ChannelAdvisor helps you keep track of your inventory, products and orders across several eCommerce platforms at once. However, you need to partner up with the right order fulfillment service to make the most out of ChannelAdvisor and unlock the true potential of your eCommerce business.
Read on for the best order fulfillment partners you can work with to maximize ChannelAdvisor’s strengths!
What is ChannelAdvisor?
ChannelAdvisor is an eCommerce service that helps you manage multiple eCommerce platforms to boost sales. It does so by assisting your marketing efforts and refining your eCommerce strategies to ensure your products reach a wider audience.
Here’s what ChannelAdvisor can do for your business:
- Find new customers on various online marketplaces.
- Create targeted advertising campaigns to promote your products.
- Convert potential customers into buyers.
- Ship products quickly.
- Provide insights to assist in making informed decisions.
What is Order Fulfillment?
Order fulfillment is when an eCommerce seller takes a customer order, processes it according to the customer’s needs and delivers the product to the customer.
Order fulfillment is essential because it’s how a business gets products to customers. If your order fulfillment process is inefficient, you’ll likely see dissatisfied customers and lost sales.
How Does the ChannelAdvisor Order Fulfillment Process Work?
ChannelAdvisor doesn’t have an in-house order fulfillment process. However, its platform supports third-party order fulfillment partners by providing an order management dashboard. This dashboard that consolidates your marketplace and warehouse data to make them easier to access.
ChannelAdvisor also offers a shipping management dashboard that connects to your warehouses and shipping networks. By monitoring this dashboard, you can ensure all products are sent on time.
What Does a ChannelAdvisor Order Fulfillment Provider Do?
A ChannelAdvisor order fulfillment provider essentially takes over the entire process from you. Your order fulfillment partner will be responsible for your products from arrival at their warehouse until they’re received by the customers.
What Are the Benefits of Using an eCommerce Order Fulfillment Service?
The main benefits of using an eCommerce fulfillment service are cost savings and scalability. Here are six benefits you can get by working with order fulfillment services:
Additional Storage Space
Operating your own warehouse is time-consuming and expensive, especially if you run a large eCommerce business. Most order fulfillment services provide warehouses to store your products, meaning you only need to pay their fees instead of bankrolling an entire warehouse and its utilities.
Lower Shipping Costs
Order fulfillment companies usually have deals with shipping carriers because they ship hundreds or even thousands of packages per day. Because bulk shipments tend to be cheaper, these fulfillment companies can pass savings onto you, the client.
Better Scalability
Expanding your business while running your own order fulfillment operations means you have to either hire more people or give existing employees more work. You don’t have to do either of those if you work with order fulfillment services because you can simply upgrade your subscription to increase your fulfillment capacity.
Support From Experts
Nobody can be an expert in all business areas, so you must work with the right people to cover your blind spots. By working with an order fulfillment service, you can count on their expertise to identify and address issues on your supply chain.
ShipHero is here to fulfill all your eCommerce shipping needs. Take a look at our order fulfillment services.
Factors to Consider While Selecting an Order Fulfillment Partner for ChannelAdvisor
Before picking your order fulfillment partner for ChannelAdvisor, it pays to research and make the right choice. Here are four criteria to think about when picking your order fulfillment company:
Order Fulfillment Speed
Naturally, speed is one of the most important things an order fulfillment company can offer. Today’s customers and clients expect fast order turnaround times and may turn to other businesses if they can’t get it. Make sure you pick an order fulfillment company that delivers to customers punctually.
Storage and Fulfillment Fees
Storage and fulfillment fees matter because the more products you store and ship, the higher these fees will be. Consider picking a fulfillment company that charges lower fees if you plan on storing and shipping many products.
Pricing
The fulfillment company’s monthly subscription and annual fees may not be the only things you’re paying when working with them. Sometimes there may be additional hidden costs that may impact your bottom line considerably. Ask your fulfillment company about any extra costs and consider whether they’re worth it.
Cheap fulfillment partners aren’t necessarily the best choice. Choose one that offers reasonable prices and the services you need without compromising quality.
Returns Management
If a product is defective or doesn’t fulfill the customer’s expectations, they may return it. Order fulfillment services must know how to handle returns to ensure a painless process for the customer. This means your order fulfillment service provider must contact the customer, receive the product, document the cause and send a replacement product.
What to Look For in a ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Partner
Working with a fulfillment partner requires commitment, so you must choose the right partner that caters to your needs. Here are three things to ask about when looking for an order fulfillment partner:
eCommerce Platform Integration
Different businesses sell on different eCommerce platforms. To ensure you don’t encounter problems when processing orders, ensure that your fulfillment partner can integrate seamlessly with ChannelAdvisor.
Some major eCommerce platforms to ask about are Squarespace, BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce and Square.
Multichannel Integration
Multichannel order fulfillment means you can use one warehouse to process orders from all your storefronts instead of having a warehouse for each channel. Naturally, order fulfillment companies that integrate fulfillment across all physical and online channels can save you a lot of money, which is why it’s an essential consideration when picking partners.
Ease of Use
Many order fulfillment companies provide dashboards and software to help you manage inventory and warehousing. An important consideration when choosing these partners is finding one that offers the easiest software to use, which minimizes time spent training and lets you process orders as quickly as possible.
How We Chose the Best ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Companies
You have many order fulfillment partner choices, so choosing one can be tough. Fortunately, we can do that for you. Here are the criteria we use when choosing the best ChannelAdvisor fulfillment companies:
- Shipping speed
- Fulfillment network
- Fulfillment software features
- Returns management
- Subscription, storage and shipping costs
Best ChannelAdvisor Fulfillment Companies
Without further ado, here are some of the best ChannelAdvisor fulfillment companies to work with today:
1. ShipHero
ShipHero is an order fulfillment partner that offers high-accuracy order fulfillment and efficient warehouse management services with flat-rate fees, free of any hidden costs.
Pros
- Seven warehouses located across the United States and Canada
- Warehouse management with real-time inventory and order visibility
- Integration with major eCommerce, shipping and marketplace platforms
Cons
- Software encounters occasional errors
- Limited shipping label customization
Pricing
ShipHero offers single-rate pricing for all lower 48 states with no setup or hidden fees. Visit our pricing page to discuss customized order fulfillment pricing for your company.
Request an order fulfillment quote from ShipHero today!
2. Shipwire
Shipwire operates a global fulfillment network to help your eCommerce business sell to customers worldwide.
Pros
- 30 warehouses located in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
- Integrations with over 200 eCommerce platforms and websites
- Support for B2B and B2C eCommerce
Cons
- Occasionally unhelpful customer service
- Relatively high shipping rates and long-term storage fees
Pricing
Shipwire doesn’t publicly post its pricing information. Contact a customer service representative for more details.
3. Red Stag Fulfillment
Red Stag Fulfillment offers a full suite of eCommerce order fulfillment and third-party logistics (3PL) services for online sellers.
Pros
- 100% inventory accuracy and same-day fulfillment guarantee
- Affordable shipping costs for large items
- No long-term contract commitment
Cons
- Only two warehouses in the United States
- High pick-and-pack fees
Pricing
You have to get a quote from Red Stag to get information about its pricing plans. You can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.
4. TrueCommerce
TrueCommerce is a cloud-based order fulfillment service that offers integrations with all aspects of your supply chain, so you don’t have to purchase any additional software.
Pros
- Integrations with major eCommerce storefronts like Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce
- Easy-to-learn software
- Simple setup
Cons
- May not integrate well with other software
- Conflict-causing updates
Pricing
Contact a TrueCommerce representative to get pricing information. You can also book a free demo by completing the form on its website.
5. ShipBob
With over 30 distribution centers in six countries, ShipBob helps your eCommerce company sell anywhere in the world. It also boasts a 99.96% on-time delivery rate, meaning your merchandise will be well-handled.
Pros
- Affordable two-day shipping costs with easily understood pricing
- Transparent fulfilling performance reports
- Options for custom-branded packaging
Cons
- Slow-loading dashboard pages
- Hard-to-implement online store integration
Pricing
You can use the calculator on ShipBob’s website to estimate order fulfillment prices. For more detailed pricing breakdowns, request a quote.
Choose ShipHero for all your order fulfillment needs.
6. ShipBots
ShipBots offer pre-built integrations with eCommerce platforms so you can capture orders from your sales channels in no time at all. It also boasts best-in-class customer support teams to ensure you get a solution if a problem comes up.
Pros
- Large shipping discounts
- Dashboard for inventory and warehousing performance insights
- Extra user accounts at no cost
Cons
- Requires a full quote to see detailed pricing
Pricing
Storage with ShipBots starts at $9/week per pallet or $1.25/week per bin. Prices for receiving, picking, packing and shipping vary depending on the volume of orders you handle.
7. Rakuten Super Logistics
Rakuten Super Logistics’ 3PL services guarantee next-day shipping with 100% order accuracy for all your products. Its wide delivery network also ensures customers get their items within one or two days.
Pros
- Nationwide network of fulfillment centers to ensure fast shipping
- Real-time shipment tracking
- Lot tracking to monitor the expiration dates of perishable products
Cons
- Outdated user interface
- Occasional discrepancies between stock listed on the software and real-world stock
Pricing
Rakuten Super Logistics doesn’t post its prices publicly, but you can request a quote by completing a form on its website.
8. ShipMonk
ShipMonk provides various services like order management, inventory management, purchase tracking and packaging to simplify your B2B and B2C fulfillment processes.
Pros
- Real-time inventory tracking across all your sales channels
- Automatic shipping report generation
- Multi-warehouse management dashboard
Cons
- Occasional hidden fees in the fine print
- Lack of climate control for temperature-sensitive items
Pricing
ShipMonk uses a volume-based pricing model that you can calculate on its online calculator. You can also get a custom quote by contacting a sales representative.
9. SPS Commerce
Boasting over 105,000 clients, SPS Commerce provides cloud-based supply chain solutions that let you easily share product information, get insights into retail data and improve logistics efficiency.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Useful data insights from its analytics tool
- Easy integration with retail partners
Cons
- Hard-to-decipher error messages
- Lengthy purchase order processing
Pricing
SPS Commerce doesn’t publish pricing information on its website. Contact its sales team to get a free quote.
Experience lightning-fast eCommerce fulfillment with ShipHero today!
10. eFulfillment Service
eFulfillment Service aims to be one of the most affordable 3PLs in the business with low fees, freight discounts and zero long-term storage fees. However, its numerous 3PL provider awards show that while affordable, it doesn’t mean this company offers bad service.
Pros
- Order fulfillment for various industries
- Scalable services
- No minimum order requirements and setup fees
Cons
- Relatively slow stock check-in times
- Occasional stock accounting errors
Pricing
You can get a quote from eFulfillment Service by completing a form on its website.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right order fulfillment partner for ChannelAdvisor is crucial to unlocking its full potential. Combining ChannelAdvisor’s insight and marketing assistance with robust order fulfillment services means you know what products to sell, how to market them and get them to customers on time. Additionally, you can gain insights from ChannelAdvisor’s reporting tools to see whether or not your products are selling well.
Don’t work with ChannelAdvisor? Find the best carriers for many of the highest profile marketplaces on the web.
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