When it comes to getting the absolute best order fulfillment, customers are extremely appreciative. People are like elephants when it comes to poor service—we tend to never forget. However, great experiences condition customers to come back again and again.
The Importance of Customer Loyalty for e-Commerce Businesses
Customer loyalty is the main driving factor for any fledging or established e-commerce business. Sometimes, customers harbor doubts and fears about ordering online that affect their decision-making process. Whatever you can do to endear their loyalty will be a big boost for your brand.
Furthermore, once you’ve secured a customer’s loyalty, they will use your business again and again. It can be challenging—and expensive—to convert new customers with marketing and sales propositions; according to a Kissmetrics study, it can cost seven times more to acquire new customers than it does to maintain current ones. So, by retaining customers, you will further consolidate your market share.
Ways Order Fulfillment Can Boost Online Customer Loyalty
Whether your customer gets their order fulfilled correctly is the difference between them using your business again—or them deciding not to. You get a finite number of chances to impress customers by actively demonstrating your reliability. Flawless order fulfillment fulfills a key part of the equation in making sure your customers are satisfied with getting what they ordered.
On-Time Product Delivery
Today, the expectations for product delivery are heightened. Customers want their order, and they want to get it within the promised timeframe. They do not want to hear about excuses or delays. Being on time with delivery is not optional if you want to endear lasting loyalty from your customers.
Handle Product Damage Efficiently
First of all, a good order fulfillment company knows all the standard industry practices and techniques in warehouse management and logistics to minimize product damage. Right off the bat, this saves a business time, money, and other headaches. Secondly, when orders are damaged and need to be returned, a great order fulfillment company will be able to respond quickly to get the requested product into the hands of customers.
Take Care of Your Shipping Needs
Are you still fulfilling your order shipping in-house? This can be time-consuming, and draining, as it diverts energy from other areas of your company that need your attention. At worst, if customers don’t get their orders on time, they may not be your customers for very much longer.
Offer the Best Order Tracking
The anticipation of getting a package is one of the best parts of e-commerce shopping. In contrast to the instant gratification of retail therapy available at a brick-and-mortar store, your customers are waiting and watching their mailboxes for information about their merchandise.
Order tracking is part of the e-commerce experience, especially when shipping timely or important items. Accurate order tracking can become a fun part of the process for most customers, who will grow more and more excited as their package gets closer. Also, knowing the day it will be delivered allows them to look out, make arrangements, and properly receive their package securely.
Manage Customer Expectations
Logistics essentially exists to meet expectations. However, you can do one better by exceeding those expectations. Many e-commerce companies, for instance, will offer free shipping on orders exceeding a certain amount. By going the extra mile, your customers will stand up and take notice.
Offer Samples
Once your customer is holding the package in their hands, you have a unique opportunity to directly market other items to them. The key is to add in similar samples into the mix that will act as clues for your customer to try new products.
You can use market segmentation and other criteria in order to mix and match the best samples with orders. For example, if a group of your customers is buying whey protein powder, consider adding a trial-sized pouch of a premix workout drink.
Enhanced Branding
When you get positive word-of-mouth referrals, it enhances the image of your company in the public’s eye. Think of the local and chain pizza places in your city and the reputation that each one has associated with it. If you remember the shop that has tasteless, cardboard-like crust, chances are, others feel the same way. But it works the other way, too: You know where to go when you’re looking for the perfect pie, and you’re willing to pay extra to get it.
By offering a product and then delivering it with excellent fulfillment, it automatically creates an image in the customer’s mind that elevates your brand by placing it under the most favorable light.
Returns
Having an effective method of returning merchandise is important if you are offering complete satisfaction for your customers. However, it can be frustrating and time-consuming if you’re doing this by yourself, especially after seasonal peaks like the holidays. Having a smart fulfillment strategy frees your hands while giving your customers timely and cost-effective ways to return orders.
Customer Service
There are companies that act as though they believe that customer service involves hiding from or redirecting customers elsewhere. A leading e-commerce company prefers to face issues head-on without any hesitation. Having an order fulfillment company who can immediately rectify complaints is a huge asset. It mitigates the types of customers who leave bad reviews on social media, which will ultimately minimize disincentives for others to use your business. This is an important consideration when seeking to grow a business for the future.
Boost Customer Loyalty with Order Fulfillment from APS Fulfillment, Inc.
Are you looking for a reliable, cost-effective, and dependable way to ensure you’re getting your orders to customers? If so, then APS Fulfillment Inc. is ready to help you with your order fulfillment. As an experienced e-commerce order fulfillment company in Florida, our team has the right training and understanding to handle your large-size products and projects with efficiency and care. We also specialize in product fulfillment, direct mail marketing, fulfillment solutions, and fulfillment marketing. For more information or to request a quote about our services, you can contact us by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (954) 582-7450.
Photo Credit: iStock.com/NicoElNino
