep your communication strong, saving you time and energy that would otherwise be spent clearing up misunderstandings.
6. Use Remote Workers
About 16% of the world’s businesses have gone remote, and there are now loads of people working as freelancers. You can utilize their flexible services, paying for work as and when needed rather than hiring somebody full-time. Consider hiring freelancers for SEO, customer service, content creation, and more.
7. Manage Your Time Well
Many eCommerce owners are going it alone, which means the business can become a 24/7 project. When your success lies squarely on your shoulders, nobody can stop you from checking emails at 3 am and generally working yourself into the ground.
This mistake has led many eCommerce business owners down a path of burnout. Thankfully, there are strategies you can use to protect yourself. Try the Pomodoro technique, delegate simple but time-consuming tasks, and follow set work hours. These time-management techniques will help you master your processes and be more efficient. They’ll also keep you safely away from the burnout zone.
Hopefully, these tips have encouraged you to streamline your eCommerce business. Put them into action, and you should be able to unlock plenty of future success.
