Outsourcing your online shop's logistics: six good reasons why

Are you thinking about outsourcing your online shop's logistics, but do you still have some doubts about whether this is the right move? In this article, we present six good reasons why outsourcing your online shop's logistics is an excellent idea. These are the main benefits of doing so:

1. You no longer need your own storage space

As your online shop continues to grow, you will soon run into the problem of storage space. Where do you find the space to store the many products you sell in your online shop? You will find that your own building or storage space is no longer big enough to store all your products.

You could of course move to an external warehouse, but that would require management of its own. This external location will take up precious time and attention that are better spent on other things.

Fortunately, there is a major benefit to outsourcing your online shop's logistics: fulfilment companies such as Active Ants have excellent storage facilities. For example, we can help you with the reception and storage of all your products and provide inventory management services.

Your products are stored efficiently in our expansive warehouse. When orders come in, the products in question are found in no time at all, which means they can be shipped to customers as soon as possible. Before they are sold, your products are insured against fire damage, water damage and theft while in storage.

2. By outsourcing your online shop's logistics, you can save a ton of time

Outsourcing your online shop's logistics not only allows you save space. You will also save a whole lot of time when you opt to use the services of a fulfilment company!

Even for smaller order volumes, the entire logistical process can take up quite a bit of time. Products have to be located and packaged, address labels and packing slips have to be generated, etcetera. Once you are done with all that, you have to deliver your orders to a courier yourself.

By using a fulfilment company like Active Ants, online shop owners save precious time that is better spent on the more enjoyable aspects of being an entrepreneur. While we take care of your logistical process, you can devote your time to further developing and promoting your online shop. In the meantime, we make sure the entire logistical process is in good hands: from the reception of products all the way to their delivery to your satisfied customers!

3. It is not as costly as you might think

Many entrepreneurs wonder if fulfilment isn't too expensive for their online shop. Fortunately, the costs are not as high as you might think. Outsourcing your online shop logistics need not be a costly affair.

Especially for larger order volumes, online shop fulfilment via a fulfilment company is an excellent solution. However, it can be worth your while even for smaller numbers of orders. As a result of partnerships with delivery services and various other parties, Active Ants can offer its clients excellent rates.

Many entrepreneurs do not charge an hourly rate for all the work they do themselves. Would you like to know how much outsourcing your logistics actually costs? Start by choosing a fair hourly rate for all the work you currently do yourself and then calculate how many hours a month you spend on these activities. As you will see, your own time can be very precious as well. When you outsource your fulfilment to a professional fulfilment company, you will save a ton of time that you can put to better use by further developing and expanding your online shop.

4. You can offer your customers faster services

These days, customers expect a lot from online shops. When they place an order, they generally expect it to be delivered quickly, regardless of when the order was placed. If you manage your online shop's logistics yourself and a customer places an order late at night, you will probably not be able to ship this order right away.

Active Ants ensures all orders are delivered as quickly as possible. We even offer a sharp cut-off time of 23.59! This means even customers who place their order late at night will receive their products the very next day.

5. Continuity in the event of sickness or leave

Are you unable to process orders yourself because you are ill or are some of your staff members unable to work? In that case, it can be difficult to continue processing all incoming orders. Similarly, orders will keep coming in while you are away on holiday.

By outsourcing your logistics, you can rest assured that orders will be processed no matter what. As an online shop, you can consistently deliver products to your customers in a timely manner - even if you are unavailable yourself. Take some time off when you need it, without having to worry about the processing and shipping of orders!

6. Additional services from fulfilment organisations can take even more matters out of your hands

Outsourcing your online shop's logistics can go beyond the reception, storage, processing and shipping of products. Professional fulfilment companies offer a range of other services designed to make your life easier. For example, Active Ants offers the following additional services:

• We can help you set up your online shop's payment system.
• If you do not have an online shop yet or if it is high time to modernise your outdated online shop, Active Ants can assist with online shop development.
• Do you need high-quality product images to present your products in your online shop in an appealing manner? We also offer product photography services.
• A good customer service department is essential in order to keep your customers satisfied. Active Ants can take care of this for you.
• Our online reports keep you up to date on everything that goes on in your online shop at all times and grant you insight into your current inventory levels. We offer both standard reports and tailor-made solutions. Read more about this in our blog “Fulfilment reports: how to stay up to date on your online shop fulfilment performances!”.

Would you like to know more?

There are many benefits to outsourcing your online shop's logistic. Are you convinced yet, or would you like to know more about the various fulfilment options we offer? Contact Active Ants for more information.