Tag: Fulfillment Warehouse

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Today’s Networking – Our Tips on Moving Beyond the Digital Scene

Medallion is a California Based Fulfillment Company

Successful networking has always been the foundation of creating avenues to fulfill both personal and professional goals. While digital platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter make it easier to connect, forging a genuine relationship is still at the heart of building your network. This means making sure you add face-to-face networking opportunities to your schedule too.

So, do you have to be an extrovert or create a phony persona to make these connections? More importantly, once a relationship has been started, how do you nurture it to the fullest extent? Here are some of our favorite tips for effective networking in a digital world.

Good Networking Is a Win-Win Proposition

Networking is intended to open new doors to you, but look at it from the other person’s perspective. He or she is also pursuing potential opportunities. As legendary motivational speaker Zig Ziglar put it, you’ll get what you want once you help enough other people get what they want.

Psychologist Robert Cialdini wrote about the concept of reciprocity, which means people tend to give back to those who give to them. Even a simple gesture like buying someone a cup of coffee can inspire them to return the favor.

Share Your Network

As with many other concepts, networking is about quality, not quantity. According to evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, 150 is the approximate ceiling of the number of meaningful relationships we can maintain at any given time.

Forming quality relationships is the key to maximizing your network. For example, you may not have a social media specialist in your network, but your connections have well-rounded networks of their own, so they can make referrals when needed.

Branch Out

Branding is no longer just for corporations. Creating and growing your personal brand makes you stand out by establishing your unique value and skills.

Multifaceted people are more compelling than one-dimensional individuals. The more you become involved in “extracurricular” activities such as blogging or running a side business, the more others will be drawn to you.

Meet Face-to-Face

As deeply entrenched as social media has become, it still can’t take the place of personal interaction. Make it a point to attend offline networking events that are focused on your interests in order to create local connections in addition to your online connections.

• While the events may occur in real time, online sites such as Meetup and Facebook Events are a great way to discover what’s going on in your area.

• Get the most out of your time by attending workshops, seminars and talks where you can learn something in addition to networking with others.

• Business cards may seem old-school, but they’re still a more personal and memorable way to exchange information when you do meet face-to-face.

Save Time and Money with Ecommerce Fulfillment Services

Do you have your hands full trying to network and also coordinate inventory levels, order processing and logistics? Contact Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics to learn how we can give you back more hours in your day so you’ll have time to make networking work for you.

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

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.

• Copywriting 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.

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Don’t Burn Up Profits Using Discounts & Specials

Don't Burn Money

Using discounts and specials to drive traffic to your site can be a double-edged sword. Used properly, such sales offers are a powerful tool for boosting conversions. Used haphazardly, however, they can eat-up profits and burn your brand. Effectively utilizing discounts and specials without damaging your brand takes a bit of finesse.

Step-1: Brand Strategy

Brand strategy is essential in choosing the best type of sales offer(s) for your biz. For brands boasting deep discounts and healthy margins, daily or weekly sales may be better for boosting sales. Higher-end brands with slimmer margins, however, do better with customer loyalty-type offers. (This prevents driving in non-loyal/price-driven shoppers.)

Step-2: Selecting a Discount-Type

Popular options include:

  • Percentage off.
    Most common with sub-$100 sales, these range from overall, small 5-20% discounts to larger 50%+ single-item liquidations.
  • Dollar value discounts.
    Most commonly used with sales over $100, pair these with a minimum purchase.
  • Free shipping with minimum purchase.
    Shipping is the #1 reason for cart abandonment!
  • Free gift.
    A great incentive – and a way to rid product that’s not moving.

Step-3: Determining Timing

  • Go weekly or monthly to drive sales and help meet revenue goals.
  • Use pre launch offers to drive traffic and boost interest in new items/businesses.
  • Take advantage of holidays and seasonal milestones to stretch revenue.

Step-4: Converting Missed Opportunities

Sales offers can also help you nab looky loos.

  • Abandoned cart emails bearing free shipping/discount offers are a powerful conversion tool.
  • Social, email, & newsletter subscriptions offers help you broaden your customer base.
  • “Like”, “follow”, “share” & other referral promos are a wonderful way to widen word-of-mouth.
  • First-time shopper offers are a great nudge.
  • Customer loyalty offers keep shoppers coming back for more.

Struggling to keep up with packaging and shipping needs after using discounts and specials? Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics can help. Contact us today.

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Brand Building to Boost Business

Branding for Your Company

A brand, such as Starbucks or Apple, is much more than just a name. Branding encompasses all the thoughts, feelings and emotions people experience when they hear the words “Starbucks” or “Apple.”

Your brand represents the commitment you make to your customers through your product or service. Is your business trendy or classic? Who is your target audience? What is your mission?

Building a brand requires careful thought and consideration. Use these guidelines to create a brand that’s unique, memorable and appealing.

Seven Tips for Creating a Vivid and Memorable Brand

• Figure out who your target audience is. Learn more about their wants, needs and shopping habits by talking to them and following relevant social media accounts.

• Develop a positioning statement. You’ll be tempted to include everything but the kitchen sink, but communicating too much ultimately communicates nothing at all. Stay focused and craft one or two lines that sum up why your business matters.

• Choose a business name, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. If the name is too on-the-nose, it could be awkward if you plan to expand your offerings down the road. You also have to consider logos, website domains and trademark registrations.

• Once you have a name, it’s time to work on fonts and colors. Unless you have a specific reason for choosing something a little more complex, stick with clean and simple fonts.

• Choose a palette based on the psychology of colors, but make sure you consider how it looks in black and white and against different backgrounds.

• What would a brand be without a logo? In addition to the design elements, check to make sure it’s scalable across a range of sizes.

• Write a short but punchy slogan that immediately paints a picture. A slogan is a great way to maintain consistency, but you can certainly adapt it over time as you refine your marketing efforts and strategies.

Now that you’ve created a polished and powerful brand, start applying it across all phases and segments of your business. Don’t forget that consistency is key.

California Fulfillment Services: The Solution for All Your Order Processing Needs

Looking for a California fulfillment services company that will help maintain the integrity of your brand? Contact us to find out why Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics will provide the consistent service your customers expect.

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Five Types of eCommerce Businesses

Fulfillment Warehouse Owner

Which Type of Fulfillment Service is Right for You?

From a fulfillment warehouse perspective, eCommerce businesses have a unique set of service needs. Third-party logistic companies (3PLs) have made significant technical changes in recent years to adapt to the new market structure and the consumer’s need for speed and transparency.

Within the online marketplace, each category has different support needs. When choosing an order fulfillment service, it’s useful to keep in mind that some providers are better adapted to particular types of clients.

There are five categories of eCommerce businesses with different approaches.

The Outsourcer

This is an established company that sells products through traditional retail or wholesale channels and has decided to outsource their ecommerce business. They sell primarily through an established website and a single channel, and have skilled business and technical staff that work with the fulfillment company to implement an integrated process.

Often, these companies have their own technical platforms and require customization to connect to the warehouse for order capture and post-shipment reporting.

The Offshore Company

This client typically has an existing ecommerce business overseas that has been “discovered” by Americans who are ordering product. Given the high cost and lag time in handling B2C offshore shipments, the company needs a partner in the United States to be their local “arms and legs.”

Having a U.S. base helps reduce their transportation costs and improve response times. Outsourcing fulfillment presents challenges with time zones, language/communication, customs, and the establishment of U.S. business entities to handle import duties and taxes. These clients are similar to the Outsourcer, but have the added layer of dealing with a foreign company.

The Entrepreneur

The rapidly falling costs of running an ecommerce business, coupled with the low-entry costs of participating in major marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, have enabled many more people to be able to afford to run an online store. This has created an industry of one-person small businesses and part-time entrepreneurs that usually have other jobs outside of ecommerce.

While the failure rate for these ventures is high, a small percent become successful, either because they have a unique product or hold a niche in the marketplace.

When filling orders or storing inventory gets to be overwhelming, the Entrepreneur needs a company to support their fulfillment. These businesses – especially the part-timers – may lack the support structure of an established business and look to the fulfillment company to be more than someone who stores product and ships orders.

They may need IT support, business-process design, business consulting, purchasing, assembly, and other back-office services. The Entrepreneur can often benefit from an experienced warehouse’s business and technical coaching.

This segment benefits from a highly sophisticated, self-service business model. (Think ATM machines!) Most fulfillment centers offer automated interactions to profitably support this customer segment.

The Multi-Channel Marketer

This is the eCommerce business that has progressed beyond selling through a single website. Marketplaces may include Amazon, eBay, Buy.com, Fab.com, to name just a few. They may be involved in direct TV, small retail or even large retail (Best Buy, Kohl’s, Walmart).

They may sell through drop shippers or boost volume with flash sales. Order volumes in this category may be high, but a high level of technical support is often required, particularly in the setup phase. Each selling channel has a unique fulfillment flow. Significant IT challenges exist in supporting the special selling, branding, distribution and reporting requirements of each channel.

EDI capabilities will often be required. Undoubtedly, the future of ecommerce selling is through multiple channel marketplaces.

Omni-Channel Selling

When a customer interacts with your company in different channels, but their experience feels seamless, this is called omnichannel selling. It differs from multi-channel selling in that the interactions are all connected in one central data hub.

This is a customer-centric experience with a powerful impact. For example – you sell in stores, social media, by phone, and through mobile shopping, and your customers can move between the channels without obstacles.

They can order online and pick up in the store, or visit your Facebook profile and then order via mobile app. This strategy retains the most customers and offers them the most options. Plus, your analytics are more meaningful because they cover all channels to give you an accurate picture of your entire operation. Platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce are excellent foundations for omnichannel selling.

What All This Means to You

It’s clear that each business has its own priorities, but understanding the categories will help you select the right fulfillment center for your needs. Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics has coached many clients on supply chain and logistics strategies. Read our fulfillment transition guide to help you plan a successful move that causes little or no disruption to your customers.

Our robust array of services meet the needs of the most discriminating customer. Contact us for more information and a free price quote.