While the act of online shopping happens of course online; there are many physical and tangible elements that have to be in place to allow this to happen. Businesses need to think of the logistics when selling stock online to facilitate smooth transactions to happen.

Stock Logistics

So you have decided to sell your products online to your customers. But until it is sold, where will it remain? Depending on the size of your products (such as tennis rackets or ride-on lawnmowers), you require physical space to store these until they are sold. In tandem with this, certain products (such as foodstuffs) require certain storage conditions and also have expiration dates that need to be adhered to. Remember the logistics of storing your stock before you sell it online.

Postage Logistics

Have you built in a postage and packaging fee into your online shopping pricing structure? If so, does this fee cover these costs as well as the administrative costs whereby staff has to physically package and post stock? There is also a time element to consider here to complete these logistical steps. Some businesses choose to outsource this step by using distribution centers that charge for their services. This can work out as a logistically more effective solution that saves on both time and expenditure.

Maintenance Logistics

Both the online and offline elements of an online shop require maintenance to ensure that your sales can continue to optimally flourish now and into the future. For example, your business itself will have to produce/order more stock to replenish levels as it is sold. The eCommerce portal itself (i.e. your online shop) will also need to be managed and maintained. For example, who will add newer items to the online shop pages and also reply to online customers’ queries and complaints?

As you can see, there any many offline and online logistics that go into making a successful online shop. Do not neglect to consider these if you really want to build a successful online shop. As our work drive sales to your business; consider contacting the expert team here at Ireland Website Design to make this a reality.