Outsourcing: The Key for a Successful E-Commerce Business

If you are fed up with your 9-5 job and would like to join the many thousands of Australians who now run their own online business, there’s a lot to consider. In order to provide a comprehensive service from checkout to delivery, you will need the help of several third-party companies, as they are the key to competing with the big players, who have all the resources to provide a 5-star purchasing experience.

Web Design

The first specialist you’ll need is a web developer – someone who can turn your design concept into a working shopping cart website – plus the web developer can host your site and even register the domain name for you. You provide the content (product images and descriptions) and the webmaster will upload the content and manage the website on your behalf. The site can be managed by the developer, who would install updates and they can also handle cyber-security as well.

Digital Marketing

Once you have your very own shopping cart platform, you will need to engage the services of a leading SEO provider, such as moveaheadmedia.com.au/services/seo/, who are specialists in driving traffic to e-commerce websites. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can get by without SEO services, because you cannot, as this is how potential customers will find you.

Third Party Logistics (3PL)

Another very important partner, your 3PL provider picks, packs and delivers your products to the customer, and all you have to do is send your products and packaging to their warehouse, then when orders come in, you forward them to your 3PL partner, who fulfils the order. The 3PL provider is fully geared up for high volumes of orders, plus their services are flexible and you only pay for what you use.

Online Security

As your e-commerce platform contains payment gateways, you will need a secure connection, which will give your customers peace of mind when they enter their financial data on your site, and this is denoted by the ‘s’ in ‘https’, which is the first section of your website URL. This might also show a small padlock icon, which signifies that your website is secure. You can outsource your cyber-security to a specialist and they will maintain a secure connection and ensure that your site does not get hacked. Here is a link to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), which provides essential information for business owners.

As you can see, it is possible to run your e-commerce business by outsourcing essential services, and if you have your supplier deliver your products to your 3PL provider, orders can quickly be fulfilled. With your digital marketing and website managed, there isn’t really much else to do, except search for new products that you think your customers will enjoy. Running your business in such a way means they you don’t really need an office, as you can do your work from home, while third party providers take care of everything.