Building a successful e-commerce business doesn’t happen overnight. Many moving parts need to be managed for everything to run smoothly. You need a great product, a well-designed website, and, perhaps most importantly, a fulfillment process that can handle the demands of your customers.
If any of these parts are not working, it can significantly impact your business. One misstep can easily throw off your entire operation and cost you time, money, and lost customers.
Knowing some common logistical e-commerce mistakes can help your business avoid the most frequent pitfalls that online entrepreneurs face.
No Procedures or Documentation
One of the most common mistakes that e-commerce businesses make is not having any written procedures or documentation for their fulfillment process. A lack of procedures can lead to confusion and chaos, especially as your business grows and you have more orders to fulfill.
No matter what gets ordered, what breaks, or what goes wrong, you need a set of procedures so that your team knows how to handle it. Specific standards will help keep your fulfillment process running smoothly, even when things get busy.
Too Many or Not Enough Employees
Another mistake that e-commerce businesses make is either not having enough employees to fulfill orders or having too many. The wrong number of employees can lead to long wait times for customers or a wasted workforce.
You need to find the sweet spot in staffing to have just enough people to get the job done without any unnecessary overhead.
Not Spending Enough Resources on Shipping
One of the primary aspects of any e-commerce business comes down to shipping. Shipments are how you get your products into the hands of your customers, so you need to get it right.
Unfortunately, many e-commerce businesses make the mistake of not spending enough resources on shipping. This can lead to delays, lost orders, and frustrated customers.
There are many factors that might make a shipment late, but if it’s something you can control, make sure that you do everything possible to get it right. Your customers will appreciate it.
Expensive Packaging
Another common mistake that e-commerce businesses make is using packaging that is far too expensive. This cost can cut into your profits and make it difficult to offer free shipping or other promotions. While you should use sturdy, reliable packaging to protect your products, you don’t need to go overboard. Many cost-effective packaging options will do the job just fine.
Running a business in the e-commerce space is very challenging. There’s a lot to keep track of between managing your website, product, and fulfillment process. But if you can avoid these logistical e-commerce mistakes and keep your fulfillment process running smoothly, you’ll be well on your way to success.