In the logistics business, the costs associated with fulfilling an order—commonly known as fulfillment costs—can determine a company’s profitability and operational efficiency. If you’ve been in e-commerce, retail, or any industry dependent on the delivery of goods, you’ve likely wondered … Read More
Latest Posts
Does Outsourcing Your Fulfillment to a 3PL Make You Lose Control of Your Business?
As businesses evolve, so do their logistics and supply chain management needs. One option that many companies are considering is outsourcing their fulfillment operations to a Third-Party Logistics provider (3PL). However, some concerns arise regarding the potential loss of control … Read More
Comparing Bubble Mailers, Poly Mailers, Corrugated Boxes, Poly Bags & Paperboard – Ultimate Shipping Guide
When it comes to shipping products, choosing the right packaging can make all the difference in ensuring your items arrive safely and in good condition. There are many packaging options available, but some of the most popular ones are Bubble … Read More
5 Pitfalls (& Their Solutions) to Help Navigate the Holiday Rush for eCommerce Merchants
The 2023 Holiday Season will soon be upon us, and this year’s eCommerce merchants face greater uncertainty. Forecasts vary, but most expect this year’s sales growth to be in the low single digits, adding to the pressure to maximize holiday … Read More
What Makes a Great 3PL? Factors You Need to Consider When Choosing a 3PL Provider
In the supply chain landscape, Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers play a key role in streamlining operations for businesses all around the world. With the choices available, selecting the ideal 3PL partner can be a daunting task. So, what distinguishes an … Read More
Examples of 3PL Companies & Some That Are Not (& Is DHL Really a 3PL?)
I. The 3PL Basics In the world of logistics and supply chain management, businesses must seek methods to optimize, scale, and enhance their operations in order to grow. Central to these efforts is the concept of Third-party Logistics, commonly known … Read More
How to Reduce Shipping Costs in 2023 for Every Ecommerce Platform From Ebay to Etsy + Universal Tips
Shipping costs can be a significant expense for businesses operating on various ecommerce platforms. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide cost-saving strategies tailored for each popular ecommerce platform, including Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Etsy, Ebay, and others. While some cost-saving … Read More
Top 9 Key Metrics (KPI’s) for Achieving E-commerce Success
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, success is often determined by data-driven decisions. In 2022 eCommerce in the US grew 7.7% YOY and topped $1 trillion (1). Monitoring and analyzing key metrics is essential for understanding the health and growth … Read More
Is it Better to Offer Free Shipping? The Psychology of “Free”
The Psychology of Free Shipping: How It Affects Consumer Behavior and Sales In online retail, one of the key (and sometimes controversial) strategies that businesses often debate is whether or not to offer free shipping to their customers. The concept … Read More
Unlocking Customer Trust in the Digital Age: Harnessing the Power of Social Proof
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, building customer trust is a vital piece of the puzzle for retailers. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, online businesses face the challenge of establishing credibility without the advantage of physical presence. However, in 2023, there’s an … Read More
Rock the Contact Center
Are you looking to revitalize your customer engagement strategy? Look no further than Speed Commerce, where we craft tailored approaches to suit our clients’ unique needs. By delving deep into your brand, industry, and competition, we gain the insights necessary … Read More
Will Outsourced Order Fulfillment Save My Business Money?
Outsourcing order fulfillment has become a popular option for businesses looking to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and focus on core competencies. However, many businesses still have misconceptions about outsourcing, such as the belief that it only means sending tasks … Read More
Tips for Spring Cleaning Your eCommerce Site
Spring cleaning time is here! Much like we all need to assess and tidy up our physical space, it’s also a great time to take a fresh look at your eCommerce site and ensure it’s up to par with current … Read More
5 Tips to Rock International Shipping (Updated 2023)
International selling continues to present a tremendous opportunity for small businesses to grow. As ecommerce continues to thrive, millions of consumers from various countries opt to shop online rather than in retail stores. However, managing international shipping for your retail … Read More
The Battle for Retail: eCommerce vs. Brick-and-Mortar
The retail industry is constantly evolving, and the competition between ecommerce and brick-and-mortar stores remains intense. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so who ultimately wins the battle for customers’ hearts and wallets? Let’s take a closer look. Round 1: Sales … Read More
Is Your eCommerce Business Missing Out on the Power of AI and Data to Reduce Returns?
Speed Commerce releases white paper about reducing returns with artificial intelligence and data.
It’s (Still) the Holiday Season in eCommerce
Ecommerce has changed how people shop, allowing retailers to expand their customer base beyond physical stores. With the rise of online shopping, holidays have become an important time for ecommerce retailers to offer sales and discounts. Spring is no exception, … Read More
Shoppers not buying? Check your product pages!
You’ve invested in marketing and advertising. Traffic to your online store is better than it’s ever been. But sales? Not quite what you were expecting. Why? The answer may be there, in front of you. There, on your screen: it’s your … Read More
3 eCommerce Stats You Need to OWN!
As an online merchant, you can access a wealth of business and customer information previously undiscovered and uncaptured in the traditional retail space. However, with new information comes new responsibility to do something with that data and use it to … Read More
Ready for Omnichannel? Start Here!
Retail has changed, and customer expectations have never been higher. Is it time for you to consider omnichannel? You get the idea that omnichannel retail means selling to customers across different platforms – online, mobile, brick-and-mortar, and direct selling. Customers … Read More
Starting an Online eCommerce Business
Many entrepreneurs have gained independent success by starting an online ecommerce business. There are many ways to start an ecommerce business, whether through your own website, drop shipping, or launching on a marketplace (Amazon, Walmart, etc.). It can be a … Read More
5 Myths About Free Shipping
Shipping is a significant component of ecommerce – it’s the last step in the order fulfillment process and possibly the last interaction your customer will have with you. However, it remains one of the most common negatives that consumers name … Read More
5 Marketing Tips for an Awesome eCommerce Holiday Season
We’ll share five suggestions for the best ways to shout your holiday cheer from the rooftops and bring some extra sales down your chimney this year! 1. Don’t ‘rush’ the holiday rush Yes, we all know you want to get … Read More
To Cross-Dock or Not to Cross-Dock?
Here’s a question for operations-minded people: should you cross-dock? Cross-docking refers to moving a product from a manufacturer to a fulfillment warehouse, which then turns and delivers it directly to the customer with little or no material handling in between. … Read More
3 Tips for Holiday eCommerce Emails That Convert
The holiday season is in full swing. Are your email marketing efforts ready? If not, here are a few tips to get them in shape. 1. Segment your lists Not all customers are equal. The way to get subscribers to … Read More
Top Tips for Better Picking and Packing
Pick and pack is one of the keys to successful order fulfillment. If you can get your products off the shelves and ready to ship with zero error, that’s half the fulfillment battle already won. Today’s ecommerce landscape requires pick-and-pack … Read More
5 Things Customers Want From Your Contact Center
So here’s the deal: simply being able to speak to a customer care representative does not define superior customer service today. Recent research has even found that over half said they would prefer to quickly solve their issue using an … Read More
4 Reasons Why a Single-Source Partner Makes More Sense
You’ve decided that outsourcing your order fulfillment is the wisest thing to do as you grow your business. What next? Do you start handing out contracts to the lowest bidder for each facet of your operations? The ecommerce industry is … Read More
5 Site Usability Tips for an Awesome eCommerce Holiday Season
A good user experience is key to a successful ecommerce site, and it’s essential during the holiday season. When time is of the essence, and everyone’s offering the deal of a lifetime, your site better be easy to navigate and … Read More
5 Tips for an Awesome eCommerce Holiday Season in the Warehouse
With about two months left before we’re in the thick of the holidays, you can still get procedures in place to prepare for your holiday peak. Here, we’ll talk about five tips for readying your warehouse operations for the most … Read More
How To: Make Fulfillment a Marketing Asset
The fulfillment process involves nearly every part of your ecommerce business. But if you’re not using the warehouse as a hotbed for post-purchase marketing, you’re missing out on opportunities to build brand loyalty and extend the customer experience! How? Every … Read More
3 Ways Live Chat Builds an eCommerce Business
Studies show that 44 percent of online consumers believe that having questions answered in real-time while making an online purchase is one of the most important features an online retailer can offer. Are you offering live chat on your site? … Read More
More Myths About Online Retail to Avoid
If you’re looking to avoid ruining customer relationships, losing sales to competitors, and making your operations team miserable, let’s dive into some myth-busting about online retail. “A good website is all you need to have a successful ecommerce business.” Having … Read More
5 Tips for an Awesome eCommerce Holiday Season in the Contact Center
We’re back with more holiday prep tips for ecommerce retailers! Today, we’ll tackle one of the most critical pieces of a direct-to-consumer business’ operations, regardless of the season: customer care. Just one minor slip-up in customer service during the emotionally-charged … Read More
5 Ways to Upsell More Product This Holiday Season
What’s better than a holiday sales season? A record-setting holiday sales season with more sales and less effort! You’ll already be processing tons of orders this peak season, so we’ve come up with a few ways for you to up … Read More
Solving the Problem of Slow-Moving Inventory
Anyone running a retail operation is all too familiar with the acronym SKU or stock keeping unit. You’re probably also familiar with SMI or slow-moving inventory if you’re managing your inventory. Slow-moving inventory is merchandise sitting in your warehouse and … Read More
Understanding the Omnichannel Customer Experience
Omnichannel retail means giving customers a seamless, consistent experience no matter how they choose to do business with you. Getting your customer service channels all on the same page seems daunting. But never fear – we’ve identified four areas to … Read More
4 Cyber Monday Disasters – and How to Avoid Them
Monday, November 28, 2022, is three short months away. Are you ready for one of the biggest online shopping days of the year? With all that pressure, there are bound to be a few mishaps. Here, we’ll tackle four common … Read More
How Fulfillment Makes the Sale: Product Returns
This blog is part four of a four-part series about how order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the complete guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here. If there is one thing that strikes … Read More
How Fulfillment Makes the Sale: Shipping Options
This blog is part two in a four-part series about ways that order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the full guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here. Sh This blog is part two … Read More
How Fulfillment Makes the Sale: Order Delivery
This blog is part one in a four-part series about ways that order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the complete guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here. The order fulfillment process is pretty … Read More
Launching a Store? Don’t Make These 4 Mistakes
Don’t Make These Four Mistakes Setting up an online store may seem easy, considering there are fewer barriers to entry than traditional retail: no store footprint to lease or buy, no retail staff to hire and pay, no utilities to … Read More
DIM Weight 101
What you need to know about dimensional weight pricing If you run an ecommerce business, you know how much time, effort, and resources are dedicated to shipping and logistics. At some point, you’ve probably heard the terms dimensional weight and … Read More
5 Ways to Fail at Fulfillment
Fulfillment is one of the most critical parts of the ecommerce order lifecycle. As peak seasons get busier, the competition gets heavier, and margins get smaller, the demand for outsourced order fulfillment grows. There are plenty of outsourced fulfillment partners … Read More
Ask These 10 Inventory Management Questions
Are you ready to outsource your order fulfillment? We’ve gathered 10 inventory management questions that should be on your list to ask your fulfillment partner. Outsourcing your ecommerce order fulfillment can save precious time, money, and headaches. It’s an excellent … Read More
Are you keeping up with fulfillment?
You’ve invested in marketing – SEO, paid search, email marketing, social – and it’s paying off. Orders to your online store are on the rise, and you’re forecasting that trend to continue. But is fulfillment keeping up with online sales? … Read More
Have you outgrown your fulfillment provider? Here’s how to find out.
Choosing the right order fulfillment vendor is hard. Your fulfillment provider is the very link between your products and your customers. Maintaining that relationship is important, but things change as you and your business evolve. It would help to analyze … Read More
5 More Things Customers Want From Your Contact Center
We’re back with five more things that customers expect from ecommerce retailers’ customer care. Let’s dive into another list, shall we? (Missed the first article? Check it out here.) 1. Knowledge Your contact center agents need to have in-depth knowledge … Read More
4 Myths About Outsourced Order Fulfillment
For many direct-to-consumer retailers, outsourced order fulfillment is a misunderstood process – and a polarizing one at that. Some are all-in and couldn’t imagine running their businesses without it, while others are convinced that using a third-party partner will ruin … Read More
3 Tips for Faster eCommerce Returns
Whether it’s the holiday season or your slowest season, some customers will send their orders back for many reasons. The product could be the wrong size/color, damaged, or not wanted or needed. Whatever the issue is, when you receive a … Read More
Tips for Running a Safer Warehouse
We’ve spoken before about how fulfillment is a crucial and time-consuming aspect of ecommerce. It’s a massive problem if you cannot fulfill your orders efficiently and accurately. But nothing goes hand-in-hand with maximum warehouse productivity like a safe facility and … Read More
Why It’s Important to be PCI Compliant?
Nearly 15 percent of consumers said they had abandoned their online purchase during the payment process due to concerns about the site’s security standards. A data breach can do more than temporarily bring down a business: it can ruin customers’ … Read More
4 Pointers for Landing a Career in eCommerce
Ecommerce is an essential sector of the economy now. So it’s no surprise that younger people are researching how to get into a career in ecommerce. However, if you’re already a professional, there’s never been a better time to bring … Read More
5 (More) Common Myths about Outsourced Fulfillment
We’re revisiting our last post with five more crazy things we’ve heard about outsourced order fulfillment to talk about. Read on to learn more. 1. Order fulfillment doesn’t matter as long as my website looks good. Ecommerce is highly visual, … Read More
4 Ways to Go Green in the Warehouse
We all want to do our part to reduce our impact on the environment. Well, just because ecommerce operates online doesn’t mean that we’re guilty of being unkind to Mother Nature. Here are a few ways to make your fulfillment … Read More
6 Things You Could be Doing if You Outsourced Your Fulfillment
We love running warehouses, managing contact centers, and shipping orders. Fortunately for us, not everyone in direct-to-consumer retail loves it as much as we do. Based on our conversations with our ecommerce clients and a few observations after 40 years … Read More
8 Real-Life Frustrations of In-House Order Fulfillment
While the thought of outsourced fulfillment can make a retailer nervous, in-house operations can bring a whole new level of frustration that you may not think is possible. Here, we examine the top 8 biggest “uggh” moments that direct-to-consumer retailers … Read More
Is Proprietary Software a Deal-Breaker When Picking a Fulfillment Partner?
Proprietary ecommerce software: Is it a distinct advantage to an ecommerce retailer looking for the right partner or just some fancy attribute on their website? In reality, custom-build software can sometimes differentiate between a smooth, uncomplicated fulfillment process and a … Read More
4 Tips for an Awesome Spring Selling Season
We have just a few more weeks until the spring holidays, so it’s time to finalize your ecommerce storefront’s preparations. In 2021, Americans spent an estimated $21.7 billion (yes, billion with a “b”) on Easter, and even more on Mother’s … Read More
Top Spring and Summer eCommerce Peaks
With the hectic post-holiday return cycle winding down, we look to what’s in store for shopping trends in ecommerce. Merchants are preparing for the spring and summer months which are chock-full of other great shopping holidays that deserve attention. Let’s … Read More
Your Customer is Our Customer: The Keys to Effective Outsourced Service
In the ecommerce world, outsourcing sometimes comes across as a negative – there is a feeling that, by letting go of some control, you will lose the trust you have built with your customers. It can be scary to let … Read More
Think You Know Contact Centers? Take the Quiz!
Think you know everything about direct-to-consumer contact centers? Take our quick 10-question quiz on contact centers to test your knowledge, then let us know how you scored in the comments at the end of this post! 1. What is ACD? … Read More
Top Tips for Hiring in the Contact Center: Recruitment Marketing
A couple of weeks, we touched on what to look for in a contact center agent. But how do you get the right agent to apply for the job? Let’s look at recruitment marketing strategies to help you find the best … Read More
What Happens After a Customer Clicks ‘Buy Now’?
Ecommerce provides a super-fast, convenient way for consumers to get what they want. However, a whole lot has to happen in the background to make this entire process the seemingly-easy process that customers believe it to be. The order fulfillment … Read More
Tips for Hiring the Best Contact Center Agents
As the point of contact with customers, a contact center agent can single-handedly make or break a sale – and the customer relationship. That’s why a contact center must hire the best agents for their brand. Today, we’ll share some insights … Read More
Outsourcing Operations Makes the Holiday Season a Success
An expert third-party fulfillment provider can be a great help to ecommerce retailers looking to reduce costs, increase operational efficiencies, and expand their service and delivery offerings (all while focusing more on their business growth). But it becomes instrumental during … Read More
10 Signs You’ve Found a Great eCommerce Growth Partner
Whether you’re an ecommerce start-up that is just launching your brand or a seasoned online retailer who needs to expand, you’ll need an outsourced fulfillment partner who will encourage your company’s growth. But how do you know you’re making the … Read More
4 Tips to Bring Out Your Brand in the Contact Center
Your contact center can be the place where your customers interact most with your ecommerce business: they have direct and frequent one-on-one interaction with your customers. You can use these interactions to promote and establish your brand – all you … Read More
Smart Content Marketing Methods for eCommerce Retailers
Content marketing is likely something you’ve heard about before. It can benefit your business in many ways, from increasing your search ranking to providing your customer with instructions on using your products. Content comes in many forms too. It can … Read More
How Well Do You Know Fulfillment? Take Our Quiz!
What do you know about fulfillment? Take our nine-question quiz (with answers at the bottom, of course) and see how much you understand the ins and outs of ecommerce operations! 1. All of the following are terms for order fulfillment … Read More
Horrible eCommerce Advice: Don’t Follow These 4 Rules
What’s one thing that almost everyone loves to give but not many like to receive? ADVICE! Some advice is good, and others, well, not so much. Even as far back as the fifth century BC, playwright Sophocles noted that “No … Read More
Cycle Counting Helps Make Inventory Management More Fun (Kinda)
Inventory management is a necessary function of ecommerce distribution. Ensuring your inventory count is accurate and up-to-date is essential, but it’s not always easy. One method we use at Speed Commerce is called cycle counting. What is a cycle count, … Read More
Online Shopping Among Kids is on the Rise
With more than seven billion people inhabiting planet Earth and around 60 percent of them having access to the internet, your ecommerce business can reach more people than ever. In the U.S., even kids ages three to 18 have widespread … Read More
Why Better Fulfillment Leads to Lower Returns
Returns are inevitable, especially with online retailers. However, an interesting tidbit: A recent study found that between 15 and 40 percent of all online purchases end up being returned. The overall return rate is 10.6 percent when including brick and … Read More
Mother Nature: One of eCommerce’s Biggest Enemies
There are a lot of things that can affect sales on your ecommerce store: a burst of press from a viral post, new SEO magic that increases page rank, the holiday season, or even changing consumer trends. However, one unforgiving … Read More
6 Signs Your Fulfillment Partner Needs to be Replaced
You decided to outsource your order fulfillment. But things haven’t been great. Are you worried that you made a mistake? Or, are you planning to outsource your fulfillment and are unsure how to make the best decision? There are a … Read More
Do You Have Complex Fulfillment?
It’s no secret that Speed Commerce specializes in complex fulfillment – in fact, we’re one of the few in the fulfillment space that offers such a broad range of capabilities. But what seems to be a real secret is the … Read More
5 Common Myths About Outsourced Fulfillment
Outsourced order fulfillment is not for every retailer. But sometimes, the reasons why many retailers think outsourcing is not right for them are buried more in fiction than in fact. We’d like to take a minute to address some of … Read More
How Many People Does it Take to Run a Warehouse On Average?
How many people does it take to run a warehouse? Well, it depends, really. For some, their warehouse is just the place to store inventory. For others, the warehouse makes up an active and complex fulfillment center with automated systems, … Read More
Order Fulfillment & Customer Care: A Match Made in Heaven
Did you know that the most successful ecommerce fulfillment operations go hand-in-hand with customer care? It’s true! When your warehouse staff and contact center agents fully understand each others’ role in the order lifecycle, you can reduce handling times (and … Read More
How to Measure Order Fulfillment Success
Outsourcing inventory and operational responsibilities to a fulfillment partner can be a very scary business decision for retailers. Customer satisfaction must not be put at risk since it is a fundamental driver of retail growth. To keep customers coming back, … Read More
6 Things Your Competitors Can Teach You About eCommerce
Ecommerce is hyper-competitive. But even though every retailer knows that, it’s amazing how few companies actually know what their competition is doing on a regular basis. While copying their strategies might not be the best idea, there are still a … Read More
Should You Be Concerned About Dark Patterns in Your eCommerce?
Coined in 2010, the term “dark patterns” refers to a range of potentially manipulative user interface designs in ecommerce and elsewhere that result in users taking action that benefit the sponsoring website. The Federal Trade Commission is taking a particular … Read More
Should I Invest in Outsourced Order Fulfillment?
It’s a question we get asked pretty frequently: should I outsource my order fulfillment? Well, naturally we almost always say yes (because that’s one of the services we provide!) but it isn’t the best option for every retailer. However, if … Read More
Marketing Best Practices from Fulfillment to Their Doorstep
Order fulfillment is a complex operation. The right partner knows that every aspect of the order cycle is key to creating the ideal experience for the customer. Online retailers can utilize the fulfillment process as a marketing initiative to wow … Read More
7 Things You Need to Know About eCommerce
Whether you are looking to start a new retail business, expand an existing one, or add a new channel to your retail operations, here are a few reasons why ecommerce makes sense. 1. It’s growing. Statistics have shown a steady … Read More
Trends in Online Shopping
The 2019 UPS study, Pulse of the Online Shopper, offered valuable insight for ecommerce retailers regarding consumers’ attitudes on shipping, delivery, and the entire operations process. This study asked over 18,000 ecommerce consumers about everything from reasons why they abandon … Read More
Social Media is a Must for Retail Brands
With 53 percent of the world’s population using social media, there is no excuse for a brand today to not at least have a presence. But it’s not enough to just have a Facebook page, or a Twitter account, or … Read More
Hold, Please.
“I’m transferring you to another agent who can better assist you.” How many times have you heard that as a consumer and thought “No.. no.. NO!!!!”? Bottom line: every customer care agent should know and represent your brand to the … Read More
The Secret to an Awesome Live Chat Experience
A few years ago, offering live chat was rare on a retailer’s website, but today live chat is popping up on many sites. Live chat is a tool that can either make or break the customer’s entire shopping experience, so … Read More
Outsourcing Customer Care? Do it Right!
Whether you’re still in startup mode or at the top of your growth curve, customer care should always be a priority. After all, customers are the reason you started selling in the first place, so they deserve your utmost respect … Read More
What Retail Marketers Need to Know About Changes to Cookie Support
Google Chrome will join Safari and Firefox to end support for third-party cookies before 2022. Collecting customer data is essential to online retailers who are looking to deliver a more personalized and targeted shopping experience. But with shoppers and internet … Read More
Stop Gift Card Scams
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that in 2018 consumers spent $245 million on gift cards that were used to pay scammers. The median victim lost $840 per scam. That’s a lot of money and may leave customers feeling hesitant to … Read More
Tips for Post-Holiday Sales
The holidays may be the biggest money-making season there is for online retailers, but that does not mean the marketing stops. You would be surprised at the number of shoppers who look forward to the post-holiday deals. Many of them … Read More
Winning Customer Loyalty Online
In a brick-and-mortar store, there are many things that can win customer loyalty. From a salesperson who greets you with a smile and knows your preferences, to a customized shopping experience, or even a credit account, there are many small … Read More
Avoid Damaged Goods During Shipping
The holiday season will likely see the highest-ever order volumes and larger shipments going out on a daily basis. In the midst of all the activity (from leaving the warehouse, passing through different hands, and finally reaching the customer’s doorstep) … Read More
Brace yourself. Cyber Monday is coming.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching – and this year just might set online shopping records. Are you ready? Still considering a few last-minute options to add to your holiday mix? Here are eight things you can do … Read More
Prepare for ‘Green Monday’
Green Monday was first used by eBay in 2007 to describe their busiest online shopping day, which just so happened to fall on the 2nd Monday in December. They were not the only ones seeing this trend – other online … Read More
What is a 3PL?
A lot of companies call themselves a ‘3PL’ (third party logistics) provider, while others just called themselves a fulfillment company, and still others called themselves both. What’s the difference? No matter what way you slice it, a true direct-to-consumer order … Read More
Does Anyone Have Santa’s Email Address?
Think back to things in our past that are no longer needed or fun because of the Internet – encyclopedias, movie rental stores, a mixed tape. Holiday catalogs are one of those products of the past. Many of us can … Read More
Attract Customers with Gift Ideas
With the pandemic, consumers are spending so much time shopping online that retailers have to find new ways to get in front of their audience this holiday season. How do you compete in a crowded market? It’s all about creating … Read More
Digging Deeper Into Customer Demographics
Online retailers are constantly striving to understand their customers – who are they, where are they from, what age group, how much do they spend on an average. Some of the basic demographics that online retailer looks at include income … Read More
The Benefits of Awesome Product Packaging
With ecommerce, you don’t have many — if any — opportunities to interact face-to-face with your customers. You need to rely on your website content, customer contact center, and online reputation to do that for you. However, your product packaging … Read More
3 Ways to Shape Up Your Holiday Sales
The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to prepare your site to cater to the needs of customers. When you make shopping easy, customers will be more inclined to buy. Here are three simple tasks to get … Read More
The Art of Returns
Holidays mean large order volumes, busy warehouses, heavy site traffic, and more activity for online retailers. With big buying comes the possibility of a higher number of returns. Returns are bound to happen, (for whatever reason) and you need to … Read More
Complex Order Fulfillment Sometimes Requires Pixie Dust
Last month this writer was in need of gifts. We’d missed a handful of birthday parties and weddings over the last few months due to the pandemic. However, we still needed to send gifts to show we still care. At … Read More
Keys to Great Outsourced Fulfillment
The top executive at an online retailer shouldn’t be worried about how many pack stations are operating at a time, the daily pick accuracy, or how many purchase orders were placed that day. You can be confident that the company’s … Read More
Trust and Communication: Keys to Eternal Customer Loyalty
Customers are the heart and soul of any business, but in the e-commerce world, you need to work even harder to ensure that they stay happy and loyal with the benefit of a ‘face to face’ interaction. There are a … Read More
The Many Benefits of Live Chat
In the previous post, we talked about what customers are currently looking for in the contact center. A survey showed that customers want to be able to access help quickly, easily, and get accurate information without much hassle. Live chat … Read More
What Do Customers Want from the Contact Center?
Retailers know to gain more customers and sales, they need to provide a great overall experience. However, when it comes to e-commerce, the post-sale experience may not get the attention it deserves. The way a retailer handles customer care whether … Read More
We’re Hiring!
Speed Commerce is hiring. … Read More
Outsourced Fulfillment Fail: No Product Personalization
Ecommerce is a dogfight right now. Never has it been more important for online retailers to find some way – any way – to become the top dog in their space. There are a lot of great ways to do … Read More
Is free shipping part of your holiday mix?
There are less than 100 days until Christmas and Cyber Monday is even closer. No doubt you’ve got your holiday promotions on the calendar, but how many of them include free shipping? For many online retailers, offering free shipping is … Read More
When eCommerce and Customer Service Work Together, Magic Happens
To run a successful ecommerce business, you must have great customer service. Whether it’s phone support, live chat, or email, having a contact center team that understands your processes, products, and brand is the key to a seamless customer experience. … Read More
Warehouse Tour? A Must For Retailers Seeking Outsourced Fulfillment
With the rise of e-commerce and the resulting increase in demand for fast and efficient fulfillment, it’s more important than ever to understand the inner workings of the warehouse that will be managing your inventory. The truth is, taking a … Read More
Speed Commerce Trademarks & Facility Sold
The new company will do business under the name of Speed Commerce LAS VEGAS, Nevada, April 2018 – Speed Commerce is pleased to announce that some of the intellectual property rights formerly held by Speed Commerce Operating Company have been … Read More
Peak Season Prep Never Sleeps
Before you start thinking about summer vacations, e-commerce retailers need to start planning for the holiday demand that peaks in the winter. We share tips on EBN to help supply chain professionals take critical lessons from the 2016 peak season … Read More
Top Fulfillment Lessons From the 2016 Peak Season
The 2016 holiday shopping season was one for the record books, with ecommerce growing at 11% year over year. With e-commerce’s tremendous growth, warehousing and fulfillment centers are evaluating how to step up their game to ensure products are put … Read More
Make Your Returns Process Work
Ecommerce returns are an unavoidable reality for online retailers. We shared tips about creating a returns process that works in Retail TouchPoints, including: Key points to include in your online returns policy. Creative strategies to reduce ecommerce product returns. How to … Read More
4 Holiday Tips for eCommerce Contact Centers
Online retail is predicted to be a big winner this holiday season. The National Retail Federation forecasts online sales to increase by 7 to 10 percent over 2016 to as much as $117 billion. As more holiday shoppers shift from … Read More
Better Peak? Better Communication!
Planning for seasonal spikes in your retail business takes careful planning and coordination. And there’s no time more critical for e-tailers than the months leading up to the online shopping rush between Thanksgiving and Christmas. When you work with an … Read More
3 Tips for Peak Season Warehouse Prep
Spikes in online retail sales bring unique challenges to your warehouse. And no time of the year is more challenging for e-tailers than the long haul between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whether you’re managing your ecommerce distribution facility or working with … Read More
Listen more. Talk less.
What’s the first thing a customer does when there’s an issue with his ecommerce order? He makes a call to your contact center. This interaction is often the first “live” experience your customer has with your ecommerce brand. Getting this … Read More
What We Love About #OpsSummit
There are a lot of conferences and events that focus on retailing and ecommerce. But for the operations professional, there’s no better event for learning and networking than Operations Summit. Celebrating its fifth year, Operations Summit shines a light on … Read More
Winter Storm Brings Carrier Delays
The Weather Channel is calling for a potentially historic blizzard – with an insane amount of snow and ice predicted to blanket the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Nearly 75 million people are in the storm’s path. For an ecommerce retailer, lousy … Read More
Happy Green Monday!
If you thought Prime Day was the first ecommerce shopping holiday, you’ve got it all wrong. It’s Green Monday. Yep. Green Monday. eBay first coined the name around 2007 to describe their busiest shopping day. Now, this increasingly popular online … Read More
Online shopping wins Black Friday – Cyber Monday
Shoppers decided to click instead of hitting the bricks at the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. And for online retailers, the news couldn’t have been merrier. Here’s a quick rundown of key figures about this year’s Black Friday … Read More
Holidays + Smart Returns = Happy Customers
The 2015 holiday shopping season promises to be big, with Adobe’s Digital Index predicting online sales pushing to a record $83 billion. That’s an increase of more than 11 percent over 2014 holiday sales. Record ecommerce sales could bring the … Read More
Sync Product Personalization with Fulfillment
Product customization is a great way to increase brand loyalty and sales. According to a 2013 Bain survey of more than 1,000 online shoppers, 25% to 30% are interested in product customization. That same survey reported that customers who had … Read More
Go-to Sources for eCommerce Trends
As an online retailer, you are more than aware that the ecommerce landscape is constantly changing. How are you staying current on the latest tech trends? How do you keep track of more significant trends in service and support? What … Read More
Try Before You Buy
When it comes to the ‘brick versus click’ debate, the one thing brick-and-mortar stores still hold over the heads of online merchants is the ability to try on or test your purchase before you buy it. What if that dress … Read More
Creating a Solid Mobile Strategy for Year-Round Success
Still think you can ignore that whole mobile commerce thing, huh? Well, if the 2014 holiday season indicated the power of the smartphone shopping experience, you can no longer afford to put off your digital expansion. A report from IBM … Read More
Operations Summit – Are you ready?
We can’t believe it – Operations Summit is three years old this year! And the most significant conference focused on direct-to-consumer operations and fulfillment issues, and insights just improved. After an amazing three days on our home turf of Indianapolis … Read More
Omni-channel Experts Get Ready to Learn, Live it Up in Vegas
In a few weeks, Las Vegas will be the epicenter of education for a couple of days. (I’m sure that’s probably the first time those words have been used in the same sentence). From March 31 to April 2, technology … Read More
Going Mobile
Ah, the smartphone. Do we even use it for calling people anymore? Consumers today are relying heavily on their phones for everything from informational searches to shopping – and if your site isn’t prepared to handle those customers, you will … Read More
How to add live chat support to your store – for free
Regarding online help, shoppers can be a lot like Veruca Salt. They want help NOW. If they can’t get the question answered when they need it answered, they’ll just buy what they want somewhere else. You lose the sale and possibly a future loyal customer. … Read More
4 Call Center Nightmares
We’ve all heard the horror stories of terrible customer care: being put on hold for hours, the no-answer answer, being belittled, and in many cases, downright bulled by call center reps. So in celebration of Halloween, we collected a few … Read More
Will Instagram Ads prove to be a new eCommerce marketing boom?
With over 200 million users and growing, Instagram is a social network you should seriously consider adding to your marketing plan. As visual content becomes more popular on social media, brands need to leverage that power by communicating and sharing … Read More
Using Magento? Start accepting Bitcoins with these simple steps
We at Speed Commerce are huge fans of Magento, and as a technologist, I love both the idea and applications of Bitcoin. In this guide, I’m going to show you how to start accepting Bitcoin using your (self-hosted) Magento online store … Read More
Embrace the Falliday Season as Peak Season Prep
Just because it isn’t December doesn’t mean the holiday season hasn’t arrived! It’s the ‘falliday’ season, with plenty of holidays in September, October, and early November to give you some pre-peak season practice! These days give you the perfect opportunity … Read More
The Future of eCommerce: A Pictorial
In the mood for some good news? Spoiler: the ecommerce industry is growing, and there’s no indication it’s slowing down anytime soon. And we’ve got the graphs to prove it! If this infographic on overall ecommerce sales growth doesn’t make … Read More
The Top Sites Every eCommerce Retailer Should Be Reading
Ecommerce is fast-paced (shocking stat, I know), so staying up-to-date on the latest trends and acquisitions is essential to shaping a profitable long-term growth strategy. Luckily for folks like you – and us – several excellent publications cater specifically to … Read More
The eCommerce Forecast for Holidays 2014
After this weekend, you’ll have to start thinking about fall. And everyone knows that after fall comes winter, and winter comes… the holiday season! But what will customers be searching for? Will sales spike again? Who will come out on … Read More
Why Are Retailers Afraid of Facebook?
Facebook: nowadays, it’s more than just a place to share cat memes and post passive-aggressive statuses about former ‘friends’ or ex-boyfriends. As the world’s largest social networking site, Facebook has become where retailers need to be if they want to … Read More
Why More eCommerce Retailers Are Issuing Catalogs
Ah, catalogs – the first “direct-to-consumer” selling channel, long before Al Gore blessed us with the Internet (or something like that). I still remember getting the annual Sears Big Book around the holidays, eagerly tearing through the pages to circle … Read More
A Back-To-School eCommerce Reading List for 2014
As you prep the kiddos to head back to school (and ready your website, warehouses, and contact centers for the onslaught of consumers doing the same!), a little light reading may be the last thing on your mind. But the … Read More
Net Neutrality and Its Impact on eCommerce Retailers
I’m sure by now you’ve heard discussions about net neutrality somewhere and how companies are clamoring to Congress to make a change. What does that mean, and how will that impact the world of ecommerce? First, let’s get the whole … Read More
5 eCommerce-Friendly Email Service Providers You Need to Know
Email marketing is a must in ecommerce: it drives revenue, maintains customer relationships, enables better customer care, and is just fun. But who can you trust to help you build your online retail business? We’ve been around the block a … Read More
The Problem(s) with Fulfillment By Amazon
We talk to ecommerce retailers of all shapes and sizes – from multi-million dollar divisions of the world’s best-known brands, to mid-size online niche businesses, to start-up companies shipping packages out of their garages. Despite their differences, many of the … Read More
eCommerce Runs the Free World – Here’s Why
Ecommerce is awesome. We love it; you love it. It’s truly changed how consumers shop, research, and even live. But what most people fail to understand is how much of our daily lives revolve around our online purchase activities. Below, … Read More
Want to Work in eCommerce? Check Out These Degrees
Although many of us came into the ecommerce industry by chance thanks to skills we’ve acquired in other areas, the rapid growth and all-around coolness factor in online retail has made it a high-demand career for new job seekers and … Read More
From Start-Up to Rock Star: An eCommerce Growth Story
Although it’s how some of the most successful ecommerce companies in the world have gotten their start, packing boxes out of a residential garage wasn’t in PetBox’s long-term strategy. In a market where outsourced operations are the norm, founders Will … Read More
eCommerce Provider Round-Up: Four Names You Need to Know
Ecommerce retailers need the right platform and tools to successfully build and run their stores. Since we’re heavily involved in all aspects of a retailer’s ecommerce decision-making process (and grew up developing and using our own proprietary software) we’ve become … Read More
Why You Should Offer Product Personalization: It Makes You Different
This blog is part five of a five-part series on product personalization. To read the complete resource guide “5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Product Personalization”, please click here. Every retailer wants to be different – although we might want … Read More
Why You Should Offer Product Personalization: Because It Builds Loyalty
This blog is part four of a five-part series on product personalization. To read the complete resource guide “5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Product Personalization”. Ah, brand loyalty. It’s so important but hard to achieve, especially with the haphazard … Read More
Why You Should Offer Product Personalization: Because It Eliminates Returns
This blog is part three of a five-part series on product personalization. To read the complete resource guide “5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Product Personalization”. Yes, you read that title right – product personalization can help eliminate returned orders … Read More
Why You Should Offer Product Personalization: Because It Makes Money
This blog is part two of a five-part series on product personalization. To read the complete resource guide “5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Product Personalization”. So you’re still on the fence about personalization. Sure, that’s understandable, especially when you … Read More
More Spring Cleaning Tips for Your eCommerce Site
The other day, we offered a few spring cleaning tips to optimize your ecommerce site. We’re continuing today with more fresh ideas related to usability and SEO! Usability Monitor your site search: Plenty has been written about the importance of … Read More
Why You Should Offer Personalization: Because Customers Want It
This blog is part one of a five-part series on product personalization. To read the complete resource guide “5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Product Personalization”, please click here. Product personalization is hot. Like, car-metal-on-a-90-degree-Indiana-day hot. Customers are demanding it, … Read More
Bitcoin: Should eCommerce Retailers Buy In?
By now, I hope you’ve at least heard about the revolutionary crypto-currency and pseudo-marketplace movement that has created a fuss in the ecommerce industry (and retail in general, really). So what is digital currency? The easiest (while still not very … Read More
How Fulfillment Makes the Sale: Order Appearance & Accuracy
This blog is part three of a four-part series about how order fulfillment impacts customer satisfaction. To download the complete guide “4 Ways Fulfillment Can Make (or Break) Your Next Sale”, click here. Have you ever been so excited to … Read More
15 Great Customer Service Blogs
Ecommerce retailers can set themselves apart and gain loyalty with excellent customer service. But remember that today’s customers have much easier access to competitors, ratings, and reviews these days, so you need to respond more quickly and effectively than ever … Read More
Free Shipping Drives Customer Recommendations
UPS’ 2013 Pulse of the Online Shopper study was recently released for download, offering valuable insight for ecommerce retailers into consumers’ attitudes on shipping, delivery, and the entire operations process. This study asked over 3,000 ecommerce consumers about everything from … Read More
What We Learned From the Thanksgiving Holiday
Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, and analysts have crunched the numbers to understand how much was spent, where it was spent, and who made more significant profits. It’s also essential to look at other trends from that weekend to … Read More
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the year’s biggest shopping days, are now firmly established as part of the retail calendar. While this article was initially written in 2013, the trends and insights it presents still hold true. Here … Read More