3PL Integration with Shopify WooCommerce
Levelling up an online store has several benefits but can also raise a few problems.
When there is higher demand for your products, your business will use more resources to support this growth. With more resources, you’ll have higher operating costs, so an underprepared business can lose customers.
A great way to fix this problem is to integrate your WooCommerce store with a reliable 3PL. 3PLs will take order fulfilment out of your hands so you can focus on business growth. Here’s how to integrate your WooCommerce store with a 3PL for order fulfilment.
What Is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is one of the leading eCommerce platforms for online businesses. It allows you to grow and scale your eStore over time with their helpful tools and resources. You can also use WooCommerce as an open-source plug-in for your WordPress site. This tool makes setting up an online store easy.
With WooCommerce, you can create, customise and sell products on their online store. Your WooCommerce store also features multi-channel selling to reach more customers. If you’ve got an existing WordPress website, you can add WooCommerce for inventory management, shopping carts, and checkout.
Another great feature of WooCommerce is that you can integrate it with third-party tools, including logistics companies, to streamline order fulfilment.
Order Fulfilment With WooCommerce
WooCommerce is excellent for any eCommerce as it can handle diverse product ranges. Whether you want to create a broad-range store or sell niche items, WooCommerce will build the perfect site for you.
Once you’ve created your online store, you must handle the complex order fulfilment process. While many businesses prefer carrying out this process independently, they can run into several problems that may be detrimental to their business.
If there’s even the slightest issue in your supply chain, you could drive away customers. Partnering with a dedicated fulfilment service can help alleviate such concerns. The great thing about WooCommerce is that it can easily work well with an external fulfilment service to ensure all your products are shipped accurately and on time.
When you combine WooCommcerse with a third-party logistics company, they will store all your inventory, package incoming orders and ship them out with accurate tracking details. With order processing out of the way, you can focus on reaching more customers and scaling up your business.
WooCommerce fulfilment overlooks the entire process from the time you receive orders to when your store delivers them to the customers. But before the items reach your clients, they must go through several processes that ensure the product is in perfect condition for transit.
Smaller eCommerce stores might not have enough resources to fulfil orders. To avoid complications, a growing online business can significantly benefit from outsourcing its fulfilment. You can easily outsource your WooCommerce order fulfilment to 3PLs such as
What Is A 3PL?
Partnering with a third-party logistics (3PL) company allows online business owners to focus on other aspects of their store. With this integration, you can successfully scale your business without worrying about growing pains.
A 3PL is excellent for businesses that require a dedicated packaging service to handle order fulfilment. Fulfilment services also hold all your inventory in one place through a tech-based system, so you’re always aware of what’s coming and going.
3PL companies offer everything from tracking inventory to handling returns and shipping logistics. This complete package of services ensures your business keeps running smoothly.
Fulfilment is often tricky in apparel and related sectors due to seasonality and special launches. These can significantly influence order volumes and overwhelm companies. Niche stores such as organic goods and art studios need a customisable service. A reliable 3PL will keep your order and shipping running smoothly during peak seasons and special launches.
Even though order fulfilment seems straightforward, it involves a lot of strategic planning to ensure the workflow remains streamlined with minimal errors. How a fulfilment facility sets up its packing station and shipping areas significantly impacts how quickly and easily the merchandise gets delivered.
What Are The Benefits of Outsourcing to A 3PL?
The best way to guarantee customer satisfaction is by offering quick and reliable delivery. WooCommerce stores can greatly benefit by partnering with an experienced 3PL company.
Such services provide multiple features to optimise the shipping process. Here are a few crucial benefits of choosing a fulfilment service.
Speed of Delivery
Nowadays, order fulfilment and shipment speed matters more than ever. Common postal and courier services experience record-breaking business during peak shopping season. They may not have enough staff to fulfil all shipping orders, which can cause delays for your business. Choosing the right 3PL can help deliver your order to customers on time with no delays.
Meeting Efficiency Requirements
Efficiency is crucial if you want customers to have a positive online shopping experience. Often, with a high volume of orders, there’s a risk of the efficiency dropping. Companies will have to spend additional money to hire more labour to maintain a high-efficiency rate.
A good 3PL will provide technological features to grow your business without additional costs. These features will also maintain high efficiency throughout packing to reduce returns and complaints.
Handle Customer Returns
Online shoppers are far more likely to return items; over 70% of online shoppers returned their merchandise in 2020. Your apparel eCommerce might experience this more often as
clothing items tend to get higher returns than other goods.
If several customers return various items, you’ll require a robust management system to keep up. A dedicated 3PL with returns space and a high-tech returns management system will ensure items are catalogued properly. Such features will allow you to keep track of any problems according to the stores’ SKUs.
Reduce Overhead Costs
Creating an online store is a great way to reach more customers than a traditional brick-and-mortar store, but eCommerce retail can come with overhead costs. Outsourcing order processing is a great way to reduce such expenses.
Fulfilment services can take care of order picking, packaging and shipping so you can invest your finances towards evolving your products and improving customer service. 3PLs are an excellent option for reducing inventory storage costs.
Some online stores don’t have the space to hold their stock, and paying for extra storage can significantly burden your finances. With fulfilment services, you only pay for the storage you need.
Provide Custom Packaging
Creating a great first impression is crucial for customer satisfaction. In regular shipping, consumers often get their orders delivered in brown battered boxes. Personalised packaging allows you to create custom shipping boxes, inserts, coupons, and more. With this feature, you can create a unique package that fits your brand image and make the unboxing process exciting for consumers.
Custom packaging is also a great way to create brand loyalty and retain customers. With some fulfilment services, you can choose sustainable packaging to give your customers a greener, more environmentally friendly option.
Choose Meteor Space’s 3PL Integration with WooCommerce
If you want a quality 3PL service that provides excellent order fulfilment services with WooCommerce integration, go with Meteor Space. We offer many features designed to help eCommerce stores through all their packaging and shipping needs.
Meteor’s expert team members use their knowledge to get you through peak sales seasons without losing efficiency. Our technology-based services provide excellent management and organisation programs to help you stay on top of your inventory. You can also access Meteor’s easy-to-use web portal, fast shipping, efficient pick and pack and much more.
Meteor Space for WooCommerce Fulfilment
If you have a WooCommerce store, you can easily integrate with our logistics systems. At Meteor, our experts guide you through our WooCommerce fulfilment systems so you can successfully grow your business without additional worries.
Our systems provide a secure connection between fulfilment logistics and your WooCommerce store. We also help you pick and pack orders, ship them to your customers and manage any returns. Here’s a look at some additional features of our WooCommerce fulfilment service.
Technology-Driven Inventory Management
Meteor Space provide an efficient warehouse management system that uses the latest technology to keep your stock safe and organised. This software automates the entire order fulfilment process and provides 360-degree visibility of all operations. With Meteor’s WMS, you can monitor stock levels, replenish goods and create accurate forecasts.
In addition, our clients have access to end-to-end tracking, so you know exactly when your products leave the warehouse and when they reach clients. With all these innovative tools, you can easily streamline the fulfilment process.
Quick Integration
With Meteor Space, you won’t have to worry about lagging and slow downloads. Our system can quickly connect your WooCommerce fulfilment in just a few clicks. This way, you can save time and focus on your business.
Customisable Storage System
Rigid storage options can often turn away many online retailers, but you won’t have to worry about this problem with Meteor Space. We understand that every business has unique demands; therefore, we offer customisable storage options tailored to your exact requirements. Once you’ve successfully integrated WooCommerce, you can select the storage option that best fits your needs.
Real-time Inventory Tracking and Alerts
Customers want real-time tracking options, and Meteor Space can provide that. Our custom warehouse software is designed with the latest technology so you have the best data available at all times.
Our accurate inventory forecasting will allow you to keep up with customers’ demands without blockage in the delivery system. With this data, you can also provide full transparency to your customers and update them on their order status.
Same-Day Shipping
If your customers want fast and economical delivery, Meteor Space is there to help. We’ve partnered with reputable carriers that ship orders quickly without compromising their safety.
24/7 Warehouse Security
At Meteor Space, we prioritise safety and security. Your inventory is placed in a protected warehousing facility with 24/7 guarded surveillance. If anything happens to your inventory, Meteor Space is ready to provide our full cooperation to help you alleviate your concerns.
How To Integrate WooCommerce with Meteor’s 3PL
As mentioned, integrating your WooCommerce store with our 3PL is quick and easy. Here are the five steps you must follow to get your fulfilment service ready.
Step 1 – Connect WooCommerce Store
To start the integration process, copy the WooCommercey URL of your store, its API key and password. Copy this date in our WMS software, Canary 7.
Step 2 – Conduct a Test
Our warehousing experts will conduct an integration test within the first 24 hours to ensure the platform runs smoothly.
Step 3 – Sync Stock to Meteor’s WMS
After the test is conducted successfully, our warehouse experts will stock and monitor your inventory levels using our WMS. Our software syncs the stock levels across your WooCommerce site to provide accurate data.
Our real-time information and cloud-based dashboard also help you identify fast and low-selling lines so you can optimise your supply stream and save costs.
Step 4 – Process WooCommerce Orders
Once there’s an order on WooCommerce, our trained staff will pick and pack them from our warehouse facility. Our experts will ensure that all items are appropriately packed to maintain their safety through transit.
Step 5 – Dispatch WooCommerce Orders
Meteor Space has partnered with reliable and trustworthy couriers to ensure orders are dispatched safely and as quickly as possible. With our same-day delivery option, customers can get their parcels in no time.
Get In Touch
Contact us and we’ll set up a consultation call to discuss all of your fulfilment needs. Our experts will work with you to create a bespoke fulfilment service catered to your business needs.
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