Is order processing in online sales really that simple? We live in a time of rapid digitalization and a time when most companies have realized that it is no longer enough to appear only in the “real” world and to do business only in the way that was relevant 10 years ago.
Digitalization and the internet offer us many things that were almost unattainable 10 years ago, almost at our fingertips. Internet users, who are also buyers, want quality products and quality, fast, and friendly service from all of us who do business online. But most of them are not even aware of the process behind all the small or large companies that operate online.
Whether the company is small or large, new or already established, each will sooner or later face challenges that they initially did not even think about. Regardless of whether we are dealing with the sale of services or products online, alone or with the help of an expert, we will sooner or later have to create an order processing system, which is anything but a small challenge.
When we first encounter the administration of an online store, we are all soon convinced that it is all quite simple and understandable (regardless of the platform on which the online store operates). Of course, we all initially focus on advertising and sales, which is very important and the driving force of our business. Of course, if we want the next stage in online sales to occur, we must obtain the first orders, behind which are actually our customers, who, like in the “real” world, expect quality, fast, and friendly service. As long as there are only a few orders, everything is quite simple, so rarely does any online retailer at the beginning place excessive emphasis on the method of order processing. It all sounds quite simple and basically is: order received, order processing, order completed. But is it really so?
- Order received - the customer receives an electronic notification of successful order submission, and the online retailer understands with this status that a new customer has placed an order for one of their services or products.
- Order processing - the customer receives an electronic notification that someone has already taken over their order, and the online retailer begins preparing the package for shipment.
- Order completed - the customer receives an electronic message that the package has been shipped and can soon expect delivery, and the retailer completes the order with this status.
Of course, this is just one of the possible scenarios and assuming that: the customer pays for the order upon delivery, all orders are paid only when the customer receives the package, we have only one delivery service, we have a small quantity of orders, and all orders are processed by only one person. Now imagine how this process looks if: we have 5 different payment methods to choose from, some orders are paid immediately and some upon delivery, we cooperate with 3 delivery services, we have 100 or more orders daily, including orders from different online stores and from different countries, processed by several of your employees simultaneously. If we previously focused only on sales and took order processing very lightly, this soon changes, as chaos can soon spoil our joy. Sooner or later, every online retailer who grows and increases the number of orders faces the great importance of quality and fast order processing.
For as few sleepless nights as possible and a successful and growing online business, we advise in our company that while focusing on online sales, you should not neglect the importance of good organization and careful systematization of the process, which is simply called order processing. This process includes: good system development of order processing in the online store administration itself, a fast and at the same time simple physical way of working (printing invoices, printing shipping notes, product preparation, use of appropriate protective packaging), etc. In every successful online store, this process is extremely well thought out and perfected, and much more effort is invested in it than it may seem at first glance.
It is the decision of every online retailer whether they want to face the challenges brought by more orders themselves and solve them on their own, or whether they will turn to an expert for help and advice, who already has more experience with this. Regardless of the decision, we recommend that you never forget that our task is not completed until the customer receives the package, and until we have money in the company's account. But never forget customer satisfaction, as only a satisfied customer will return to your online store and make a purchase again.
