Anyone who owns a business that sells products online, you surely know how important it is to have confidence in your items reliably making it into your customers’ hands. How do you actually go about making that happen, though?
For most, handling it all on your
own simply isn’t an option. After all, you’re already plenty busy doing everything else required to run your business. Not only do you need to navigate the confusing waters of shipping out items, but also processing new orders in a timely and accurate manner, tracking and updating inventory, and physically storing merchandise. Depending on the specific details of your business and its products, things only get more complicated, especially if you want to grow your business (which of course you do)!
This is even further complicated by how important it is these days to sell your products on Amazon. So, how do you accomplish all of this so your business can be as successful and grow as much as possible?
You might have heard that Amazon has a program meant to solve these issues for you, called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). You may not know, however, that this isn’t your only option. Instead, you may want to consider an FBA alternative for your business.
Here are the differences between Fulfillment by Amazon and FBA alternatives.
What is Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)?
Fulfillment by Amazon, also known as FBA, is a program where the logistics related to selling, storing, and shipping your products is handled by Amazon itself. Clearly, selling on Amazon is a big deal for small businesses. You benefit greatly by having your items listed where there is such immense web traffic as Amazon receives.
Participating in FBA may seem like the obvious choice as well, then. After all, it takes away the responsibilities of the business owner to handle things like storing and shipping products after they are sold on Amazon.
However, there are definite downsides to Fulfillment by Amazon that you should consider before choosing it for your business.
What is a Fulfillment by Amazon Alternative?
Many people may assume that FBA is their only option if they want to sell on Amazon, or that it inherently must be the best option since it is through Amazon itself. This is simply not the case, though. For many businesses selling on Amazon, the best choice is an FBA alternative.
An FBA alternative is a solution for businesses that offers the services necessary for selling on Amazon typically associated with FBA, but outside of Amazon’s service itself. The advantages of this are that you can avoid some of the pitfalls of the FBA program, such as:
- High costs from shipping your products to multiple fulfillment centers.
- Complications with tracking items being sent from multiple sources.
- Potential sales tax requirements in certain states with fulfillment centers where your products may be stored and shipped from.
- Amazon’s burdensome and complicated storage fees.
Choosing a Fulfillment by Amazon Alternative
Not all FBA alternatives are created equal, so it’s important for you to find the right one for your business. Here at Specialty Fulfillment Center, we strive to deliver everything you could want from an FBA alternative.
We can integrate directly with your Amazon account so that fulfilling your customers’ Amazon orders is seamless and pain-free. We don’t stop there, though, because we have also developed a public API that integrates with other systems like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Ultra-Cart. We also provide a much friendlier option when it comes to storing your inventory. Not only do we generally offer more customized pricing than Amazon, but we also offer the kind of personalized service that makes us an extension of your team.
Are you looking for help with Amazon Fulfillment for your business or an FBA alternative? We have solutions for you! Get in touch with us today!
