Order fulfillment services handle key inventory management, order packing, and shipping operations for ecommerce businesses. Outsourcing these time-consuming tasks to a fulfillment company lets small business owners focus on growth drivers like product development, marketing, and multichannel expansion. Since fulfillment services differ in strengths and costs, selecting the right partner depends on your unique business…
About the Author
Krista Fabregas
Krista Fabregas is a staff writer at Fit Small Business and editor of the Ecommerce Section. Krista launched her first ecommerce site in 2001, and soon grew to operate two niche B2B and B2C sites, a 10K square foot warehouse, and staff of nine. Combined, her sites sold more than $1.5M annually for several years. Krista now shares her hands-on experience with others looking to expand into online sales. When not helping small business owners launch and grow efficient ecommerce operations, Krista enjoys writing fiction and nonfiction and riding horses and motorcycles in her hometown of Houston.
Creative Packaging Ideas: Examples, Costs & Providers
Creative packaging lets ecommerce sellers convey their brand to buyers in a share-worthy unboxing experience. Fully-customized packaging is pricey, but many creative packaging ideas are very economical. Logo stickers, printed inserts, paper sleeves, and tie-on tags are just a few creative packaging examples that deliver plenty of bang for just a few bucks. But first,…
Order Fulfillment Costs: Fulfillment Services & 3PL Costs Explained
Order fulfillment costs include inventory receiving and storage, order packing, shipping, and depend on order complexity, package size and weight, and sales volume. Small orders might cost $1 to fulfill while complex orders can exceed $10. Fulfillment services’ fee structures also vary greatly, and the best fit depends on your specific needs. Searching for the…
Square vs. PayPal: Price, Features & What’s Best in 2019
Comparing Square vs. PayPal, Square offers better-integrated payment tools than PayPal, but PayPal pulls ahead in ecommerce payments, and online invoicing features are tied. PayPal’s 2.7% per-swipe fee is lower than Square’s 2.75% per-swipe fee. However, most users think Square’s free point-of-sale (POS) system and business management system makes its slightly higher fee worthwhile. Overall,…
6 Best Free Ecommerce Website Builders 2019
Free ecommerce website builders list products for sale online, accept orders, and process payments. Some support unlimited products; others limit product listings but offer added perks, such as social media integrations and blogging tools. We reviewed the top-rated options to help you select the best free ecommerce website builder for your business’ online selling needs….
How to Design an Open Office Layout & Alternative Ideas
An open office layout is a floor plan centered on a large, open space with minimal enclosed offices. Open office layouts are economical, flexible, and can be effective for highly collaborative teams. However, studies show that poorly planned spaces decrease productivity and employee satisfaction. Balancing openness with privacy options is key to a successful design….
Best Ecommerce Platforms for Small Business in 2019
Ecommerce platforms list products for sale online, manage payments, orders, inventory, and customer communications, and connect to social and marketplace sales channels. We reviewed popular platforms and rising stars and found that Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce are the best platforms for small businesses in terms of price, online sales, and marketing features, and ease of…
6 Ways to Accept Recurring Payments 2019
Recurring payments are automatic payments that process on a set schedule for things like memberships, subscriptions, repeat services, lessons, and more. Recurring payments let businesses operate with predictable income by offering customers the convenience of an automatic option. An all-in-one payment solution can be the easiest way for small businesses to automatically collect recurring payments….
6 Best WordPress Ecommerce Themes 2019
Any WordPress theme can support ecommerce plug-ins, but the best ecommerce WordPress themes deliver built-in features sellers need to succeed on the WordPress platform. Cart icons, checkout pages, filtered search, homepage sales sections, and quick-shop links provide the user experience that shoppers expect. You’ll find these capabilities, and plenty more, in WordPress ecommerce themes. A…
How to Find a Niche Market & Maximize Profits in 3 Steps
A niche market is an audience of people interested in a specific topic, like a certain sport, hobby, or lifestyle interest. So, soccer is a niche market within sports, and dog costumes is a niche within pet interests. Targeting niche markets helps small businesses stand out in search results, attract shoppers, and sell products. You’ll…
How to Open a Shopify Drop Shipping Store in 6 Easy Steps
Drop shipping is a business model that lets you curate, market and sell a unique collection of products without any inventory, storage or staff costs. Shopify connects to hundreds of drop shippers via apps that automate every step, making it the quickest, easiest and most economical way to launch an ecommerce business. Oberlo is the most…
5 Best Online Course Platforms for 2018
Online course platforms help course creators publish their e-learning products online. The best online course platforms make it easy to sell video-based online courses, manage students and payments, and market via integrated tools. Our five best online course platforms for 2018 meet a range of business needs, from startups to those looking to expand. 5…
