Order management system best practices
For any eCommerce store, managing an online order process, starting from the initial order to fulfillment of the order, is a critical part of their growth. While doing this, it is also best to have a post-purchase follow-up strategy. It will help retain loyal customers that would repeat the process. To keep this order cycle flowing continuously requires a great deal of attention and accuracy. With good order management practice, you can get better oversight and control of your ordering process. The success of your store hangs on the best order management practice you implement. For instance, it would help you manage your sales cycles while eliminating any errors with customer shipments and orders. To help new eCommerce store owners, let’s look at the best practice you can employ when receiving orders. What is Order Management? Order management involves the process of aligning your inventory and customer sales through various sales channels. These processes include the receiving, payment processing, and fulfillment process. Order management is a task you can do manually but will cause customer attrition and employee burnout. To avoid this, most eCommerce businesses use an order management system to handle the large volume of work, reduce errors, and increase order processing time. It helps in the customer experience process. Order management system best Practices As mentioned above, order management comprises several processes that help your business. You can implement various practices in an order management system; however, our focus here will be the best practice when receiving orders from customers. Ensure all fields are required To avoid inaccuracy when ordering, you need to ensure all fields are marked as required. It would help to avoid any incomplete information from customers. If you have all the information you need about a customer, you don’t have to call back to request additional information when a problem with fulfillment arises. Furthermore, ensure the compulsory fields include email and delivery address. Automated Order Confirmation Immediately after you receive an order, the automated system should send a confirmation message to the customer. For a check and balance system, it is the next step to implement to ensure the customer has made the right order. Furthermore, the email should include instructions on contacting the store peradventure the item is not what you ordered. Having an automation tool can assist you in many tasks other than automated emails. Find out more in our automation template library. If you’re a merchant on BigCommerce, one typical automation app is Atom8, which automates store management tasks to enhance business productivity. You can explore it here: The app automatically solves repetitive store management tasks. Centralize your inventory Another best practice to implement is to use an inventory tracking system that allows you to know when you need to re-order a particular item. Depending on your eCommerce platform, some come with free tools that enable you to centralize your inventory. Flagging unique orders Some orders, including rush delivery, return items, or VIP customer orders, which have a special gift, require special attention. Here, you need to create a unique code for these special orders and educate your employees on checking for these orders. You can create a ticker that alerts you once there is a particular order. If you run a bigger store, you can specially appoint a team to handle these orders to help in your customer retention strategy.
Why wholesale business should launch an eCommerce channel
If your business doesn’t have a home online, then you haven’t started. It is a necessity to have your business online because the opportunities online are numerous. For wholesalers, they need retailers to gain online visibility, drive customer attention, brand awareness, and boost sales. Well, wholesalers have tremendous potential to take their business to the next level. However, it all about positioning themselves rightly online. To achieve this, how can wholesalers take advantage of the online world? Here are a few reasons why a wholesale business should launch an eCommerce channel. Reasons to build a wholesale eCommerce channel Dependable buyer interaction The truth remains that most wholesalers miss the opportunity to connect appropriately with their retailers. That relationship between a buyer and seller is missing. Although you can incorporate email marketing into your sales strategies to stay connected to your customers, it isn’t enough if you want to improve your customer interaction. Nevertheless, with eCommerce, you can take your business to the next level as it offers you to market your product online 24/7 and keep buyers engaged. You can also advertise your products; this can help increase the purchase order you receive, which is something every wholesaler wants. Creates opportunities for mobile browsing Customers want to experience the best online shopping experience whenever they shop online. Recent statistics show that 3 out of 5 consumers use their smartphones to purchase items online. Buyers are constantly on the move, which means they can view your catalogs and order products wherever they are. Providing your customers with a mobile browsing experience, you easily accommodate and give your business a competitive edge over other companies. Direct consumer potential Nowadays, most wholesalers are skipping the middlemen channel and directly supplying goods to consumers. With this, they create an online platform that allows them to connect with consumers directly. Even if you don’t want to sell directly to consumers, it helps strengthen their brand visibility. Consequently, creating an eCommerce platform can expand their online audience to see their product and improve their sales. Remember, the goal is to keep your product seen by your consumers. Minimizes Cost If you want to save cost as a wholesale business owner, then you should consider launching an eCommerce store for your business. For instance, if you have a warehouse, you can reduce the size by integrating an online store. If you have a good website, you can provide a better shopping experience for buyers to explore your products. Furthermore, you have to consider creating unique marketing videos about your product to increase the value of your business. Is wholesale eCommerce right for you? We live in a digital world, and your business needs a space in that world. Buyers expect the same consideration from wholesalers in the same way retailers want. By launching an eCommerce store, you create an online presence that attracts buyers and gives your business an edge over your competitors. It is not enough to launch the business online; you need to market it such that everyone becomes familiar with your brand. Leverage the online world to maximize your profit, increase sales, and boost customer experience. To do that, sufficient research and preparation is essential. Another advantage of going online is the availability of resources and tools. Many businesses have succeeded in creating a fully automated store. Once you’ve decided to build an eCommerce channel, next step should be finding the best B2B eCommerce platform for your business.
How to manage inventory effectively
Inventory management is a supply chain management module involving the tracking of goods entering and leaving the warehouse. An inventory management well-informed strategy is when you have stock on hand, you know how much to order, your merchandise shipping date, and lots more. How to manage inventory effectively is a must to know to get an insight into the business operations and to have a firm grip of your warehouse aspects. Tips to manage inventory effectively Analyze supplier performance Having an unreliable supplier is the root cause to cause inventory problems. He may deliver late or short quantities habitually. You cannot let it continue. Discuss with your supplier the issues and identify the problem. If required, switch to a new supplier or you will have to deal with uncertainty or running out of inventory. Track sales It is a no-brainer. It goes beyond the sales. Daily understand the items sold and update the inventory. Analyze the data; you will know the fast-selling items, the seasonal items moving fast, specific day selling items, items that always are sold together, etc. You will get a broader picture and know how to manage inventory effectively. Inventory Control Personnel Hiring an inventory control personnel ensures efficient management. He should be an inventory control specialist. If so, he will manage the merchandise on hand and also in transit. Having an inventory of high levels adds to overhead costs and expenses. Thus, maintaining an effective inventory helps to determine the demands of inventory. The inventory personnel manages returns, performs adjustments, limits seasonal inventory, and also cuts back on items that do not sell. Audit your inventory A comprehensive count is a must every year. Some do it weekly or monthly, besides spot check daily of fast-moving items. Regardless of how you do, you may physically count on the inventory to ascertain it matches with your list. Categorize into priority groups and order frequently. Experts suggest segregating inventory into fast-moving, pricey, lower-cost, and moderately prices moving in variations. Invest in technology for inventory management Businesses should manage only the doable things manually using notebooks and spreadsheets. Once your business picks up the speed, more time is essential for inventory as there is always the risk of losing stock out of control. Inventory management software makes tasks easier. It provides clear analytics of the inventory and is easy to use. There are various types of inventory management techniques and automation you can use. Use technology that integrates There is much inventory management software available and it is not enough to manage stock. The POS systems and mobile scanners help to stay on track. Investing in technology that integrates is important to know your inventory status. If not, each time you have to transfer the data, spending extra time. Transferring of data may end up with inaccuracy in the count. Ensure integration of technology with the POS system. Stay consistent in stock Make sure to follow the incoming inventory in a standard process. If not, it will end up in discrepancies and leave your head-scratching by the month or year-end. Instead of wondering about the missing numbers, ensure verifying the boxes receipt and unpack under your supervision, count accurately, and maintain accuracy. How to manage inventory effectively is simple if you measure the turnover and delivery time. It will show how much inventory sells and the time it takes to reach your customers.
Top BigCommerce order management app
Using an efficient order management process, such as BigCommerce Order Management, can help you avoid repeated sales issues. Imagine having a payment or shipment error; it will leave a bitter experience for your customer. Such negative experiences can be detrimental to your business, as more than 58% of customers stop buying a product from a merchant because of a single negative encounter. With BigCommerce Order Management, you can minimize errors and enhance customer satisfaction, ensuring a smoother and more reliable shopping experience. If you are starting new in the eCommerce industry, you don’t have to worry about such a thing if you have a solid order management system. BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform that allows you to display your product to customers. The platform comes with unique add-ons, which include order management apps. Today, the list of order management app is numerous, and you need to choose the best for your store. Here are four top BigCommerce order management apps we believe will be helpful for your store. What is BigCommerce Order Management? BigCommerce Order Management is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline the entire order fulfillment process for online businesses. It helps merchants manage orders efficiently from multiple sales channels, ensuring accurate inventory tracking, timely shipping, and seamless customer communication. This system automates key tasks such as order processing, payment collection, and shipment tracking, reducing errors and enhancing overall operational efficiency. Let’s go to top BigCommerce Order Management Apps! Top BigCommerce Order Management Apps Take BigCommerce order management to the next level with Atom8 GritGlobal’s BigCommerce automation app Atom8 provides you with the ability to not only auto-managing your orders, but also customers, products, and contents. Furthermore, the potential to optimize your order management process and increase productivity is limitless, with workflows customized to your business need. Check out our feature list, workflow templates, and contact us for a free demo Commerce Automation Template at GritGlobal! You can always reach us at support@gritglobal.io, our Facebook page, or leave us your email. Brightpearl Brightpearl is one of the top BigCommerce order management apps that you can integrate into all your sales channels. It allows you to connect your inventory management, sales orders, accounting, order fulfillment, warehouse management, and reporting. Uniquely, it is designed for retail business models and built to handle peak periods.Brightpearl is a world-class BigCommerce connector that manages high order volume and deals with any complexities of a wholesale business. Studies show that the app allows merchants to increase their revenue by 70%, with an order volume of 68%. Acumatica Cloud Another effective management app for your BigCommerce store is the Acumatica Retail-Commerce Edition. This app allows you to manage your inventory, customers, products, orders, customer support, picking, packing, shipping, and accounting. Integrating seamlessly with CRM, Inventory, Sales, and fulfillment systems, it enhances your BigCommerce Order Management capabilities, providing a comprehensive solution to streamline your operations and improve efficiency. The benefit of the Acumatica cloud app is that it allows you to manage all customer interactions, identify inefficiencies, spot trends, and make more informed decisions. Additionally, you can aggregate all data from several sources and present it in a visual format. Omnichannel If you want a BigCommerce order app that will improve customer satisfaction by streamlining your fulfillment process and increasing repeat orders, the Omnichannel app is the answer. It offers various sales and service options, payment methods, and easy return policies. No matter what channel you use to sell your product, you can leverage this app to control what products to restock in your warehouse, enhancing your BigCommerce Order Management system. Order Desk Order Desk is a top BigCommerce order management app that easily integrates your store to different third-party providers. It allows you to manage your orders the way you want them. You can sort orders into folders to track their status, overview the order, and create custom folders to match your business workflow. Did you mistakenly enter a shipping address? Do you need to issue a refund? Want to print a customizable packing slip? Trying to hold an order for review? Need to email a tracking number? With Order Desk, all these processes are made easy. The app comes with configurable rules and actions tailored to your store’s needs. Enhance your BigCommerce Order Management by automating tasks with Order Desk, ensuring a smoother and more efficient workflow. Benefits of Using Order Management Apps Enhanced Customer Experience Order management apps streamline the entire purchasing process, reducing errors and ensuring timely deliveries. By automating these processes, customers receive accurate and prompt updates about their orders, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction with your store. Implementing such solutions into your BigCommerce Order Management system ensures smoother operations and happier customers. Increased Efficiency By integrating an order management app, businesses can automate repetitive tasks such as order processing, inventory updates, and shipping notifications. This reduces manual errors and frees up time for employees to focus on more strategic activities, ultimately improving operational efficiency. Better Inventory Control Effective order management apps offer real-time inventory tracking, which helps businesses maintain optimal stock levels. This prevents issues such as stockouts or overstocking, ensuring that customers can always find the products they want in your store. Scalability for Growing Businesses As your business grows, handling orders manually can become increasingly challenging. Order management apps provide scalable solutions that can accommodate an increasing number of orders and sales channels, allowing your business to grow without compromising on efficiency or customer satisfaction. How to Choose the Right Order Management App for Your BigCommerce Store Assessing Your Business Needs Start by evaluating the specific needs of your business. Consider factors such as the volume of orders, the number of sales channels, and any unique requirements you may have for inventory management, customer communication, or reporting. This assessment will help you choose the right BigCommerce Order Management solution to streamline your operations and meet your business goals effectively. Comparing Features and Pricing Look for apps that offer the features you need at a price that fits
5 tactics for eCommerce conversion optimization
Notwithstanding whether you run an eCommerce or a brick-and-mortar business, eCommerce conversion optimization is crucial to maximizing your revenue and sales. Today, every business is competing online, and getting traffic with SEO is not enough to win the game. You need to convert visitors into loyal customers if you want to succeed in the online world. Imagine you have an online store with huge traffic; you receive tons of visitors looking to buy your product. However, you have slow service, disorganized products, and no fascinating signs with discounts and offers; what do you think will happen? Obviously, you wouldn’t make many sales if you continue in this manner. What is eCommerce Conversion rate Optimization? Conversion rate optimization comprises improvements and optimizations you set up for your website to provide a better customer experience, entice people to take action, make it easier to navigate through a website, and take the customer from one point to another. Tactics for eCommerce Conversion Optimization To achieve the goal of providing a better customer experience, enticing people to take action on your website, and make it easier for them to navigate through your website, there are essential tactics you can use to improve your eCommerce conversion rate optimization. In this section, we will explore five important tactics that will provide a good conversion rate. Improve Store and product visual An efficient way to improve your conversion optimization rate is to have high-quality images and videos on your store. Shoppers can’t physically touch your product, but the visual effect can give them a feel of how the product can be. Optimizing images will also be beneficial for your site’s performance and SERP rankings. Use live chat & chatbot An effective live chat and chatbot provide users with a seamless experience by instantly and conveniently addressing doubts and confusions. Your live chat and chatbot should always be available for customers to leave their messages. If the live chat features are unavailable, it sends a bad signal. There is various live chat software app to integrate into your website, such as LiveChat, Jivochat, Facebook Live Chat, Casengo, Tidio, etc. Personalize customer experience Personalization provides a unique effect on customers. You can take advantage of Google Optimize to personalize your customer experience. For instance, if you go to a shoe website and look at men’s shoes, the next time you visit the website, it can remove any female shoe and show up only men’s show. Personalizing customer experience makes it easier for customers to shorten their path to buying the product they really want and increase their conversation rate. Invest in automation tools Another effective tactic to increase your conversation rate is investing in automation. Automation app ensures a better user experience, such as taking orders and delivering them without any delay. Furthermore, it takes away human errors such as a mistyped address, name, and product ordered. Be mobile-friendly The number of mobile users from 2018 to 2021 has increased to 73%. These numbers should make you switch to optimization for mobile users. To improve your eCommerce conversion optimization, you need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. An easier way to test if your website is mobile-friendly is to use Google’s mobile-friendly test. Additionally, you can install a mobile-friendly WordPress theme to improve response time.
