Tag: ecommerce fulfillment

  • Top 10 Shipping Software for Ecommerce Fulfillment in 2023

    In eCommerce businesses, it is the quality of shipping service that the customers receive – that decides whether your business succeeds or fails. Whether you manage a tiny online store in your house or a large corporation, you will need shipping software to give a hassle-free post-purchase customer experience. It will help your business swiftly execute supply chain operations.

    The post-purchase experience symbolizes and builds a brand name in the eCommerce business. If you want to compete with big companies, you need to give your customers the best shipping experience possible. Each company’s requirements are unique but with the help of a strong eCommerce shipping solution onboard, you can store data, confirm or cancel orders, change inventory status, select courier, and more. It will enhance your overall efficiency and speed up the delivery process.

    Everything else in an eCommerce business is pointless if your delivery service is sloppy or falls short of quality standards. Thus, in today’s time, it is necessary to take the help of eCommerce shipping software for better service provision.

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    What is eCommerce Shipping Software?

    Ecommerce shipping software is a program that tracks orders and logistics. The software automates many aspects of shipping and provides businesses with information on their shipments. It can automate and streamline shipping services and delivery procedures that were previously handled manually. Furthermore, the software can detect and resolve all the shipping-related concerns.
    Automated shipping software aids eCommerce businesses in the efficient management of orders and providing quick delivery. It is a must-have solution for every eCommerce seller who receives large orders. Small, mid-sized, and large businesses can benefit from advanced software and solutions provided by shipping solution firms.

    Global Ecommerce Logistics Market Size from 2020 to 2026
    Global Ecommerce Logistics Market Size from 2020 to 2026

    Advantages of Ecommerce Shipping Software

    Keeping track of all procedures and monitoring performance require preparation and organization. Different software has made running a business easier compared to conventional ways. We can’t avoid the eCommerce sector when we talk about today’s business world. When we talk about eCommerce, logistics solutions come into play in a logical order.

    Shipping software helps investors, the operation team as well as customers. It is a 360° solution. The team can ensure accuracy and make a balance between supply and demand. Customers get 24×7 support with track and fast delivery.

    The Following are Some of the Advantages of Using an eCommerce Shipping Software:

    Faster and Accurate Shipping Experience:

    Shipping software automates different shipping operations. Order acceptance, manifestation, picking, packing, mailing, tracking, and delivery confirmation are all simplified. To check on orders, placements, and delivery, the user can rapidly browse through the system. Furthermore, the system provides insights into the delivery operations.

    Time-Saving

    Your organization will have more productive hours to spend on potential things. Is it better to spend a talented team member’s time filling orders or answering a call from a loyal customer? This means that, even if an employee’s total number of hours worked remains constant, the value of those labor hours could skyrocket as they take on more specialized jobs. Companies may be able to save money if they use the correct services or programs instead of traditional means. This is especially true for small enterprises that are approaching new growth stages.

    Minimize Error in Logistic Channel

    eCommerce logistics rely heavily on data analytics. This allows any eCommerce organization to identify the numerous delivery problem areas and concerns that need to be solved. Courier-based software connections are effective in processing and sending all types of order information across all shipping partners.
    Data on the number of stopped shipments, delayed deliveries, non-delivery reports, returns, and other issues can be compiled. Using software interfaces correctly allows for the transfer of information and more metrics in data collecting, and assures that the data collected is accurate. It helps to reduce overall logistics costs while also increasing brand loyalty.

    How Do You Choose Shipping Software for Your Online Store?

    The finest eCommerce shipping software provides services and features that are tailored to your company’s requirements. Because each eCommerce business has a unique order volume, client base, budget, and requirements, they must take into account the following factors when selecting a shipping solution:

    1. Logistics requirements now and in the future.
    2. Friendly user interface.
    3. Solutions for forward and return shipping.
    4. Shipping volume.
    5. An accurate order tracking system.
    6. Tablet and mobile-friendly characteristics.
    7. Artificial intelligence-based solutions, including humanitarian assistance.
    8. Simple interface.
    9. Estimated pressure on the system.
    10. Capacity plan.

    The pandemic has completely altered people’s purchasing habits, and it is seen that the online shopping trend is here to stay. An eCommerce shipping software is a must-have for any eCommerce firm with aspirations for development and expansion.


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    Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Fulfillment

    Choosing the right shipping software can make a significant impact on the success of your online business, from reducing shipping costs to improving the customer experience. In this blog, we will take a closer look at some of the best ecommerce shipping software available on the market. We will compare features and pricing to help you make an informed decision when selecting the right shipping solution for your business. Whether you are just starting out or are looking to upgrade your current shipping process, this blog will provide you with the information you need to make the best choice for your business.

    The following are the eight most popular shipping software for your growing eCommerce businesses:

    Shopify

    Website www.shopify.com
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2004
    Platforms supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Shopify - Best Shipping Software
    Shopify – Best Shipping Software 

    It’s no surprise that the eCommerce giant Shopify has its own eCommerce shipping software. If you use Shopify as your eCommerce platform, Shopify Shipping is already available to you. With the Shopify shipping system, you can send your products using easy solutions that help you expand your eCommerce business and save up to 88% on shipping. It speeds up the fulfillment of each purchase by purchasing and printing shipping labels ahead of time to prepare the deliveries. You can manage everything in one location, including products, inventory, and customers, and complete orders more quickly.

    Beginner’s Guide to Shopify Shipping

    Features of Shopify

    • It has the ability to print upto 50 shipping labels at a time.
    • Integrates with various shipping carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, to provide shipping rates for customers during checkout.
    • Enables you to purchase and print shipping labels directly from your Shopify admin panel.
    • Real-time delivery tracking information, so you can keep track of your orders and receive notifications when the packages are delivered.
    • It allows you to manage all your business-related work in a single platform without depending on other providers.
    • Enables you to create custom shipping options, such as offering free shipping or flat-rate shipping.

    Pros:

    • $200 Shipping insurance is included
    • Built-in custom forms
    • Shipping-related learning resources
    • Easy International shipping
    • Comes in-built with an e-commerce plan
    • Excellent customer support
    • User-friendly interface
    • Shopify app store with a wide range of apps

    Cons:

    • Limited default courier partners
    • Shopify shipping is only available to Shopify users

    Pricing Plan:

    Shopify offers three pricing plans that include Basic, Shopify and Advanced. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Basic $29 per month
    Shopify $79 per month
    Advanced $299 per month

    Easyship

    Website www.easyship.com
    Rating 4.2 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2014
    Platforms supported Web
    EasyShip - Best Ecommerce Shipping Software
    EasyShip – Best Ecommerce Shipping Software

    When compared to courier firms that charge so much for a single shipment, Easyship provides a great tracking and shipping experience at a reasonable price. It will show you two hundred courier services from DHL, UPS, and others, allowing you to save up to 89% on package rates for your customers.
    Easyship connects with the most well-known international carriers, allowing you to increase revenue by selling internationally.

    All are under a single shipping tool, from sending a product to generating labels, comparing quotations, tracking finances, arranging return pickups, and automating your shipping needs. The platform has a good track record for international delivery, thanks to its live checkout function, which displays all applicable taxes.

    Features of Easyship

    • Provides a powerful API that helps your developers to streamline and automate your shipping process.
    • Offers a variety of delivery options, including standard shipping, express shipping, and same-day delivery.
    • Automatically generates the necessary customs documents to save time and reduce errors.
    • Automates the entire shipping process, from label creation to tracking updates.
    • Customize your shipping labels and packaging to match your brand’s image.
    • Provides detailed shipping analytics, such as cost breakdowns and shipping performance metrics to help you optimize your shipping operations.

    Pros:

    • 250+ courier partners
    • Intuitive interface
    • Robust analytics and reporting
    • Mobile app is available
    • API Access
    • The free plan is available
    • A 14-day free trial is available

    Cons:

    • No direct customer support
    • Need to buy insurance separately

    Pricing Plan:

    Easyship offers a Free plan limited to 50 shipments per month and three pricing plans that include Plus, Premier and Enterprise. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price Yearly Price (Save 20%)
    Plus $29 per month $23 per month
    Premier $69 per month $55 per month
    Enterprise Custom Price Custom Price

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    ShipStation

    Website www.shipstation.com
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2014
    Platforms supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    ShipStation - Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Store
    ShipStation – Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Store

    ShipStation is an ecommerce shipping platform and software designed to provide a streamlined fulfillment experience for online businesses. It operates mainly throughout Australia, Europe, America, and Asia. Order management, product sales, and resource planning features are integrated into ShipStation.
    The software uses a scan-based approach to provide automation and mass updates. It also imports orders with automatic shipping configurations from various selling channels, IMS, CRMs, ERPs, and marketplaces. It can deliver tracking information to customers and selling outlets in real-time.

    Features of ShipStation

    • Seamless integration with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Squarespace, Bigcommerce, WooCommerce, and more.
    • Automatically import orders from over 100 popular marketplaces and shopping carts into a central location.
    • It helps to create and print shipping labels for various carriers.
    • You can set up custom workflows to automate shipping tasks and streamline operations.
    • Automatically update order status and notify customers with shipping updates, tracking information, and delivery status.
    • Allows you to respond to customer inquiries, process returns, and manage customer feedback within the platform.

    Pros:

    • Free trial is available
    • 180+ Partner integration
    • Mobile app is available
    • Scan based workflows
    • Print labels in bulk, up to 500 at a time
    • Wide range of integration options

    Cons:

    • Limited automation
    • Some users experienced issues with printing

    Pricing Plan:

    ShipStation offers six pricing plans that include Starter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Enterprise. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Starter $9.99 per month
    Bronze $29.99 per month
    Silver $59.99 per month
    Gold $99.99 per month
    Platinum $149.99 per month
    Enterprise $229.99 per month

    Ordoro

    Website www.ordoro.com
    Rating 4.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2010
    Platforms supported Web
    Ordoro - Best eCommerce Shipping Software
    Ordoro – Best eCommerce Shipping Software

    Ordoro is a cloud-based eCommerce shipping platform that provides advanced reporting and analytics to help you streamline your eCommerce operations across sales channels. Its standard plan comes with discounted carrier rates, automation rules, barcode scanning, and no seller fulfilled prime costs. The advanced plans offer tailored workflows, integrations with different platforms, access to vendor portals, supplier management, and personal customer service representatives.
    Ordoro user interface is a bit more complicated than other ecommerce shipping software. It involves onboarding and training, but once you grasp the system’s functionality, you will be amazed at its powerful features. Everything is neatly organized, but it takes a while to feel ready to use it daily.

    Features of Ordoro

    • It syncs inventory levels across all sales channels in real time.
    • Automates manual tasks such as order fulfillment, invoice creation, and shipment tracking.
    • It enables you to manage all your orders in one place, regardless of the sales channel they are coming from.
    • Seamlessly integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, and more.
    • It allows you to print shipping labels, create shipping rules, and track shipments.
    • Helps to keep track of inventory levels to ensure that you never run out of stock.

    Pros:

    • Free plan is available
    • Automation rules
    • Advanced analytics
    • Good customer support
    • Unlimited shipping labels

    Cons:

    • Shipping insurance at additional cost
    • Average user interface

    Pricing Plan:

    Ordoro offers a Free plan and two pricing plans that include Advanced and Premium. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Advanced $59 per month
    Premium $149 per month

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    ShippingEasy

    Website Shippingeasy.com
    Rating 4.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2011
    Platforms supported Web
    ShippingEasy - eCommerce Shipping Solutions
    ShippingEasy – eCommerce Shipping Solutions

    ShippingEasy is a shipping platform designed to help you to streamline your eCommerce shipping processes. It integrates with popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more. Using this tool, you can manage your orders, shipping rates, and shipping labels from a single platform.

    It helps to automate and simplify the shipping process, and reduce the time and effort required to manage orders and shipments. With ShippingEasy, you can access real-time shipping rates from multiple carriers, print shipping labels, and track packages. It also provides robust reporting and analytics tools to help you understand your shipping operations and make informed decisions.

    Features of ShippingEasy

    • You can avoid oversells and stockouts by monitoring inventory levels and tracking stock levels in real-time.
    • It allows printing shipping labels directly from the platform.
    • Users can easily keep track of their shipments using real-time tracking links.
    • It provides you with the ability to customize your shipping workflows to create a shipping process that works best for your business.
    • Detailed shipping reports to understand the shipping costs, shipping performance, and shipping trends over time.

    Pros:

    • 30-day free trial on paid plans
    • Free plan is available
    • In-built marketing feature
    • Advanced Reporting
    • Shipping Automation
    • Excellent support

    Cons:

    • Limited learning resources
    • You cannot do multiple packages in one order

    Pricing Plan:

    ShippingEasy offers a Starter Plan which is Free Up to 25 shipments per month and six pricing plans that include Growth, Basic, Plus, Select, Premium and Enterprise. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Starter Free
    Growth $19.99 per month
    Basic $29.99 per month
    Plus $49.99 per month
    Select $69.99 per month
    Premium $99.99 per month
    Enterprise $159.99 per month

    Veeqo

    Website www.veeqo.com
    Rating 4.1 out of 5
    Free Trial Completely Free
    Founded in 2013
    Platforms supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Veeqo - Best Shipping Software for eCommerce
    Veeqo – Best Shipping Software for eCommerce

    Veeqo is an easy-to-use eCommerce shipping management platform that provides all shipping solutions. It helps you to manage operations, inventory, shipping, order fulfillment, and customer service. The log of every transaction is recorded automatically. It adjusts the stock level whenever any transaction happens on any marketplace where you are available.

    The platform provides a single view of all e-commerce operations. This reduces the risk of errors and helps retailers work more efficiently. With insights into how the store is performing, you can make data-driven decisions to grow your business.

    Features of Veeqo

    • Easy to create Shipping rules that can automatically assign suitable carriers based on the condition you’ve set.
    • Syncs stocks from different marketplaces in one single interface to manage it efficiently.
    • It allows you to Pick, pack, and ship the right order using the scanner on a mobile device.
    • Future forecast feature that predicts the future demand so that you never go out of stock.
    • Brand personalization to customize everything according to your brand image and enhance your brand in front of your customers.
    • Provides integration with the major shipping providers, e-commerce, and marketplace.

    Pros:

    • Free to use
    • Detailed analytics and forecasting
    • Inventory management
    • Learning resources are available
    • User-friendly interface

    Cons:

    • Poor customer support
    • Some users experienced that the software is buggy

    Pricing Plan:

    Veeqo is completely Free to use.

    ShipBob

    Website www.shipbob.com
    Rating 3.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2014
    Platforms supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    ShipBob - Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Fulfillment
    ShipBob – Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Fulfillment 

    ShipBob is an excellent choice for ecommerce fulfillment services in the United States and abroad. By using ShipBob’s global logistics platform, eCommerce business owners can effectively ship their products and provide speedy delivery to customers, becoming successful in the process. This platform can help you find cost-effective and timely shipping solutions, as well as improve your customer experience with shipping.

    ShipBob delivers orders to over 220 nations and territories, making it an ideal choice for worldwide shipping. Cart abandonment can be reduced by 18% with a simple delivery process. ShipBob features a straightforward onboarding procedure that integrates with Shopify, Amazon, and other top eCommerce platforms. ShipBob facilities are available in the United States, Europe, Canada, and also in India.

    Features of ShipBob

    • Supports multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Shopify, and Walmart.
    • Custom branding to the shipping boxes, packing slips, and email notifications.
    • Network of strategically located fulfillment centers across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
    • Fast and efficient order fulfillment, with the ability to pick, pack, and ship orders within one business day.
    • Automates many of the manual processes to reduce the time and effort required to complete each order.

    Pros:

    • 2-day shipping in the US
    • Live chat support
    • Personalized customization
    • Easy integration with a third-party platform
    • User-friendly interface
    • Robust reporting and analytics

    Cons:

    • Pricing is not disclosed
    • Charges $3 processing fees on returns

    Pricing Plan:

    ShipBob provides custom pricing solutions to suit your business requirements.

    Shippo

    Website Goshippo.com
    Rating 4.9 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2013
    Platforms supported Web
    Shippo - Best Ecommerce Shipping and Delivery Software
    Shippo – Best Ecommerce Shipping and Delivery Software

    Shippo is a popular eCommerce shipping and delivery software that allows you to compare real-time carrier prices to discover the best alternative for your company. It includes integrations that reduce time by syncing orders and tracking information, address validation, order fulfillment, and even easier returns.
    Shippo’s user interface just like WordPress or Shopify, appears well-organized, with menu options on the left. The menu highlights shipments, orders, and carriers, with a list of each detail about the items being shipped and fulfillment choices. You can take your eCommerce business to the next level with Shippo shipping and delivery management software.

    Shippo Shipping Software Tutorial For Beginners

    Features of Shippo

    • Real-time notification and tracking to update customers with every aspect of their order.
    • Robust API that makes it easy for developers to integrate shipping functionality into applications.
    • It can sync all the orders and shipping details from different marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
    • Automates shipping processes, including rate calculation, label printing, and tracking updates.
    • Provides insights and reports to help you optimize your shipping processes.
    • Integrates with multiple shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and DHL which makes it easy to compare rates and choose the best option.

    Pros:

    • Live chat support
    • Automatic validates address
    • Free plan is available
    • 30-day free trial on paid plans
    • 85+ courier partners
    • Huge learning resources

    Cons:

    • Mobile UI is pretty difficult to use

    Pricing Plan:

    Shippo offers a Free plan and two pricing plans that include Professional and Premier. Pricing details of each plan is given below:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Professional Starts at $10 per month
    Premier Custom Price

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    ShipEngine

    Website www.shipengine.com
    Rating 4.0 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Founded in 2011
    Platforms supported Web
    ShipEngine - Best Ecommerce Shipping Software
    ShipEngine – Best Ecommerce Shipping Software

    ShipEngine provides an API that can help you automate order fulfillment and shipment. ShipEngine’s shipping APIs allow you to compare real-time shipping rates from more than 30 carriers and integrations. Using their API, you can track your goods and delivery.
    The ShipEngine API also allows you to validate your addresses globally. This will reduce the frequency of returns due to wrong client information. ShipStation is a cloud-based application that provides a user interface for users that require one, whereas ShipEngine is an API that you can connect to your existing technology.

    Features of ShipEngine

    • It allows printing shipping labels for all supported carriers.
    • Offers a range of automation features, like the ability to automatically select the best carrier based on cost and delivery time.
    • Supports batch shipping to process multiple shipments at once.
    • Provides tracking information for all shipments and sends updates via email or SMS to keep customers informed.
    • Real-time shipping rates from multiple courier partners, so you can compare prices and select the most cost-effective option.
    • Provides integration tools for FedEx, UPS, USPS, and more.

    Pros:

    • Live chat and email support
    • Free API key to new user
    • First 250-label generation is free
    • Intuitive interface
    • Detailed reporting
    • Wide range of e-commerce integration

    Cons:

    • No free trial is available
    • Confusing printing for beginners

    Pricing Plan:

    ShipEngine offers a pay-as-you-go plan with rates beginning at around $0.05 per package.

    Metapack

    Website www.metapack.com
    Rating 3.0 out of 5
    Free Trial Not Available
    Founded in 1999
    Platforms supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Metapack - Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Stores
    Metapack – Best Shipping Software for Ecommerce Stores

    Metapack is a famous shipping software that helps eCommerce businesses worldwide optimize their order fulfillment and management processes. Metapack manages extensive warehouse facilities worldwide and provides pick-pack-deliver services from 3,50,000 locations.
    With the correct delivery options, they claim that you can get 38% more conversions and 40% fewer WISMO(where is my order) calls due to simple tracking and nearby 5,000 delivery services via one integration. Metapack can select the most appropriate delivery provider for every order, ensuring a seamless and personalized delivery experience while eliminating time-consuming and manual operations in the retailer’s warehouse.

    Features of Metapack

    • It can easily track and manage deliveries, set delivery dates and times, and update customers with real-time delivery information.
    • Gives insights into customer behavior, delivery preferences, and order history.
    • Offer customers a range of delivery options at checkout with leading shipping carriers, such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, and Postmates.
    • Centralized dashboard for managing and processing orders, order tracking, payment processing, and returns management.
    • Gives a range of delivery options, including next-day delivery, same-day delivery, click-and-collect, and international shipping.

    Pros:

    • 350+ carriers
    • Huge learning resources
    • Automatic service selection
    • Multi-language labels
    • Smooth and easy-to-use interface

    Cons:

    • ShipEnhine API integration at additional cost

    Pricing Plan:

    Metapack offers custom pricing plans, you can contact vendor to get a quote.

    Conclusion

    Shipping is a complex activity that necessitates precise data and multitasking. Everything must be precise, from monitoring shipment expenses, weight disparities, and tracking through delivery. Every organization must prioritize customer pleasure. By employing shipping software to streamline your shipping processes, you will be able to boost customers’ happiness.

    The above-mentioned tools will help you to make your eCommerce shipping process easy and efficient. Several eCommerce businesses have already incorporated AI-based shipping software. It is important to carefully evaluate your business needs and priorities before choosing the right software for you. When making your decision, be sure to consider factors such as cost, shipping carrier options, ease of use, and integrations with your current eCommerce platform. With the right shipping software, you can streamline your shipping process, save time and money, and provide a better overall customer experience.

    FAQs

    Which is the best eCommerce shipping software in 2023?

    Some of the best eCommerce shipping software in 2023 are:

    • ShipBob
    • Easyship
    • Shopify
    • Shippo
    • Ordoro
    • ShipStation

    Can you do your shipping on Shopify?

    Yes, you can do shipping on Shopify. Shopify integrates with various shipping carriers and also offers its own shipping label printing solution, Shopify Shipping.

    What is order fulfillment software?

    Order fulfillment software is a tool designed to help eCommerce businesses manage their order fulfillment process. This software automates the process of receiving, processing, and shipping customer orders.

    Is ShipStation an eCommerce platform?

    No, ShipStation is not an eCommerce platform. ShipStation is a shipping software designed to help eCommerce businesses manage their shipping process.

    What is eCommerce fulfillment?

    Ecommerce fulfillment refers to the process of storing, packing, and delivering products to customers who have purchased them online. This process includes receiving and managing inventory, picking and packing orders, preparing shipping labels, and delivering the products to the customers through a shipping carrier.

    How does eCommerce shipping software benefit my business?

    It saves time and money by automating shipping processes, provides access to discounted shipping rates, and enhances the customer experience by providing tracking information and delivery updates.

    Which shipping software is the best for my business?

    The best shipping software depends on your specific business needs and priorities, such as cost, shipping carrier options, ease of use, and platform integrations.

    Can I integrate eCommerce shipping software with my current platform?

    Most eCommerce shipping software offers integrations with popular eCommerce platforms, such as Shopify and Magento.

    Can eCommerce shipping software handle international shipping?

    Yes, many eCommerce shipping software options offer international shipping capabilities. Some of the examples are Shippo, ShippingEasy, Shipstation and Easyship.

    How do I get started with eCommerce shipping software?

    Most eCommerce shipping software can be set up and started quickly and easily, with step-by-step instructions and resources provided by the software provider.

  • How to Manage International Shipping for Your Ecommerce?

    E-commerce is the new wave for the present era! And you being a businessman must focus on international shipping. Fame comes with effort and that is exactly what this article is all about. Well, keep reading till you read the last sentence of this content as it conveys the exact strategies you need to follow to manage international shipping for your e-commerce.

    International Ecommerce Shipping from India

    Strategies for Maintaining Regular International Shipping for Your E-commerce

    Indian Ecommerce Market Growth Forecast by ibef.org
    Indian Ecommerce Market Growth Forecast by ibef.org

    International shipping needs a lot of strategies to become successful. Transaction of your goods does not only need good communication with your customers but also a lot more other than that. You have to do research work on duties and taxes that will apply to your shipment, the type of carriers that will fit your product the most, and also whether you will add on insurance to your transaction or not.

    It is better to pen down the strategies you are going to opt for your international shipping and then go for the final call.  Therefore, the given points are the most preferred policies you need to research for managing your shipments to international countries.

    How To Be A Pro In International Shipping

    At first, you need to recognize what products you are willing to ship and to which place on earth. The following strategies are some of the steps you must keep in mind before trusting your supporting franchise.

    • Shop’s Traffic Analytics- Online traffic can be your inspiration for expanding your marketing establishment all across the world. So always keep track of the regular traffic analytics of your online shop.
    Online Ecommerce Shopify Store Analytics
    Online Ecommerce Store Analytics

    This gives you an idea of the number of insights your website faced for the given period. However, you can also opt for sending direct customer requests to sell your goods in their markets. Always remember that high online traffic implies growth! So congratulations as your efforts are paying off now!

    • Identify Which Domestic Market is Fit For Your Business-  Are you interested in some of the domestic markets across the world, which you feel can be a good catalyst for your business growth? Well, you need to do good research on this before going for the final call. Going through e-commerce penetration is always an impressive step. Dig into the information which includes the trends and tastes, those markets prefer and sell the most.
    • Start Shipping Smaller Goods- If you are a beginner in international shipments, then you must first ship goods that have an amazing appeal to the international market. This will increase the public’s demand for your products. Also, lightweight goods are easier to ship and are also cost-effective. And if you are shipping a durable product then it is going to be a satisfactory delivery to your customers.
    • Marketing Language for Expansion- Dealing with customers worldwide is not a matter of joke! Therefore, you need to inherit some strong communication skills to mark progress toward your goal of market expansion. Moreover, if you are good at certain languages, then try to approach those countries that speak such languages to increase the reach of your business. Remember to make the best result out of your weapon, even if you have only a few of them!
    • Nearer transactions can be a great first step- You can fulfill the realistic expectations of your customers if you start preferring shipments to closer franchises. Small distance shipments at first give you a grip on the concept of domestic shipping. And smaller steps are always the most essential step to success. So go on and hunt behind near targets!

    The Four Factors You Need to Consider for Shipping Goods

    • Delivery Options- The more delivery options you provide to your customers, the more good reviews you get. So why don’t you offer them the choice to select their delivery preferences? Like some are interested in instant delivery and the others on a little delay! So you give them the options and work on their choice.
    Different International Shipping Delivery Options
    International Shipping Delivery Options
    • Insurance and Tracking- Shipment tracking is an amazing chance to keep an eye on the shipment progress of your goods. You being the sender can stay updated with the shipment progress and the concerned customers are also eligible to have a tracking report. And this strategy gives you the chance to stay tension free as you can easily find out when your goods are lost or destroyed. Well when you are shipping goods under an express agency, they provide insurance to keep your transaction hindrance free.
    Shipment tracking of an Order
    Shipment tracking of an Order

    Most of the global express companies do not include the “insurance” option but there is always an add-on for this option and it’s quite affordable. Therefore, whatever you are shipping, try to add proper “insurance” to it for staying tension free in the long run.

    • Cost Issues- Are you planning to save up money on shipping costs? Well in this case there are a lot of carrier types like- Postal carriers and Express Carriers. Postal Carriers are always the cheapest option you can go for. Of course cheaper the price, the less the service.
    International Postal Carrier Service Provider Companies
    Postal Carrier Service Provider Companies
    • These type of carriers does not promise you a specific time or date for shipment, rather the transaction process takes a long time. On the other hand, Express carriers ensure a speedy delivery and automatic add-on insurance for the goods, but they charge an expensive price.

    Therefore, it’s always best to do brief research and choose between postal, regional, and express carriers according to your plans and products. And it is always to know what is available for the international shipment process.

    • Shipping costs are the most essential thing to deal with when you are sending goods from your side to the customer’s reach. Talk to your customers about the extra charges required to keep their parcel harm free. transparent and communicative to your customers on shipping costs is paramount. Well, of course, transparency on fees does not imply scaring customers with an unexpected cost for shipment. This can degrade your online traffic. To avoid unpredictable bargaining, you can mention a fixed price on your policy page.

    Create A Detailed Export Packing List

    You must create a typically detailed sheet on the package and this list includes- the buyer’s name, proper address, seller’s address, invoice number, date of shipment, and likewise. This will avoid confusion in the long run and also be a compulsory step in international shipments. Furthermore, the packing list includes many more like-

    Product Packaging Detail List
    Product Packaging Detail List

    ● Carrier info

    ● The mode of transport

    ● The quality and type of the package to be shipped

    ● Dimensions and weight of the package

    ● Package marks for approval

    Guide on Shipping Rules and Regulations

    Shipping goods from one part of the world to another part takes a lot of strategies as well as guts. But before taking this step you are ought to aware of the concrete rules and regulations in this field. Do a briefing with your team members on the places you are planning to ship the products. Note down the parcel laws that the country believes in and then you are good to go! Just like some countries prohibit the entry of outside goods and some sets some limits on shipments. Are you having thought about how to get this information? Then set your eyes on the rest of the content to get an acceptable answer.

    ● To study the specific rules and regulations of your target countries, you can take help from UPS. They can guide you on this with full authority.

    ● While you are preparing for packing the products to ship, check whether they fall under the less harmful category. During International Shipping, the parcels can malfunction and it is not a new thing but you must check it properly. Understand what the categories like “ safe goods” and “harmful goods” mean and design accordingly. Moreover, you can visit the country’s government website to be on the safe side.

    Taxes on International Goods

    A specific tariff is charged by the concerned government body on international shipments. Well, these charges and duties are not fixed to a constant percentage and it keeps on changing by the dimensions and type of the package. Duties can be of two types- DDP( Delivery Duty Paid) and DDU( Delivery Duty Unpaid). In the case of DDP, you have to pay all the taxes that apply to your shipment as the merchant. And in the case of DDU, the customer pays the associated fees that apply to your shipment. So keep a record of these duties and the concerned taxes before shipping your goods.

    Conclusion

    International Shipping is the best option to expand your e-commerce across the whole world. And having a good communicable working team, your business can reach an unexpected height in the upcoming years. Therefore, giving the above-mentioned factors some research and thought can be very much helpful to you if you are a beginner in this field. And also never forget to try out new approaches and techniques to flourish your business.

    Therefore, now it’s time to buckle up and focus on expanding your business worldwide. Also, try to make your content reach every geographical corner of the world. And the above-mentioned article is the right key to your business interests! Therefore, good luck with your efforts!

    FAQs

    Which are top 10 fastest international shipping companies?

    Top 10 most popular international shipping companies who ship fast are-

    • DHL
    • FedEx
    • UPS
    • USPS
    • DB Schenker
    • Royal Mail
    • DTDC
    • Bluedart
    • Aramex
    • Ecomm Express

    Is it hard to ship internationally?

    Shipping goods internationally is a complicated process as it needs a lot of paperwork, one must consider the custom regulations, international shipping rates, lost or damaged parcel, the delivery time.

    How do I figure out international shipping cost?

    You need to check out following things to get an estimate of international shipping cost-

    • Origin or Destination of Product Delivery
    • Weight Type- Either Dimensional or Product Weight whichever is larger.
    • Shipping Mode
    • Warehouse expenses
    • Delivery Timings

  • 7 Ways to Optimize the Speed of Your Shopify Store

    Almost ¼ of visitors leave the site if it takes more than 4 seconds to load. 46% of these never return to the site due to poor website performance. A slow site leads to poor customer experience and drives the customers away.

    Would you ever wait for 15 seconds just for the website to load its content? You instantly leave the site and look for other stores. So, a slow site hampers website traffic and increases the bounce rate. Both of these negatively impact the potential customer base.

    Site speed is not just about technical maintenance. It directly influences the revenue. So, how do we fix your Shopify store site speed? Today, we will look at 7 tips to optimize your Shopify store site speed.

    1. Image Optimization
    2. Analyze Third-Party Apps
    3. Implement AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
    4. Choose Right Themes & Features
    5. Lazy Loaders
    6. Avoid Pop-Ups
    7. Reduce Redirects and Broken Links
    8. Shopify Store Site Speed Benchmark

    Shopify provides a site speed score on the dashboard itself. This score measures how fast your site loads based on Google lighthouse performance metrics. An average Shopify site speed score is 50. Anything above 70 is a great speed score.

    In case your site score is below 50, you should use these tactics to improve site performance. Apart from this, you should get professional help for technical nuances such as minifying Java and HTML script or render-blocking CSS and Javascript. Shopify sites work heavily on HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc., which slows down the site. So, if none of the below-mentioned tips works, check your codes and site back-end.

    1. Image Optimization

    Start with basics: images. High-resolution images can slow down the site speed. And if your store has multiple HD images, graphics, and videos, then your site will lag a lot. Here are 5 ways to optimize images and improve site speed:

    Upload compressed images

    They reduce the file size and load on the site. However, ensure to follow the specified image dimensions to avoid low-quality images.

    Avoid sliders and opt for a hero layout

    Only 1% of visitors go through sliders. So, instead of opting for 4-7 HD images, use 1 high-resolution image.

    Avoid GIFs or videos.

    If your product demands multiple images, go for 3-4 high-resolution images.  A high-quality GIF or video can lag and take ages to load on the visitor’s system.

    Use a deferred loader

    In case you can not do away with uploading many images, videos, or GIFs,  In this case, the site only loads content available on the user’s screen. So, as long as the user does not open the slider or reach the video, it will not be loaded. As a result, not only the limited content load, but the site runs faster.

    Stick to static images

    Instead of GIFs or videos, They save the load on the site and improve speed significantly.

    2. Analyze Third-Party Apps

    Installing a third-party app is standard practice for Shopify store owners. They add these for improved performance, adding features, automation, and much more. However, getting way too many apps impacts the code as well. It leads to slow speed. So?

    • Identify the apps that do not serve any purpose and are useless.
    • Uninstall these apps. In case certain features of the app are ineffective, remove them.
    • Disabling features or uninstalling apps does not remove the code integration. So, you need to remove them manually.

    Remove the unused apps. Apart from that, look for alternatives to the applications that interfere with site speed.

    3. Implement AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

    In 2020, 61% of website traffic came from mobile devices in the US. More than half of the users are checking your store from phones. But, the phone takes longer to load a normal website on a pc. So, optimizing your website for phones is non-negotiable.

    Your technical team could help you with mobile optimization. However, you can add some apps from the Shopify third-app directory to DIY. Apps like FireAMP and Shopsheriff help in AMP. It does take a considerable amount of time to set these up. However, you can tap a much larger audience by doing so.

    4. Choose Right Themes & Features

    Shopify has a vast library of themes, features, and fonts. These enhance the design of your website to make it look attractive. However, with every additional theme/ feature, the site slows down.

    • Ensure to add a responsive theme. Check if the theme slows the website, then replace it.
    • Analyze if all the features added are used or not. In case, if a feature is valueless, then remove/ disable them.
    • Opt for system fonts: Mono, Serif, and Sans-serif. Avoid fancy fonts that the user’s system has to download first. In such cases, it takes a lot of time to download the font, load the font, and load the website. Even though Shopify offers many options for fonts, sticking to basic system fonts works well.

    All the themes and features are heavy on CSS/ HTML, which impacts site speed. Choose them wisely and avoid unnecessary elements.

    5. Lazy Loaders

    Lazy loading is an optimization technique where the page only loads limited content. If the user is on a particular part of the store/ site, it only loads that specific part. It is similar to deferred video loading. Unless not required, the page will only load elements the user engages with.

    It is effective for stores that add many images, videos, GIFs, and other heavy files. It can save a considerable loading time and boost the site speed.

    6. Avoid Pop-Ups

    Pop-ups are crucial for businesses to highlight info products or newsletters. They help specific content to be in the spotlight to grab more attention. However, they reduce site speed and impact user experience.

    • Get away with large pop-ups that take up the entire page. They increase loading time and lead to site lags/ freezes. Also, it can be frustrating on the user end to get a pop-up that covers the entire page.
    • Use pop-ups on specific high-value pages. You do not need to add pop up on every single site/ store page. Analyze the requirement and use them accordingly.
    • Show a pop-up after a few seconds of a user hovering on your website. A user that gets in and out of your website would not engage with your pop-up. So, add a pop-up after 7-15 seconds of the user landing on your store. They are more effective and have a better click rate.

    A store can have various redirects or broken links. However, they lag the site, and speed significantly reduces. You can fix this directly through the Shopify dashboard by doing a 404 redirect.

    Alternatively, you could add a 301 redirect that takes the user to a new URL. Also, you could remove these links with the help of the technical team. They would remove any broken links and reduce the redirects.

    In addition to all these tips, you could use Google tag manager for store optimization. You migrate your code to the tool, which helps in loading all the code asynchronously together. From the technical aspect, there are many ways to improve store speed. It could mean minifying the HTML/ CSS, render-blocking, removing unnecessary codes, and migration.

    But, how much should your site take on average to load? Let us look at some benchmarks.

    8. Shopify Store Site Speed Benchmark

    A good Shopify store speed, available on the dashboard, is anything above 50. But there are other tools you can deploy to check your site speed.

    An average site takes about 3.8 seconds to load the first image and 22.1 seconds to become interactive. Does your site take longer? Check site loading speed for your Shopify store.

    Here is a chart demonstrating averages and the best Shopify store speed benchmarks.

    Particulars Top 20% Stores Average
    Load first image 2.78 seconds 3.8 seconds
    Time to interactive 8.98 seconds 22.1 seconds
    Page Size 2.1 Mb 4.41 Mb
    Images 1.11 Mb 2.1 Mb
    Requests 72 177

    In addition to this, you could check your site speed here as well.

    When using these sites, run the test three times to get a clear picture. Use averages from there on but do not depend upon a single test. This ensures better results and a clear picture of the store speed.

    FAQs

    What is the best speed for the Shopify store?

    Shopify speed score is reflected on the dashboard itself. Stores should try and get a score above 50. A speed score of 70 is considered great for the Shopify store.

    What are the most common items that slow down a website, specifically a Shopify website?

    The most common items that impact store speed are images and heavy back-end codes. High-resolution pictures, videos, and GIFs take time to load and become interactive. On the other hand, themes, features, and third-party apps increase the website code, which decreases store speed.

  • Ecommerce Automation – What Is It, Benefits, Tools, Case Studies and More

    Ecommerce automation is creating a lot of buzzes. But, does your company actually need it? Let’s find out.

    The main purpose of any eCommerce marketing campaign is to boost sales. This might include sending marketing emails, managing orders, dealing with customer service, and a lot more.

    These tasks may not look like a big deal when seen individually but can give you a headache when they start to pile up, wasting ample time out of your busy day. Also, apart from these, there are a lot of insignificant tasks that require your time and energy.

    As per Deloitte, such tasks are a waste of time, and shifting your attention can cause fundamental improvement in your operations. This is where automation comes into the picture.

    “The eCommerce industry is a force that no investor can afford to ignore” – Cushla Sherlock

    What Is Ecommerce Automation?
    Benefits of Ecommerce Automation
    Tasks to Automate in Your Ecommerce Business
    Top Tools to Automate Your Ecommerce Store
    Case Studies of Ecommerce Automation

    What Is Ecommerce Automation?

    As per the report published by NASA, 60% to 80% of businesses fail due to human errors. These errors can be easily avoided by using automation.

    Like the automation of any other industry, the purpose of eCommerce automation is to simplify your work and streamline the workflow. If you are running a growing company, you understand how often the work gets overwhelming when you feel like you need more workforce or more leaders or managers in your company.

    Automation can actually help you to overcome these issues by saving a lot of your time and energy. Moreover, with a machine taking care of your tasks, the chances of error are reduced to a minimum and your employees can focus on their actual work instead of worrying about something insignificant.

    Benefits of Ecommerce Automation

    As per Statista, the global retail automation market size which was around 11.3 billion U.S. dollars is expected to grow up to 33 billion dollars in 2030.

    This data clearly indicates that automation is helping businesses to grow which is why more and more businesses are relying on it.

    Let us explain in detail how eCommerce automation can actually help your growing business.

    Time Efficiency

    Getting rid of the repetitive tasks that have to be done every day can save a lot of your time. This increases the focus as well as productivity. Moreover, it gives you extra time to review your plans or start off the pending projects.

    Also, automation gives you the advantage of scheduling your tasks. For example, announcing the release of your new product, applying discounts, providing rewards, adjusting prices, etc.

    Streamlined Workflow & Increased Worker Engagement

    These trivial tasks have become a part of the routine workflow of your employees. Most employees complain that miscellaneous works disturb their actual work due to which they are unable to perform up to their potential.

    Using automation allows your employees to focus on more business-oriented work resulting in higher productivity and enhanced employee satisfaction.

    Boost Customer Satisfaction

    As a growing business, the number of your customers also keeps increasing making it difficult to keep them all satisfied. As most of the customers judge your services by the response time you can certainly improve customer satisfaction through automation.

    The eCommerce automation tools facilitate online shopping engagement giving your customers a great shopping experience. These happy customers mostly turn into repeat customers.

    Cost Reduction

    With automation, the cost of working also reduces considerably. The main reason for this is that the mundane tasks are taken care of by the tool so your employees can focus on their work without disturbance.

    This reduces the need for overtime work or increased manpower, ultimately reducing the expenditure.

    Better Communication With Suppliers

    The automation software gives before-time notification whether a product is about to go out of stock or inventory is below a certain level. These can also send triggers to the suppliers asking them to send in the required products.

    Moreover, with timely information, you also get time to look into the supplies rates or other better contracts that may be available from different suppliers. Thus, it helps you grab better deals.

    Tasks to Automate in Your Ecommerce Business

    Up till now, we have given you enough statistics and reasons to know that automating your eCommerce business is in your favor and can help you run faster towards your success.

    Now, let us take a look at the tasks that you can automate now to make your business grow faster.

    Customer Service

    Your employees may not be working after 5 but your customers might visit your website to buy a product even after the working hours are over, and they need assistance. So, how can you manage that?

    The answer is simple, automation. The ability of these tools to provide real-time feedback as well as their ability to instantly answer the queries leads to satisfied customers. Owing to the pleasant experience there is a high probability of these customers coming back to you.

    There are a lot of AI-based tools designed for this purpose. These work as chatbots or virtual assistants and respond to your customers based on the previously formulated rules and fed commands.

    Chatbot Example
    Chatbot Example

    Business Management Automation

    Whether you are about to add a new collection of products or have a weekly sale to offer, automation can help you with all your tedious jobs.

    The tool helps you to schedule your sales with regular posts on social media to attract the attention of customers or set a countdown to keep the hype alive in the customers, and much more.

    A number of heatmap tools are available that help you figure out where to post your ads while launching a new product. They also further help you identify the channels that are working well so you can pay more attention to them.

    Heatmap Example
    Heatmap Example

    Order & Inventory Management

    Managing the inventory is one of the most important yet boring tasks. You obviously need to keep track of your stock to inform the suppliers and order fresh products but doing this manually can be really tedious.

    You can use certain inventory management tools for these purposes that are easy to use and work like wonder. These tools can actually save you from losing revenue owing to poorly managed inventory.

    Automation tools are designed to prepare and send a purchase order to the relevant supplier whenever an item goes out of stock. You can also enable out-of-stock or low-stock notifications in these tools to keep you updated.

    Email Marketing

    Writing and sending emails to your customers manually can be really tedious and boring. Moreover, it is practically impossible to track the activity of each and every customer and send the emails accordingly.

    This is why automation tools are available for help. Whether you have to send the welcome emails, cart abandonment emails, order confirmation emails, or post-purchase engagement emails, these tools keep track of every customer without missing the details.

    Fraud Prevention

    As per a survey, fraudsters take away around $12 billion each year from the eCommerce industry. They use new and sophisticated techniques every time to deceive the customers and business owners.

    There are automation tools that can help you save a large amount of money going into the wrong hands. These tools help you verify each order by checking the IP address or carrying out other verification processes, thus saving you from fraud.

    Accounting

    From funds to invoices, or to keeping track of the payments made to suppliers, accounting can be difficult. Also, if you are new to the business keeping an accountant can be expensive.

    Automating your accounts can save your day. You can use tools that will help you through all your accounting needs without taking a toll on your budget.

    Website Building

    If you are just starting your website to set up your online business without a big budget, the automation tools can be a big help, especially if you are not a technical person.

    These tools can help you with most of your small problems like choosing a template for your website, changing themes, or adding pop-up banners. So you actually spend your money only when you are in real need.


    4 Processes You Can Automate in Your Business in 2021
    For most businesses, automation seems like a want – tucked away in their long-term plan. There’s a strong reason why 40% of large companies automate at least one of their processes.


    Top Tools to Automate Your Ecommerce Store

    Choosing the best automation tool for your website can be complicated. Below, we have listed 6 top automation tools to help you with your eCommerce business. They are:

    MailChimp

    This tool is best known for creating intuitive email campaigns depending on the type of business.

    HubSpot

    This is a very popular tool that mainly focuses on inbound marketing. It pays attention to the sales marketing activities and offers services for support, sales, and marketing.

    Zendesk

    This is an application available as a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS). It is popularly used for customer service.

    Verloop.io

    This tool is used for customer care to automate conversational support. The insightful data help you keep the customers engaged.

    Sendgrid

    This tool focuses on 1:1 email communication. Moreover, it directly sends customer-centric SMS-based notifications in real-time.

    Jumplead

    This tool helps you generate leads for your eCommerce store. You can also respond to customers, manage leads, and handle customer accounts through this.

    Case Studies of Ecommerce Automation

    For your reference, we are adding a few case studies to help you understand how eCommerce automation has helped several companies grow their online business.

    Truwood

    This Company manufactures bamboo and wood-made watches. They utilized cart abandonment emails and messages. They target the audience based on the value of the cart, giving preference to high-value carts.

    They send messages and emails to the cart owners with the picture of their selected product offering some discounts and creating a sense of urgency through a limited-time offer.

    This strategy has worked really well for the company increasing their return on investment by around 35 times.

    Draper James

    The brand organizes a weekly sale, every year, in mid-march, for celebrating the birthday of its founder, Reese Witherspoon. They utilize the science of retention for their marketing strategy.

    So, instead of the bulk emails, they only send customized emails to the users who have purchased or visited the site in the last 90 days. They nurture their leads by only sending relevant content to the target audience.

    This strategy has led to a 15.4% increase in their year-over-year revenue, even when they have been sending 48.7% lesser emails.

    Premier

    This eCommerce store sells accessories and apparel. They focused on improving the customer experience by sending them price drop emails for the product they have shown interest in their previous budget.

    The automation tools for sending customized emails have worked really well for the brand and resulted in a huge increase in open and click rates.

    Blush and Bar

    This brand sells sustainable and affordable jewellery. As they noticed that the maximum traffic for their site came through social media ads, they utilized these leads to reach their target audience.

    They generated pop-up ads for mobile devices that do not require much information to be filled in but allowed the user to subscribe in a few taps.

    This simple but effective marketing strategy has led to an increase of $39,000 in their sales within the first month of implementation.

    Embla

    This brand sells home goods online. They used a holistic SMS marketing strategy for improved customer experience and trust-building.

    Instead of asking every visitor to subscribe to their website they only triggered this to the customers who were in the final stages of buying their product. Through this, they began a friendly re-engagement campaign for their customers.

    This strategy has really helped them to win back inactive customers and resulted in a 60% increase in their conversion rates.


    How Sales Automation Can Help You Boost Revenue?
    Sales automation is a great way to increase sales and automate tasks. Want to find out how you can leverage it to increase sales?


    Conclusion

    Ecommerce automation in all its capacity is helping businesses to grow online. The different services are offered as per the business requirements. They help in better utilization of time, money, and resources as well as help in improving customer satisfaction.

    These tools are designed to streamline the workflow and increase work engagement. Overall, the Ecommerce automation tools are worth your money, time, and efforts.

    FAQs

    Why do companies use eCommerce automation?

    Many companies use eCommerce automation to streamline workflow, save time, boost efficiency, and also help boost customer satisfaction.

    What is workflow automation in eCommerce?

    Workflow automation is when repetitive tasks are done with the help of automation tools instead of humans.

  • Amazon Cloudtail India: Why Did It Shut Down? | Is It Good News for Retailers?

    If you have ever tried to buy or sell products on Amazon, you must have come across this brand “Cloudtail India”. It used to be the largest seller on Amazon in India but has recently ceased its operation.

    This joint initiative of Amazon and Catamaran Venture was shut down on 19th May 2022 leading to the end of a seven-year-long partnership between the two well-recognized organizations.

    Before announcing the end of the partnership Amazon India announced a 100% acquisition of Cloudtail India. The employees earlier working for the joint venture has been given the option to continue at Amazon or take a voluntary exit.

    In this blog, we will discuss everything about Cloudtail India, how it worked and why this successful partnership was brought to an end with mutual agreement between the two parties.

    If you are associated with Amazon, either as a seller or a buyer, this is important for you. If you are asking “Why”, keep reading this blog till the end.

    What is Cloudtail India?
    How Did Cloudtail India Work?
    What Went Wrong With Cloudtail India?
    Is Shutting Down of Cloudtail India Good News for Retailers?

    What is Cloudtail India?

    Catamaran Venture is a venture capital firm i.e. it funds the startups or other organizations that require capital. The net worth of the company is around $ 127 million. It is headed by N.r. Narayana Murthy has made investments across high-growth sectors such as technology, eCommerce, healthcare, etc.

    Amazon started functioning in India in 2013. It was the time when the online market in India was least developed and Amazon had to work hard to get customers.

    For this reason, in 2014, Amazon India and Catamaran Venture initiated a joint venture under the name Prione Business Services. The basic objective of this venture was to bring more small retailers and businessmen online.

    This on one hand would help the retailers to expand their market and reach more customers and on the other hand, helped Amazon to earn a reputation and recognition in the country.

    Prione Business Services contributed quite a lot to advancing the online market in India. It provided support systems for the retailers or merchants by helping them with issues as small as listing or describing their products on Amazon.

    According to the statement, Prione enabled more than 300,000 sellers and entrepreneurs to establish their online market. Also, it helped 4 million merchants with digital payment capabilities.

    However, in the same year i.e. 2014, Prione also established its very own subsidiary company in India, under the name “Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd.” which was engaged in the B2C retail business.

    Under Prione’s ownership, Cloudtail worked as an online retailer and by the end of 2020, it was selling over 30 lakh products under multiple categories such as fashion, apparel, appliances, media, consumables, etc. on Amazon.

    No doubt, Cloudtail India became the largest seller on Amazon leaving its other competitors behind with a great margin.

    How Did Cloudtail India Work?

    At present, Amazon has over four lakh sellers and more than two crore customers registered with it.

    The normal procedure for retailers to sell their products on Amazon includes registering themselves on the website. After this, the sellers list their products on the website with the price that also includes the profit share of Amazon.

    Generally, this profit share lies between 5-25% depending on the product category and price. This share includes commission, fixed fees, and other similar charges.

    As the seller has to earn profit by selling these products, some amount of profit share is included in the price of the product due to which the customer has to buy the product at slightly higher rates.

    The price of the product further increases as the vendor also has to pay delivery charges to Amazon which start from Rs. 82/- onwards. Moreover, these sellers also have to bear the promotion charges for their product which again adds to the price of the product. Therefore, the prices at which the customer has to buy the products of these brands are quite higher in comparison to what the seller would offer without including these charges.

    However, as Amazon had its own equity in Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd. the company does not pay any commission to Amazon for listing or selling its products. There is no delivery or promotion fee included for any of the products sold by Cloudtail.

    Due to this the prices of the products obviously remain quite low in comparison to its competitors. This gave Cloudtail India an edge over other retailers.

    Moreover, being the parent company Amazon prioritizes the products sold by Cloudtail India by always listing them at the top of the page. This further increased the sale of products making Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd. the biggest seller on Amazon.

    Amazon Cloudtail India Business Timeline
    Amazon Cloudtail India Business Timeline

    How to Start an Ecommerce business in India 2022?
    Are you thinking about starting an ecommerce business in India in 2022? This is your complete guide to successfully start an ecommerce company!


    What Went Wrong With Cloudtail India?

    As per the law, India prohibits Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in inventory-based models for eCommerce. This means that the companies such as Amazon and Flipkart are only allowed to work as a marketplace.

    These companies are only permitted to provide platforms to other sellers or merchants or businesses to enlist their products and sell them but they cannot list their own products on the platform.

    Due to this legal concern, a number of objections were being raised by other retailers and merchants selling their goods on Amazon about the close partnership between Amazon and Catamaran Venture.

    In this regard, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a Press Note on 26th December 2018.

    This note clearly disallowed the participation of marketplaces in any type of seller activity even through any “Group companies”. This means that these platforms are not allowed to sell their own products on their platform as this would hamper the business of other small retailers.

    Here, Group Company meant two or more enterprises that directly or indirectly exercise 26% of the voting rights in another enterprise or appoint more than 50% of the board members in their entity.

    To abide by this law, Catamaran Ventures 2019 increased its stake in Cloudtail India from 51% to 76%. Thus, the stake of Amazon in the joint venture was reduced from earlier 49% to 24% later.

    Therefore, as Amazon now had only a 24% share in the joint venture, and the law spoke about 26% or more share, Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd. could still sell products to Amazon without violating any law.

    Even after this, the small businessmen and other retailers or vendors on Amazon claimed that the parent company of Cloudtail India Pvt. Ltd., i.e. Prione Business Services was established with the intention to help small retailers and sellers to start their online businesses.

    However, as the online market has now gained enough popularity in the country, the target has been fulfilled and the company is no longer required.

    In 2019, Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh (DVM) submitted a plea with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Amazon and Flipkart.

    In this plea, they accused these marketplaces of abusing their market dominance and preferential listing and deep discounting on products sold by selected vendors in which they control indirect stakes.

    They alleged that these marketplaces were drawing indirect benefits from these brands indicating a conflict of interest. Due to this, the online market of small businesses is getting hampered as they are unable to efficiently reach their target customers.

    In this regard, the Director-General of the Competition Commission of India launched an inquiry for alleged violation of Section 3 of the Competition Act, in January 2020.

    To resolve this issue, Catamaran Venture and Amazon India first approached Karnataka High Court and later the honourable Supreme Court of India. However, both the courts stated that the companies should be open to such anti-trust investigations in their business practices.

    In the light of this statement, as well as the changing regulatory environment and unfavourable eCommerce operating guidelines, both the companies announced the end of their seven-year-long partnership.

    Hence, Cloudtail India was finally shut down.


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    Is Shutting Down of Cloudtail India Good News for Retailers?

    Honestly speaking, Yes. This decision will provide small businesses and other online retailers and vendors a level playing field. Strict regulatory rules were required in this field for a long time which have now been implemented.

    This will also reduce the monopoly of these marketplaces to endorse a few specific brands that bring more indirect profit to them.

    Overall, the small sellers will be benefitted who will now be able to sell their products in a healthy competitive environment.

    Conclusion

    With the partnership between Amazon and Catamaran Venture coming to an end, this is certainly an issue of concern for Amazon as it has invested around $ 1 billion in India.

    Also, the customers might have to buy the products at slightly higher prices as the subsidiary brand is no longer available to provide the products at the least rates.

    However, this will provide equal rights and symmetry to the small businessmen, sellers, vendors, etc. who will now have better opportunities to expand their online market.

    FAQs

    Is Cloudtail India owned by Amazon?

    No, Cloudtail India was a joint venture with Catamaran Ventures but Amazon has purchased a 76% stake in the company and now Cloudtail is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.

    Is Cloudtail India shutting down?

    Yes, Cloudtail India will shut down its operations on May 1.

    Who is the owner of Cloudtail India?

    Prione Business Services Private Limited was the owner of Cloudtail India.

    Why did Cloudtail India shut down?

    As per e-commerce regulations, online marketplaces cannot own any direct stake in seller entities which is the reason Cloudtail India has to shut down its operations.

  • Quickshift (QS): End-to-end fulfillment solutions for your eCommerce business

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Quickshift.

    Quickshift (QS) offers a complete suite of fulfillment services for any D2C brand that wants to scale up quickly while offering the best customer service. Through its tech-enabled, multi-city warehouses and integrated shipping, it offers- transparent order management, storage, shipping, COD, RTO, Non-Delivery Receipt (NDR), and ultimately customer delight. Its shipping coverage is 29,000 Pin Codes across India and is currently servicing over 150 D2C brands.

    StartupTalky interviewed Anshul Goenka & Prodipto Roy (Co-founders, Quickshift) to get insights into the startup story of Quickshift. In this article you’ll discover how Quickshift was conceptualized, its business model, funding, and more.

    Quickshift – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Quickshift
    Founders Anshul Goenka (CEO), Prodipto Roy
    Headquarters Pune, Maharashtra
    Founded 2018
    Industry eCommerce fulfillment
    Website quickshift.in

    Quickshift – About and Vision
    Quickshift – Industry Details
    Quickshift – Idea and Inspiration
    Quickshift – Product/Service and USP
    Quickshift – Founders and Team
    Quickshift – Business Model & Revenue Model
    Quickshift – Launch and Marketing Strategies
    Quickshift – Growth
    Quickshift – Funding and Investors
    Quickshift – Competitors
    Quickshift – FAQs

    Quickshift – About and Vision

    Quickshift (QS) offers a complete suite of fulfillment services for any D2C brand that wants to scale up quickly while offering the best customer service. A challenge for a D2C brand today is how to fulfill in a cost-effective manner within a time frame of same-day or 1-2 days if they get an order from another part of India typically 2000 km away. If the brand does not service, then they risk disappointing the customer, and cannot build scale, thus increasing their Cost of Customer Acquisition further. This is where QS steps in. Through its tech-enabled, multi-city warehouses and integrated shipping, it offers- transparent order management, storage, shipping, COD, RTO, Non-Delivery Receipt (NDR), and ultimately customer delight.

    QS wants to be the company of choice for any brand marketing its products digitally. It wants to be recognized for its tech-leadership, building inefficiency in the post ‘buy’ phase of the customer, a critical time when the Post Purchase Dissonance sets is and the same can be lost.

    QS’s team believes in the Indian consumption story. It seems tremendous opportunity in the consumer value chain that technology presents. These would start forming as the endeavor grows.

    Quickshift – Industry Details

    The total logistics market in India is about US$ 215 Bn in Yr. 2020, it is expected to rise to US$ 450 Bn.  Like-wise the 3PL logistics market is about US$8 Bn, likely to expand to US$18 Bn in the same time frame. Based on current data, QS’s market share of this serviceable 3 PL market is 0.2%.

    Source: Edelweiss Report (3PL)


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    Quickshift – Idea and Inspiration

    The business model has been functioning of research as well as evolution. QS in its very early days was offering fleet as well as fulfillment, it realized the need for technology and the substantial difference it would make in Order Management, right up to the customer and then the payment process. Hence QS started integrating the full value chain. Once brands onboarded, they got the advantage of integrated processes. They no longer had to talk separately to tech enabler for Order Management, a warehousing company (and multiple ones for different zones), a logistics/courier partner for the last mile, etc., steps that increased the no. of transactions and created complexities. Instead, QS was answering that. The brands themselves asked QS to open more centers to enable their fulfillment go pan India, and hence came the multi-city distribution plan.

    Quickshift – Product/Service and USP

    QS has built integrations with all leading marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Ajio, etc as well integrates with any own developed e-com platforms like Shopify, Woocommerce, Magento, etc. On the shipping side, Quickshift can reach out to 30000 Pin Codes across India through its affiliations promising same day and next day TAT’s. It has its own fulfillment centers in Mumbai, NCR-Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, and Kolkata, all tech-enabled to manage the process efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. It provides a dashboard to its customers that offers them to have a birds-eye view of its stocks across warehouses, its orders getting processed, despatches, COD’s and also insights into its sales and inventory.  

    • QS reduces the costs of fulfillment by over 35%
    • For a brand, it provides a single point of contact for Warehousing, Order Processing, Shipping, and Technology
    • In addition, to International brands that would like to create a distribution network to tap the Consumption potential in India, QS provides a one-stop-shop to establish its reach within India

    Quickshift – Founders and Team

    Anshul Goenka (CEO) and Prodipto Roy are the co-founders of Quickshift.

    Co-founders of Quickshift
    Quickshift co-founders – Anshul Goenka and Prodipto Roy

    Prodipto recently joined as a co-founder, however, the founders knew each other since the inception of Quickshift and he was advising and mentoring the startup throughout. When Quickshift reached a decent scale and the workload starting increasing, it is then when Asnhul proposed to Prodipto to come in full time as a co-founder. Prodipto saw value in what Quickshift was building and for the team, he brings 2 decades of experience with him, therefore it was an easy match. Currently, Anshul looks over Operations, Tech & Product, Finance, While Prodipto looks over Sales, Marketing, CRM and we jointly discuss strategy, hiring, etc.

    The current company Size is about 30 Corporate employees including Tech, Ops, Sales and Marketing, MIS & Finance. They have additional 70+ folks working across fulfillment centers in various cities.

    The hiring process of Quickshift is very simple. The candidate should be driven by Quickshift’s mission and vision and should be able to see value in what the team is building. Experience and Skillset do matter but eventually, the candidate should be passionate about what the startup envisions.

    QS team
    Quickshift Team

    Quickshift – Business Model & Revenue Model

    All brands need storage, order fulfillment, and shipping. QS provides that. It has a pay-per-use model for charging its customers. It charges for its services rendered for example Platform fee, Inward processing, Storage, Order Processing, and Shipping. It has an EBIDTA of 60%.

    Quickshift – Launch and Marketing Strategies

    The first part is to go after a genuine problem statement that has a large market. If your product or service truly solves the pain point then getting your first set of users is not very difficult.

    The second part is to have great/committed folks join your team.

    Your first set of customers has to be handheld. The founders have to actively be involved in their day-to-day affairs. Regular interactions with your first set of customers help you learn and better the experience that you are building. A relationship has to be built and your clients have to be like your partners through thick and thin.

    Quickshift has recently started marketing across digital mediums, only when the team was sure that they have a product that is ready to take on the market, did they aggressively build campaigns. Initially, it was more about performance marketing but we have also focused on building a ‘go-to’ brand, which has top-of-the-mind recall be it with its potential customers, employees, investors, etc.


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    Quickshift – Growth

    QS is operational in Mumbai, NCR-Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Pune. Its shipping coverage is 29000 Pin Codes across India. It is currently servicing over 150+ D2C brands.

    As the trends move more towards online/eCommerce and social commerce consumption, Quickshift is in a space that is bound to grow. It has plans to scale up in terms of its capacity, more technological introductions that further enhance the customer service feature as well as make the entire fulfillment experience seamless, more efficient, and more competitive are planned.

    Quickshift – Funding and Investors

    Quickshift’s funding details are as follows –

    Date Stage Amount Investors
    July 2021 Seed USD 770,000 Anicut, Axilor

    Quickshift – Competitors

    Shiprocket, Wareiq, and Eshopbox are the competitors of Quickshift.

    Quickshift – FAQs

    What is Quickshift?

    Quickshift (QS) offers a complete suite of fulfillment services for any D2C brand that wants to scale up quickly while offering the best customer service. Through its tech-enabled, multi-city warehouses and integrated shipping, it offers- transparent order management, storage, shipping, COD, RTO, Non-Delivery Receipt (NDR), and ultimately customer delight.

    Who founded Quickshift?

    Anshul Goenka (CEO) and Prodipto Roy are the co-founders of Quickshift.

    Is Quickshift an Indian company?

    Yes. Quickshift is an Indian company headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra.

    When was Quickshift launched?

    QS was launched in 2018.

    How does Quickshift make money?

    Quickshift has a pay-per-use model for charging its customers. It charges for its services rendered for example Platform fee, Inward processing, Storage, Order Processing, and Shipping.