Order Management Best Practices

The success of your eCommerce business begins with adhering to best practices in order management. Doing so allows you to manage your sales processes and immediately resolve customer orders and shipments errors.

Receiving Best Practices

A lot of the most common problems are caused by missing order information. Suppose you have all the information you need about the customer and their order upfront. You don’t need to go back and ask for additional information. It’s always good to have their delivery address and email address on file when you need them.

Automated order confirmation

Once the order is received, you have to send an automated confirmation email to your customer from your store. The email should act as a safety net that ensures the order information is accurate. This email should contain your company’s contact details if something needs to be adjusted.

Centralizing your inventory

Inventory tracking systems help you determine when to re-order inventory items, so you always have products on hand to fulfill orders. The best way to streamline your business is to get a single system to process orders, and payments, manage customers, and track your inventory.

Get Special order notifications

You will undoubtedly run into orders requiring return items, priority handling, or dealing with a premium customer. Create a tagging system that suits your business and is understood by the whole team to flag these unique situations. Tools like automated tagging of incoming orders often come as part of the package in Order Management Systems.

Best Practices for Payment Processing

Streamlining your payment process

The easier it is for customers to buy from your site, the more sales you’ll make. Use automated card saving tools within your sales channels to speed up purchase confirmations for your customers. When your customers see an item they want, they can use your one-click checkout, and the item will automatically be paid and shipped to their address on file.

Offer multiple payment methods

Another easy way to increase your sales is to accept multiple payment methods. Many online retailers only take major credit cards or debit cards, which some shoppers have trouble using online. Setting up your store to take payments from popular third-party apps like Venmo and PayPal or Apple Pay will increase your chances of making the sale.

Protect your customers’ data

The payment screen of your site should express the security of your site. Customers will never return to your site if their data and banking information is compromised. Talk about your security methods on your website’s “about us” or FAQs landing page.

Order Fulfillment Best Practices

Organizing each item with an SKU

You might carry items with similar names or features like color or size. Assigning each item from a unique item number or SKU will make finding them in your inventory system more accessible, and it also reduces the chance of sending the wrong item.

Increase the speed and accuracy of item picking

Adding a barcode to the SKU will reduce errors in the picking process. Having to check the order sheet’s barcode against the barcodes on the items may take extra time, but it reduces the chances of sending the wrong product.

Use the same tools for packing as for picking

Once the order is shipped, your order management system will update the sales channel and notify the customer. Alternatively, your system may also have an internal email notification system that can send out an additional message to your customer.

Post Sales Service Best Practice

Once the order is shipped, your order management system will update the sales channel and notify the customer. Alternatively, your system may also have an internal email notification system that can send out an additional message to your customer.

Follow up for customer satisfaction

Send automatic check-in emails to your customers after you’ve made the sale. Be sure to add contact information if there’s an issue with the order and simplify the refund process as much as possible.

Establish a VIP program

Building customer loyalty ensures sales, but it requires showing your best customers a little love. Your automated inventory system should allow you to track your best-buying customers. Build brand loyalty with special offers – and let your customers know that you appreciate them.

Reminders for re-ordering

Suppose you sell items that require your customers to re-order regularly. Ensure that you’re getting those repeat sales, and set up a re-order reminder email. When possible, personalize them with the customer’s name. Remind them of the bonuses they’ve earned with their VIP status.