All companies with an online store must complete several important tasks to keep the lights on.
From administrative work such as bookkeeping and inventory management to order fulfillment and customer support — these crucial processes encompass the entire lifecycle of an ecommerce business.
Businesses should also follow a continuous improvement process concerning their day-to-day operations. By monitoring market trends, evaluating top competitors such as Amazon and Walmart and seeking customer feedback, businesses can find more efficient ways to do things — resulting in cost savings and a vastly improved customer experience.
In fact, this could be as simple as eliminating unnecessary meetings to boost employee productivity or implementing process automation.
Tightening your operations can help eliminate frustrating or unnecessary processes, remove inefficiencies to improve the bottom line, and keep stakeholders happy.
How online businesses can optimize their operations
No matter the ecommerce operations jobs on staff, the goal is to improve the overall workflows. This can include order management systems, warehouse management, and even data spreadsheets.
Here are some approaches (and reminders) to simplify some important processes:
Automate repetitive tasks.
Repetitive tasks such as invoicing and data entry are prone to human error and can be done much more efficiently with automation. This also includes payroll.
Streamline customer service operations.
Customer service is a labor-intensive and crucial function for enterprises. This is especially important for direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses. Here are a few ways to improve customer service outcomes while trimming redundant processes:
Utilize live chat tools
Live chat tools enable automated responses to routine inquiries (eg: order tracking and basic troubleshooting) while enabling live agents to access customer information and chat histories for more personalized interactions.
Businesses can also implement proactive chat invitations to customers browsing the website to offer product recommendations and answer potential questions.
Knowledge base integrations enable support reps to find answers to customer questions and use standardized verbiage. Use live chat analytics to track resolution rate, chat duration, and customer satisfaction.
Implement CRM software
CRM systems provide a centralized repository for customer data, including contact information, purchase history, support tickets, and interactions across multiple sales channels.
Use the software’s ticketing functionalities to manage support requests. Gather data from all communication channels, including phone, email, live chat, and social media, so that agents can respond to cross-channel inquiries from a unified interface.
CRM tools can also send automated responses to customer inquiries, triage support tickets, and identify customers at risk of churn.
Dial in your delivery efficiency.
Efficient delivery reduces shipping costs and enables customers to receive orders faster. In the era of instant gratification, fast shipping remains a key competitive differentiator for businesses on ecommerce platforms.
Improve your return process.
A smooth return process gives customers more confidence in their purchases. Hassle-free, convenient returns can be a competitive advantage — particularly in ecommerce, where customers can’t see or touch the product before buying.
A streamlined return process, clear instructions and prompt resolution can turn dissatisfied customers into loyal advocates who will likely make repeat purchases.
Have generous return policies
A good return policy provides a safety net for customers who have purchase issues. Companies that go above and beyond the standard 30-day return policy demonstrate customer centricity and increase customer confidence, especially concerning large purchases.
For example, you might allow the customer to “try” the product for 90 days or return items without their original packaging.
Allow for online return requests
Enable customers to request returns via your ecommerce website, email, phone or chat. Simplify the authorization process by including prepaid return labels with the purchase or enabling customers to print their own.
Include clear pickup or dropoff instructions for returned items on your website. Consider hiring designated personnel to inspect, evaluate, and process returns promptly.
Give customers real-time updates during returns
Keep customers updated on the status of their return and when to expect a refund. Send automated notifications when the return is approved, the item is received, and the refund is processed. Proactive communication reduces anxiety.
Make data-driven decisions.
Data empowers businesses to make decisions based on real-world conditions rather than hunches. These decisions can be based on internal data (eg: sales and revenue) or external data (data on market conditions). Examples include:
Demand forecasting: Historical sales data, market trends, and customer behavior help enterprises forecast demand to optimize inventory levels, production schedules, and supply chain operations.
**Pricing:**Data on competitor pricing and sales enables businesses to set prices that maximize profitability while remaining competitive.
Personalization: Customer behavioral data enables businesses to tailor their marketing operations, product recommendations, and customer experience to specific segments.
Supply chain optimization: Data on supplier performance, lead times, and inventory levels enables businesses to streamline processes.
Operational efficiency: Identify bottlenecks in operations data to redesign workflows, reallocate resources, and implement process automation.
Don’t be afraid to outsource the complicated parts.
Outsourcing tasks outside of core business operations helps trim labor costs. This is especially helpful for seasonal work, tasks for which there is no ongoing need (eg: package design or merchandising), or business activities requiring specialist knowledge, such as IT consulting for backend development.
Measuring the success of optimization efforts
If you don’t measure it, it didn’t happen— this is true of any optimization effort.
Set KPIs for each optimization project, establish benchmarks and measure progress at set intervals. There are several ways to measure the impact of optimizing your business operations.
The key to lasting operational success is to implement a culture of continuous process improvement, where employees are encouraged to suggest process enhancements and participate in problem-solving initiatives.
Measuring ROI, benchmarking and A/B testing are just a few ways businesses can ensure they’re continuously improving.
The final word
While ecommerce companies should focus on the big picture, they shouldn’t neglect the minutiae of day-to-day business operations.
By making their ecommerce operations more efficient through continuous process improvement, businesses free up capital, resources, and employees’ time to focus on major business decisions.
In addition, businesses with reliable, efficient operations have more satisfied customers, which benefits the business’s reputation in the long-term.