Tag: Fulfillment Services

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Smart Tips for Increasing eCommerce Sales – Many That Are Actionable with Minimal Effort

Female entrepreneur sitting at a desk with orders.

Does the term “marketing plan” conjure up visions of intricate programs requiring large investments of time and money? While it’s true that increasing ecommerce sales involves some effort, the adage, “Work smarter, not harder” also applies to online retailing.

Watch your sales grow when you incorporate these quick, easy and effective tips. Our ecommerce fulfillment services are ready to handle your needs every step of the way.

1. Honesty Is the Best Policy

How important is customer satisfaction? Studies show that companies have an average success rate of 60 to 70 percent when selling to existing customers, compared to 5 to 20 percent with new ones. Combine that with the five times more it can cost to acquire a new customer, and the picture is clear. Keeping existing customers happy is a top priority.

But you can’t assume that someone who bought from you once will buy from you again. If their customer experience falls short of the glowing promises made on your website, they won’t be back. Review your copy and make sure it’s consistent with your brand.

2. Foster a Sense of Trust

Thanks to the rise of social media, people post reviews about everything from restaurants to auto repair shops. Did you know that, according to Inc. Magazine, 84 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations?

Leverage this power by placing genuine testimonials in strategic spots on your website, such as product and pricing pages. Another way to build credibility is by posting trust signals, which are logos indicating membership in professional associations and other reassuring information.

3. Create a Sense of Urgency

Social media has given rise to an astounding amount of acronyms, with one of the more popular ones being FOMO, or “fear of missing out.” If buyers are still on the fence, you can often tip the scales with limited-time offers such as discounts, free shipping or bonus gifts. Have your marketing perform double-duty with pop-up windows displaying opt-in offers, such as a 10 percent discount for joining your email list.

4. Avoid Information Overload

Have you ever been lured into an online rabbit hole, where you had to make so many decisions you finally became intimidated and quit? Having an extensive product offering may seem like an advantage, but it can backfire if it creates paralysis by analysis in your potential customers.

Stop trying to be all things to all people. Give shoppers well-defined categories and a carefully curated selection of options that will appeal to the broadest range possible without veering into overload.

5. Streamline the Checkout Process

Online checkout is another black hole in which customers frequently get lost. Business Insider reports that a staggering $4 trillion worth of purchases were left behind in shopping carts last year. For an ecommerce business, any abandoned sales are too many.

Make a purchase on your own website and see where the procedure ranks on the frustration scale. Note any specific bottlenecks or time-eaters and have them corrected immediately.

6. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Searching

If your website isn’t optimized for mobile searching, what are you waiting for? Mobile usage has already overtaken desktop usage, and the share continues to grow. Can you afford to be left behind?

When your site is optimized for mobile, your products are literally at buyers’ fingertips no matter where they are. Even if the sale isn’t converted during the first session, it’s more likely to close later because you’ve made it easier.

Medallion: Your Premier Choice for Ecommerce Fulfillment Services

Partner with Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics, a fulfillment service that can grow along with you. Contact us to learn how we can handle your needs from both coasts today.

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Five Tips for Planning Your eCommerce Promotions for 2023

Man in a warehouse smiling by boxes ready to ship out.

Now is the ideal time to start planning your business goals for 2023. Whether you’re interested in improving your online store’s performance by partnering with a fulfillment warehouse or looking for ways to boost business, the following tips can help you plan your eCommerce promotions for this year.

Customer Loyalty

Focusing on customer loyalty helps ensure repeat business for your eCommerce store. Loyal customers can also bring more business to your store by telling others about what you have to offer. Consider starting a rewards program, sending out newsletters, or taking other steps to encourage customer loyalty.

Specific Incentives

Come up with specific incentives for your customers based on their shopping habits and interests. Using customer analytics can help you discover this information. Offering incentives targeted toward your customer base can help you improve your chance of running successful promotions in the new year.

Engagement

Staying engaged with customers through social media and email can help you spread the word about upcoming promotions for 2023. Set up email and social media campaigns that focus on letting customers know about promotions ahead of time and reminding them just before they start.

Cross-Selling

Offering two or more items at a discount or promotional rate can encourage customers to purchase from your store more often. Cross-selling can also help your customers learn more about different kinds of items your online store offers.

Micro-targeting

Customizing promotions for smaller groups of customers, also known as micro-targeting, can help boost business for your online store. Examining data about your customers can help you determine which groups to target and what kinds of promotions to offer.

Your #1 Solution for East and West Coast Fulfillment Services

The shopping holiday crunch may be over, but your need for effective fulfillment services doesn’t end. Medallion’s comprehensive programs are specifically designed to accommodate the ebbs and flows of your particular company.

Consider our robust Amazon replenishment warehousing services meet Amazon’s standards at a more cost-effective price.

If you’re looking for a fulfillment warehouse that offers reliable service, please contact Medallion Enterprises. We also offer a wide selection of services to help your online business grow.

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How Do I Know I Am Ready to Hire a Fulfillment Partner?

Young woman preparing boxes to ship

While you are getting your eCommerce business up and running, you are probably doing the bulk of the work yourself. Many online companies begin as cottage industries, operating out of a home or garage, such as Jeff Bezos famously did with Amazon.

Even if your eCommerce store does not reach Amazon’s sales levels, you are bound to reach a point where it is hard to keep up. How do you know when it is time to hire a fulfillment company? Ask yourself these questions to help guide your decision.

Are You Ready to Partner With a Fulfillment Company?

1. Are you running out of room?

As sales increase, you need more inventory to fill orders, along with more space to store that inventory. Unfortunately, science has yet to create a wall stretcher that will let you expand your current base of operations.

A fulfillment warehouse is designed to hold large quantities of product. As a plus, they have sophisticated inventory management software that provides efficient tracking and robust reporting.

2. Are you spending too much time running to UPS?

Whether you use USPS, UPS, or FedEx, you are bound to their policies and rates. Few things are more frustrating than scrambling to reach the post office just as they are locking the doors.

If you use a fulfillment service, you can say good-bye to that headache. Not only do they have daily pickups scheduled with all major carriers, but they can accommodate LTL (less than a truckload) shipments and you can benefit from their lower contracted rates. A fulfillment warehouse will also free you up from the task of following up on shipping problems.

3. Are you having a hard time finding labor?

We have all heard about the Great Resignation, with a significant number of people leaving the workforce due to a shift in priorities following the COVID shutdown. For this and other reasons, many employers are having difficulties finding and retaining qualified labor.

With a fulfillment company, you have the advantage of a full staff but pay based on your business alone. You no longer have the responsibility of recruiting, hiring, and managing employees, nor do you have to cover insurance and other labor-related expenses.

4. Can your infrastructure scale along with your business?

As your business grows, you will still find ebbs and flows along the way. The classic example is holiday sales, but there are many other situations that can cause fluctuations. For example, perhaps you sell scarves, bathing suits or other seasonal items.

A fulfillment company focuses on inventory management and order fulfillment. They are experts at these services, so they can navigate the process of scaling as needed to suit your business.

5. Are you expanding to other geographic areas?

Expanding your geographic reach is a natural progression. But with customers expecting two-day, next-day or even same-day delivery, it is crucial to have your product physically located nearby. If you are getting nervous at the thought of opening multiple facilities, a fulfillment warehouse can solve that problem.

6. Do you have time to run your business?

Increasing sales should be job #1. If fulfillment and logistics is taking time away from building your brand, coming up with new products and other sales-related projects, it’s time to take on a fulfillment partner.

Your #1 Choice for a Quality Fulfillment Company

At Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics, we truly consider ourselves a partner in your success. With more than 35 years of experience and facilities on both coasts, Medallion offers a full range of fulfillment services that are flexible enough to scale along with your business.

Contact us to learn more about our innovative Amazon replenishment warehousing service and other programs.

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How Fulfillment Service Impacts Customer Satisfaction

“If people are failing, they look inept. If people are succeeding, they look strong and good and competent. That’s the “halo effect.” Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs. If the company looks inept to you, you may assume everything else they do is inept.” – Daniel Kahneman

When you work with a fulfillment partner, it is easy to oversimplify their involvement. True, a fulfillment house picks and ships orders. How could that hurt customer satisfaction?

Final Hands

Simply put, they are the last hands to touch your products and they are responsible for delivering the final product to your customers. To see where you stand, ask yourself a few questions:

• When your customer receives an order, how does it look?

• What packaging materials are used?

• How quickly does it arrive?

• How is the tracking information transmitted?

• How are returns handled?

If you have not audited the results in a while, it may be time to check your fulfillment results. Check our Guide for Fine Tuning Fulfillment for more tips and remember: A great fulfillment provider increases customer satisfaction, while a poor provider can actually damage satisfaction.

Case Study

One of our clients moved from a different 3PL because of customer dissatisfaction. The business started receiving complaints that orders were arriving in junky old boxes with newspaper used as packaging. Many orders were incorrectly shipped, leading to reshipments and delays.

If customers had not reported these issues, our client would not have known the impression their former 3PL was leaving on the customers. You have spent time and money making a good impression on customers. The last thing you need is a lousy box or a packing error to erode your credibility.

Errors Undermine Credibility

Mistakes not only cost money and time, but they damage customer trust. Medallion and Sprocket Express have a 99.9%+ accuracy rate and exceptional customer service personnel. In the case study above, errors and complaints stopped after the business switched to Sprocket Express for fulfillment for East Coast servicing. Customers almost never received incorrect items again, and the clean uniform packaging made a great impression on the recipients. The client added a packing tape printed with their logo, for a complete branded solution.

Speedy Delivery

When we first opened, our CEO used to joke that someday customers would hit the “buy” button and then check the mailbox. Ironically, we’ve nearly reached that point!

With Amazon leading the charge, customers continually have a higher expectation of speed (and shipping cost). To answer the call, most 3PLs expect to provide same day delivery within the next 5 years. And 40% say they anticipate 2 hour shipping by 2028. Interestingly, when Amazon offered 1- and 2-hour delivery in select markets, many customers preferred the free 2-day shipping instead. Speed is not everything, but shipping value is essential. The best shipping strategies offer a few options with a range of costs.

Knowledge is Satisfying

Immediately after placing an order, most website systems generate an order confirmation email. The more transparency a business provides during the order process, the more confident a customer can feel when interacting with the company. Therefore, as soon as an order is released to a carrier for shipment the tracking information should be communicated in real-time.

Both Sprocket Express and Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics sends automatic tracking information to your customer. And we can brand the email with your company information for a consistent image. We ship the same day and we also offer rush and special services.

We Are Here When You Need Help

These are just some of the ways that your fulfillment service partner can affect customer satisfaction. We strongly encourage you to call references when choosing a fulfillment provider and ask some of these questions. Your choice will be representing your business in public view, so it’s no easy decision.

Whichever partner you choose, we invite you to connect with us to share challenges and ideas via email or social media. To learn more about our services and our low industry pricing, see “What We Do”, or get a quote today.

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Limited Time and Limited Stock Offers – Why Scarcity Gets Shoppers to Commit

Are you creating the sense of urgency necessary to cinch sales? Turns out, losing the lollygagging looky loos and getting shoppers to commit may be simpler than you think.

Urgency & Sales Motivation

To prevent people from “thinking about it” and possibly forgetting about it   scarcity is key to taking advantage of the buyer psychology not to miss out. Limited time offers and limited stock prevent pesky procrastination.

How Much Does Scarcity Affect Buying Decisions?

In a study by WhichTestWon, a simple countdown timer resulted in nearly 9% better conversions than a product page without a timer. Another retail study conducted by Digital Commons at the University of Nebraska indicated consumer competitiveness, in-store hiding and hoarding, and urgency to purchase in stores using perceived scarcity strategies including limited quantities and limited time sales.

What Types of Perceived Scarcity Tactics Can You Put to Work for Your Business?

• Limited time offers
Time restricted sales, such as holiday and game-day themed offers ramp-up the psychological trigger to avoid loss.

• Limited quantity
Use limited stock to your advantage, showing scarcity to boost perceived value. Advertising real-time stock is a great way to accomplish this.

• Limited quantity/limited price
Airlines use this all the time, boasting “only 3 seats at $50.” The rest may be $51, or $40, but since they don’t show availability – the buying public remains unaware.

• Flash sales
Very limited time offers on hand-selected items.

• Product page countdown timers
Rather than simply posting the date, countdown timers ticking away the sale offer a visual reminder of product scarcity.

• Timed shopping offers
Express and free shipping deals for those that act fast are another super incentive.

• Copy-writing tactics
The language you use can also create urgency, such as “Going fast!” or “Supply is limited!”

The Devil in the Details

Remember, the goal here is to motivate purchases – not lie to customers, which creates a bad image for your brand. Base all scarcity tactics on something – a need to make room for the upcoming season’s inventory, overstock. Don’t just toss a timer on a page and expect a sales boost. And don’t overdo it. Encourage procrastinators – but don’t pressure customers and incite buyer’s remorse.

Getting shoppers to commit is easy with rapid response and delivery. Make things happen with the help of Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics for you order processing and fulfillment needs. Learn more today.