Online shopping has steadily increased in the past few years thanks to the convenience of buying from anywhere and increased efficiency in shipping. As a result, sites like Shopify have become increasingly popular, making it easier and easier for anyone to sell their goods.
When the Covid crisis hit last Spring, online sales reached a fever pitch. Now more than ever, online sellers are looking for the easiest, most convenient and most affordable fulfillment service providers.
In a year where nothing has been easy or predictable, save yourself the hassle of dealing with difficult or unpredictable third-party logistics (3PL) companies. Instead, try one of these 3 best order fulfillment services for Shopify.
What are 3PL companies?
A third-party logistics company fulfills your online orders for you. They help to take the burden of distribution, warehousing and shipping off your plate so you can focus on your products and sales. Understanding which services these companies provide, and at what cost, is crucial for online businesses. It’s important to choose a company based on your specific needs.
Deliverr
Deliverr is a newer 3PL company but already has customers raving about their services. After studying and researching the best practices of the most popular and trusted delivery services, the founders of Deliverr developed and optimized their services to meet the needs of all Shopify sellers.
Deliverr offers fast, efficient shipping for any sized business looking to compete in the marketplace. Some areas may even be eligible for next day delivery. This is thanks to Deliverr’s vast network of warehouse space across the country.
Deliverr rents warehouse space throughout the US and stocks their shelves based on regional preferences for goods and popular items. This allows the company to offer fast, reliable and affordable fulfillment services to its customers. Deliverr will help you keep your inventory stocked and has features like a $5 credit if an order doesn’t arrive on time.
Deliverr offers fixed rate pricing with no long-term contracts or hidden fees. This simple and affordable pricing structure is based on size of the shipment and includes all your fulfillment costs from pick and pack, to order handling, to packaging and shipping. With full transparency, customers know exactly what they are getting and at what price.
Deliverr also offers a convenient and easy-to-use cost calculator so you can quickly begin to budget fulfillment costs. Unlike some other fulfillment providers, you don’t need to wait for a quote but can begin to understand your costs in a matter of minutes.
Integrating Deliverr with your Shopify store is quick and easy. Once you’re connected, Deliverr will handle receiving, shipping, order handling and pick and pack. There are a number of features included on the dashboard and with attentive customer service, onboarding is easy. Deliverr also offer a free trial. You can test a few SKUs to measure how well the service helps to improve your sales.
What sets Deliverr apart is their desire to help Shopify businesses increase sales. Their fast-shipping tags not only get shoppers attention, they also help to boost results in search engines. Deliverr is committed to getting your Shopify store more visibility.
Deliverr also offers the option for long term storage. You can see their fee scheduling for this service on their website.
Advantages of Deliverr
- Affordable and transparent pricing
- Network of warehouses across the country
- Fast shipping tags to accelerate sales
- Simple and easy onboarding
- Option to store goods
Shortcomings of Using Deliverr
- Less control over fulfillment process
ShipBob
ShipBob is one of the most popular 3PL companies and with good reason. This reputable shipping and logistics company can be easily integrated into your Shopify store in just a few clicks. As one of the larger 3PL providers, users will benefit from their extensive network of fulfillment centers.
From Los Angeles to New York and Chicago to Dallas, they have all corners of the US covered. ShipBob is able to offer two-day shipping so your shop can compete with more massive online sellers. They can even offer same day shipping in some areas. (And you’ll get a badge to promote this fast delivery on your website.)
ShipBob will easily streamline your order fulfillment. ShipBob helps you to manage and store inventory and understand and control your supply chain. With useful reporting and analytics tools, you can better understand the health of your online store. Shop Bob will even handle returns and warehouse kitting (the process of combining related products).
In addition to helping small businesses, Ship Bob can easily manage bulk, wholesale, and B2B orders. They offer flat rate fees with complete transparency, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
ShipBob will assign a dedicated account manager to not only help with logistical concerns and questions, but to also help promote the growth of your business. Shopify customers love the attention and knowledge of the Ship Bob customer service representatives.
ShipBob is simple and easy to use with tons of features to keep you in complete control of your business without having to deal with logistical headaches and hiccups.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Simple and fast onboarding
- Comprehensive – including, inventory management, returns, and analytics
- Well established
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- A bit more expensive than competitors
Freight Pros
Freight Pros is another excellent choice for a 3PL provider. Unlike some competitors, Freight Pros is a great choice for small businesses because they can and will fulfill small shipments. (Though, they can also handle large shipments just as easily.) Freight Pros is a freight-focused option that excels in helping small businesses save money and time on inbound, outbound, and point-to-point freight shipments.
The experts at Freight Pros know this business. Shopify users will benefit from their excellent customer service. Their knowledgeable and dedicated team will be ready to assist users with questions, concerns and any problems that arise.
With Freight Pros, you can decide how much of the fulfillment process you want to manage. You can choose to offload most of your fulfillment logistics to them or decide to manage more of the process. Freight Pros customer services representatives will work with you to help you decide what is best.
Where Freight Pros really shines is their pricing and affordability. This 3PL company recommends freight carriers based on the specific needs of its customers. They understand how and where to find savings, so you don’t end up overpaying for services you don’t need. This company prides themselves on the transparency of their pricing, so you won’t be met with additional charges or billing surprises. With Freight Pros, you can get a quick, free freight quote before you join.
The entire process from the first order through delivery is tracked in real time so any issues that arise can quickly be addressed. The boarding process is simple with quick and clear training on the necessary tools available to manage your business.
Pros
- Great for small businesses
- Excellent customer service
- Affordable pricing for quality services
- Easy and intuitive management systems
Cons
- Does not have long-term storage options
Great Order Fulfillment Options for Your Shopify Store
As more and more shops continue to fill the online marketplaces, entrepreneurs continue to look for the most affordable and convenient ways to streamline their order fulfillment processes. These 3PL services are excellent options for any Shopify owner who wants to be able to offer fast and reliable shipping without getting bogged down in the hassles of packing and shipping themselves.