Order fulfillment, and the system behind it, is one of the most important aspects of running an ecommerce website. However, your available options for product delivery are directly tied to the type of business that you are running. Because of this, knowing which product delivery options coincide with which types of businesses may be beneficial when you are weighing out your ecommerce business options.
Self-Fulfillment
If you have physical possession of a product, you can ship it to your customers yourself. While this option generally requires the most effort, it allows you total control over how and when products ship. Additionally, it gives you greater control over shipping costs, and allows you to assess inventory counts accurately.
Third-Party Order Fulfillment
If you prefer to let others handle your ecommerce order fulfillment, you have a few different options available. For instance, if you run an ecommerce website that is affiliated with a specific company or manufacturer, you could allow a fulfillment service to ship products for you. Also, you could utilize a dropshipping company. While dropshippers tend to function in the same way as order fulfillment centers, the business model itself is slightly different.
If you prefer to disassociate yourself from the order fulfillment process completely, you can promote products owned by third-party vendors as an affiliate. This option allows you to earn money by selling products, but you are not responsible for any of the shipping or return processes.
Order fulfillment is an integral part of running an ecommerce website. There are plenty of options available, but the options available to you, personally, depend on how you choose to run your online business.
