How to Fulfill Shopify Orders Efficiently?
Fulfilling Shopify orders is exciting because it means people are purchasing your product. However, order fulfillment can be a challenging part of operating an ecommerce business because retail giants like Amazon have set the bar extremely high with fast and free delivery. To keep your ecommerce store open and thriving, you must learn how to fulfill orders on Shopify efficiently. Streamlining your fulfillment process is essential because customers often define their experience based on the fulfillment portion of the order. Learn how to fulfill Shopify orders efficiently in three ways.
3 Options for How to Fulfill Orders on Shopify
Fulfilling Shopify orders encompasses many procedures but doesn’t have to be complex. Discover the three main options for how to fulfill orders on Shopify to determine which one is most efficient for your business.
Automatic Fulfillment
Automatic order fulfillment on Shopify works by itself with little or no direct human control. Utilizing automated fulfillment makes the most sense for sellers who…
- Make use of third-party fulfillment services. Third-party fulfillment means the fulfillment portion of the sale is outsourced to a company that stores, manages, packs, labels, and ships your Shopify orders to customers on your behalf.
- Sell items that do not require packing and shipping. If your products include digital downloads such as ebooks, courses, or PDF documents, automatically fulfilling your Shopify orders makes sense.
- Sell pre-order items that are not readily available. If you sell items for pre-order–meaning you post a product image along with a short description for something that is not yet in your hands to sell–you can set up automatic fulfillment to complete the order once the items are available.
Manual and Partial Order Fulfillment
Manual and partial order fulfillment are common choices for ecommerce store owners because they enable sellers to have more control and record inventory levels. Manually fulfilling Shopify orders is a great solution for sellers who want to be involved in the ordering and shipping process and is useful if…
- You produce goods to order - i.e., handmade jewelry, custom printed hoodies, vinyl stickers, and more.
- You have difficulty with inventory and occasionally run out of stock
- You have physical products for pre-order
- You offer partial fulfillment - A partial shipment is when you deliver a single order in multiple shipments because certain products are ready to ship before others.
Choosing the Right Fulfillment Strategy for Your Shopify Orders
So, how do you decide which fulfillment strategy is most efficient for your business? Consider the pros and cons of each option and determine which makes the most sense in terms of time, money, and management.
Take Care of Business Yourself
Processing orders, printing labels, and packing and shipping items yourself allows for more control yet requires more of your time. If you are confident in the courier, you can drop products off quickly. However, waiting for a receipt can be a timely endeavor. Depending on the courier, you can also schedule a pickup to take place at your home or business. Fulfilling, packing, and shipping Shopify orders yourself can be a time-consuming activity, which is why many ecommerce business owners choose to outsource their fulfillment process. Additionally, you may not have room in-house to store your products, depending on your store’s size.
Let Others Take Care of Business for You
Order fulfillment by a third-party fulfillment and distribution center is one of the best options for how to fulfill orders on Shopify. Outsourcing your Shopify order fulfillment to a fulfillment warehouse can save time and money. Plus, you won't have to store and handle any products because fulfillment centers store, ship, and track your packages for you. Depending on the size of your business and the time and money available, you can choose which is the most efficient way for you to fulfill your Shopify orders.