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At the end of 2014, the digital marketing experts predicted that visual media will become even more of a prominent marketing tool. This is good news for fulfillment companies as, contrary to popular belief, fulfillment marketing is easy to do.

Here are five techniques to better use visual media marketing in fulfillment:

1. Use Slideshows

A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why quality images of your product line are often enough to generate sales. You can download free, high-quality programs that allow you to upload images of your products and create slideshows that showcase these items. And for the best photos, you might want to consult your supply chain or wholesale companies for the highest quality photos they have.

With 2014 winding down and various holidays approaching, you can bet that your fulfillment business is about to get very busy. To meet the shorter deadlines and demands of clients, there’s a good chance you’ll have to bring in some outside assistance.

Temp help in product fulfillment is necessary and one of those situations where you have to spend money to make money. Here’s some info you can use to get the most bang for your temp worker buck.

In product fulfillment, there have never been more advantages to using technology to improve a business. However, that doesn’t mean that technology can entirely replace human beings. A successful product fulfillment business will employ the proper balance between technology and personnel.

Keep It Technical

Technology most benefits areas like pick-and-pack fulfillment and kitting and assembly, the components of fulfillment that involve moving larger objects.

Late deliveries, poor product quality, bad product care; there are merchandise fulfillment problems faced by many fulfillment centers. These problems of course need to be rectified, but many businesses don’t even know the source of the problem, and by the time they figure it out, it’s too late to save the business.

Storage is an area that has become more refined to prevent these problems. If you’re questioning the quality of your warehousing facilities, here are some ways to repair the storage that holds your goods. 

Proper treatment of one’s products is necessary for any product fulfillment business. This is especially true today, when product selection has never been more vast: some are more delicate, some are more technological, and some have short shelf lives. This is why brief but in-depth examination of your products is essential to ensure that they are properly cared for, thereby satisfying your clients.

People have always desired specialty items. And if they’re what people want, it stands to reason that providing them could be a great source of income. As a product fulfillment business that’s already providing products to consumers, offering specialty items doesn’t require too much extra effort. If this sounds like a profitable venture, be aware that there’s certain aspects of offering unique items that differ from selling more traditional items.

It’s a concept used often by fast food restaurants: offering reduced prices for a combo. The logic is simple; the more items you buy together, the more you save.

Product fulfillment companies already use this model in the form of kitting services, where they place a bunch of materials into one package and send it to clients. Not only is kitting not as much work as you might think, but it can both save and make you a ton of money.

Product fulfillment companies won’t be very successful if clients’ packages are damaged or lost. Too many businesses neglect the quality of packages, leading to damage to their business’ reputation.

While shipping and handling may be an unpleasant added fee, they’re a valuable aspect of product fulfillment. It needs to be taken seriously and done with care if you want your business to survive.

Considerations

First of all, packaging requires three things: the necessary materials, the ability to package the items appropriately, and the methods to ship them. Other considerations stem from these three things, such as the sizes of your products, which containers to use, and what kind of assembly services you’ll need for certain products. Your business will also benefit from having proper kitting and assembly in place to perform more complex mailings. At this stage, good care is of the essence.

If you’re having others handle your package assembly, be they coworkers or a third-party fulfillment company, make sure they exercise good handling techniques, including wrapping up items before putting them into containers and sealing up cartons tightly. And if you’re using an electronic method, make sure it’s functioning properly.

One Hundred Percent

Do not also forget that your packaging should promote your product fulfillment business. Regardless of whether yours is a small operation or a large warehousing and fulfillment company that performs large-scale mail order fulfillment, make sure you take advantage of your packaging’s ability to advertise. Include catalogs, brochures, coupons, or promotions that you think the clients might like, and make sure your packages include your business’ logo, contact information, and any company websites.

Obviously, you also need to offer tracking information and insurance to clients, as well as give them the means to offer feedback, such as surveys or quality assessments. These may be the deciding factors in whether or not your shipping and handling practices improve and are well-received by clients.

Need solutions to your product fulfillment problems? APS Fulfillment, Inc. has the knowledge and services to make your direct mail and product fulfillment ventures more successful. Contact APS Fulfillment, Inc. by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (954) 582-7450.

Also Read: Sustainable E-Commerce Fulfillment: Bettering the Planet and Improving Business Growth

Technology is a major component of any business today, and product fulfillment is no exception. A necessity to ensure that jobs are completed quickly and properly, technology used in the product fulfillment industry thankfully doesn’t have the learning curve that you’d expect. Rather than learning how to use it, you should focus on determining which technology to use and what you need it for.

Creativity is something that more product fulfillment businesses could benefit from, and one of the best ways to boost creativity is through do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. But while most people associate DIY with building personal things at home, there’s actually a place for it in product fulfillment that will add to your business’ success.

In product fulfillment, DIY jobs can be handled in a variety of different ways. But first, you have to determine what skills and tools you have available. But from there, it’s simply a matter of setting goals for yourself and your business and then meeting them.