Even though the economy has still not fully recovered online businesses are strong performers. The Internet companies that are weathering the economic storm and still coming out on top with intact profits and continued growth are the ones that have realized the secret to online business success is order fulfillment. Hiring an order fulfillment company frees up time and resources that can be spent on marketing, new products, or reaching new customer markets. Having all of the order processed, packed and shipped by the fulfillment center means not having to constantly pour money into hiring and training employees, maintaining an office space or call center for them to work out of, or having to buy or rent warehouse space to store products. Fulfillment companies are the secret weapon that successful Internet businesses use to stay competitive. By having a one stop shop that will handle Internet and phone orders, store products and receive deliveries, and then pack and ship items Internet business owners free their own time so that they can focus on doing what they do best, which is running a business.
In addition to cutting costs and freeing up time using a fulfillment company also helps Internet companies build strong relationships with customers. Customer loyalty is very important when it comes to online businesses. Customers will highly recommend businesses that impress them but they will not mince words when talking about companies that don’t meet their expectations. Blogs, customer review sites and niche sites online where a company gets bad reviews can cause business to slow down dramatically or stop altogether. But, companies that get great reviews and personal recommendations can expect to have a constant flow of customers. Using a fulfillment company will give customers the kind of easy ordering experience they expect. Consistency and communication are the most important attributes of an online business, but most small Internet businesses can’t afford 24 hour support staff or some of the other extras that customer appreciate. However, when you sign up to use a fulfillment center your company will get the kind of dedicated customer service support that will make customers want to recommend your business and you won’t have to pay extra for it. Instead of paying overtime or paying for expensive training seminars your business will pay just a percentage of each sale to the fulfillment company. The benefits of using a fulfillment service far outweigh the costs.