Larger retailers have their own custom built tools. For example, Walmart streamlines its internal processes and enhances customer experiences with its own technology incubator, Store No 8. Smaller retailers usually choose paid online tools that suit their needs.

Let’s take a look at retail tools that help with shipping and inventory in particular. 2018 has been witnessing some major trends in inventory management and shipping so far. People are confidently investing in these tools because they figure that it is an important area for optimization and enhanced customer experience. That’s not exactly surprising considering global retail E-commerce is estimated to hit $1800 billion this year. We’ve put together some of the tools that rule the roost with their multiple inventory management and fast shipping methods. With newer tools, retailers find that they can see use one platform/ tool to access all details on order fulfilment, barcode inventory and purchase management.

Top 5 tools for shipping

Fast delivery is a necessity to earn customer loyalty. Retailers have to work toward meeting this expectation using every tool in their arsenal, or signing up for an effective one. Several big retailers put a price tag on their custom built tools so that smaller players in the industry can make use of the tech. Amazon for instance, offers shipping help and all associated tools for the sellers listed on their site. Here are some of the most popular shipping tools making the rounds this year.

Ordoro

Ordoro tops most lists on retail tools. It is used by several small businesses to manage their shipping needs because of its affordability and efficiency. Pricing starts at $25 a month, and retailers get access to print shipping labels easily, audit, autofill shipping forms and select/compare shipping carriers suitable for their needs.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Affordably priced
• Up to 67% discounted rates with USPS
• Direct integration with shipping carriers
• Drop shipping is available with select plans
• Open API

FedEx Fulfilment

FedEx fulfilment is fairly new to the game having been introduced in early 2017. It helps smaller organizations with fulfilment needs by offering solutions for warehousing, packaging, fulfilment, transportation, and reverse logistics. The tracking facilities are excellent and all orders can be analysed in one place. FedEx makes it easy for retailers to not worry about competition with Amazon in FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon), and to fulfil international orders with ease in over 200 countries.

Why we love it

• Full scale logistics services
• Multiple channel order fulfilment
• Suitable for ecommerce retailers of all sizes    

Shippingeasy

Shippingeasy lives up to its name of making shipping easy, with its easy to avail automated shipping discounts and tracking service. Pricing begins at $29 per month for the basic version. Creating shipping labels takes no time with this app, and you can even customize your view of order details. Reviews of the app also boast an excellent support team who are available 24/7.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Seamless integration with major online marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, ebay, Squarespace, Shopify, etc.
• The Autoship option
• Absolute ease of use and customization

ShipBob

ShipBob offers order fulfilment services with same-day delivery in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Dallas and Chicago. Anywhere else in the continental US, ShipBob can reach in 2 days. There is a free version of the software to manage inventory. ShipBob is the tool you should go for when you reach out to large cities for most of your orders. ShipBob also works out to be cheap when you ship large volumes, and provides analytics and extensive reporting that helps with business decisions.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Quick delivery within metropolitan areas
• Easy integration with stores like ebay and amazon
• Basic free version
• Predictive data insights, optimized shipping

Fulfillify

Fulfillify is a tech platform that boasts several strategically placed smart warehouses and boasts an order accuracy of 99%. Fulfillify lets users track orders and manage inventory with any device, and is extremely mobile friendly. You get detailed reports warehouse locations, product arrivals, status and customer orders. Alerts are automatically generated when the inventory is running low.

Why we love it

• Easy integration with existing carts and softwares
• Full transparency over shipments
• Mobile/Tablet Friendly

Top 5 tools for inventory management

Inventory Management involves well planned strategy, management and execution. Thankfully, there are some great tools available that can be of help. Inventory management tools usually handle shipping as well, so retailers can avail dual benefit. Investing in a good IM tool can help your ecommerce business (or other businesses where you need their services) function efficiently. Here are five of the best inventory management tools available in the market right now.

Unleashed

Unleashed is one of the best rated softwares for inventory management. Designed with small businesses in mind, Unleashed can be used from anywhere in the world. The system uses a cloud based dashboard that can provide the user with reports and details on revenue, stock, and profit. Moreover, the platform is very easy to use and is available from $85 a month.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Tracks stock in real time
• Affordably priced

InFlow

InFlow effectively manages inventory by helping small businesses receive orders, reorder stock and manage products. Its ease of use is widely acknowledged, and the recent cloud based versions do not have the problem of integration that the earlier versions did. The best thing is the free version that is available for users who have just started a small business. So, one can make use of InFlow for free till they have requirements for the paid services.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Easy to learn and affordable
• Basic free version

AdvancePro

If you are a small retailer using QuickBooks, you can go for AdvancePro without a second thought because you can integrate QuickBooks records with AdvancePro. AdvancePro boasts a set of tools that cater to high-performing inventory and warehouse management, which can be customized according to requirements. Integration with other platforms like EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is extremely simplified, and data can be exported to PDF files or Excel sheets. The pricing depends on the package you choose but it is definitely competitively priced.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• High performance with QuickBooks
• UPS/ FedEx shipping integration can be added

Goldenseal Accounting

Designed by Turtle Creek, Goldenseal Accounting features payable and receivable accounts along with billing, invoicing and inventory management. This tool’s specialty lies in cost job details. You can keep track of equipment hours, labor hours, materials purchased, leased contracts, etc, and even get notifications when you exceed your set budget. Multiple inventory accounts can be created and maintained with ease. Designed with construction firms and similar businesses in mind, Goldenseal inventories based on both cost and quantity. It is a little expensive, with the base version starting at $395.

Why we love it

• Easy to use
• Customizable depending on business needs
• Easy import from Quickbooks

Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory is very well known as a go to inventory management application for small to midsize businesses. Its multi-channel versatility and inventory control make it one of the best tools for inventory management. Accuracy, efficiency and proficiency are guaranteed as zoho is one of the pioneers of outsourced inventory control. The price is affordable, beginning with a monthly fee of $29 for basic requirements, and $249 for professional packages.

Image source: getapp

Why we love it

• Easily Customizable
• Integrates with multiple ecommerce sites like ebay, etsy and amazon

The post Top 10 Shipping and Inventory Management Tools for SMBs appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re geared up to make the best of this week!

1. Inventory hard

Yep, you need to make sure you are fully stocked to handle the rush. A study by Fortune shows that over 51% of shoppers make their purchases online. The number is bound to increase when it’s Valentine’s week!

Just run a quick inventory of your sales during this time of the month during the last few years, and create a comprehensive list of all the items you’ll need extra stock of. This will ensure you are prepared to deal with large orders of those products. For instance, hallmark cards, chocolates and flowers are the hot favourites. If you sell live plants and flowers, then you might want to stock up on purple roses, blue roses, green roses, red roses and rainbow roses apart from the famous lilies and tulips, as they are currently in trend.

2. Flaunt those discounts

It’s not going to be enough if your business has a really cool website and a bunch of offers for V- day. No sir! You need to be able to market your best selling products with strategically designed content if you want an even bigger turnout. All those huge banners proclaiming an ongoing sale need to be attractive, to the point, and well placed.

Ease of access with a mobile option would be an added advantage to most customers. Offer super fast shipping as around 28 % of customers begin Valentine’s day shopping with less than a week to go! If you’re offering fast shipping options then advertise it in bold! The quality of your content will determine if a window shopper becomes a loyal customer, or if an existing one goes in search of better options. So get cracking on those knuckles and come up with some awesome content that will be extremely hard to say no to!

3. A truly personalized experience

Personalizing a customer’s online experience goes a long way in making an unforgettable shopping experience. Not only does it involve recommendations based on a customer’s behavioural patterns, it also ensures that a retailer’s best products are at the forefront of the customized search list.

For instance, this week’s recommendations could be on a Valentine based theme, in all categories. Studies show that singles treat themselves to Valentine’s day gifts too! So you’ll have to make sure customers can find the perfect gift to pamper themselves and their loved ones with. Various gift wrappings to choose from would be a great addition too!

4. Swoon worthy prices

This might suck, but there are a lot of price comparison options out there these days. So it’s definitely not a great idea to hike up the price of an item just so that the discount you offer sounds amazing. Making delivery options and shipping prices fully visible to customers is another excellent way to win more hearts this season!

Besides, no matter the percentage of discount you offer, it’s great quality merchandise and efficient delivery options which will speak in your favour.

5. Ship it like you mean it

You heard that right! Over 69% of customers have claimed that an unsatisfactory delivery experience reduces the probability of them shopping with the same retailer again. It does make sense, because a present meant for Valentine’s day does not mean the same if delivered a couple of days later!

As many customers pay extra for faster delivery options, you’re going to have one extremely unhappy customer on your hands if the package does not reach on time. As you well know, getting a customer to buy from you is just the first step. If you want them coming back time and again for more (fingers crossed), then you’ll have to offer them the complete package. Prompt and satisfactory delivery is the last mile you’ll have to cross. So make sure the shipping carriers you use are all on track. For help with ensuring that your shipping carriers are held accountable for their on time performance and getting the tools necessary to have complete visibility over your last mile deliveries, check out LateShipment.com.

I hope this helps prepare you to tackle this Valentine’s week sale in style!

The post 5 ways to make customers fall in love with your business this Valentine’s day appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.