As more startups and small brands look for better ways to sell online, the world of eCommerce fulfillment is expanding. Squarespace is one of the more popular eCommerce platforms for third-party online shopping and order fulfillment. It offers an easy-to-use solution that can be scaled for all sizes of operations.
In this guide, we discuss how to fulfill Squarespace orders, including choosing the right shipping options. Then, we cover the value of partnering with a 3PL expert like Print Bind Ship.
How to Fulfill Orders on Squarespace
Squarespace is a platform that integrates with other apps, websites, and platforms to provide a comprehensive online shopping experience for visitors. There are some options available for order fulfillment once you sign up on this platform, but you’ll have to review them to determine what is going to be most effective.
Squarespace does not operate independently and is often integrated with Amazon and 3PL providers as a means of selling and fulfilling orders. Therefore, it’s best to consider this platform as one of the many tools that you will be using to build your online brand and determine how to create the best eCommerce experience with all of the available resources.
Starting with Squarespace eCommerce
Squarespace makes it fairly simple to start building a website, allowing users to sign up and create an account within minutes. Then, you can choose a template and start building your site. Take the time to set up basic information, pages, and navigation. The platform makes it fairly simple to begin customizing your site. Once it’s done, you’ll be able to go live. Here’s a step-by-step look at the process:
- Choose your template by clicking the “Start Free Trial” or “Create a Site” buttons on the homepage.
- Create an account for your eCommerce store.
- Add basic information
- Set up your pages and navigational elements
- Customize the site and add products
- Launch the site and start selling!
Choosing the Right Shipping Options
When you work with the Squarespace platform, you’ll have a few different options for shipping. Of course, each has its pros and cons to consider. Flat rate shipping can be used for small packages or stores where items are typically around the same weight and size (such as a store selling phone cases).
Sellers may also choose the depending on the weight shipping charge, which allows them to enter weights for their products and vary pricing based on that. It doesn’t allow for shipping distance or other dimensional calculations, though. Carrier-calculated shipping is the next option, available to those on the Commerce Advanced Plan for U.S. shipping needs. Of course, here you’re limited to U.S. shipping and at the mercy of carrier rates, which can fluctuate and be quite exorbitant at times.
Challenges of Squarespace Order Fulfillment
When it comes to order fulfillment through platforms like Squarespace, there is something that is left to be desired. While online sales have never been easier, still must figure out their own logistics, from picking and packing to shipping, returns, and even warehousing inventory.
Creating & Maintaining Online Stores
The actual process of creating and maintaining an online store proves challenging for some people. A seamless design and user experience are necessary for optimal online traffic. Technical troubleshooting issues can prevent sales or cause errors, leading to dissatisfied customers and other issues, as well.
Fulfilling Online Orders
Do you have the time and resources to fulfill your online orders? Are you capable of warehousing inventory, managing customer service, and handling the cost of shipping products around the world? This is a time-consuming part of the process of online business, which is why so many small companies outsource to 3PL partners like Print Bind Ship.
Solutions for Squarespace eCommerce Fulfillment
You can use Squarespace to sell your products even if you are going to store inventory and fulfill orders yourself. The platform is designed for that, as well as for integration with other solutions and services. However, this is the more taxing and time-consuming way to go. It is usually best to choose a third-party logistics (3PL) provider that can handle everything for you so that you only have to manage your Squarespace eCommerce site.
A 3PL partner can warehouse your inventory, pick and pack your orders as they are received, ship them to customers, and even handle returns and customer service!
Squarespace Amazon Fulfillment
You can integrate Squarespace with Amazon, but you must have a premium account to use Amazon “blocks” for marketing your links. Many people like to have their products on multiple platforms and the Amazon FBA service offers an opportunity to do just that. However, you will need to bear in mind that FBA fulfillment charges fees. Plus, you will pay seller fees in addition to the costs of Squarespace. Also, FBA does not offer as many customization options as a dedicated 3PL partner.
When you do choose a partner like Print Bind Ship, you can trust that your Squarespace Amazon fulfillment will be just as seamless and stress-free as your regular eCommerce orders.
Dropshipping in Squarespace
Dropshipping is a preferred option for many businesses today. It offers a flexible and scalable business model, allowing businesses to manage their online stores and accept payments with little effort. With eCommerce platforms like Squarespace, sellers list and sell items and then pass those orders along to their 3PL partner, such as Print Bind Ship, who handles all aspects of fulfillment. This is attractive because it means sellers only pay when someone places an order.
Outsourcing Squarespace Fulfillment
Third-party logistics refers to companies whose entire job is to provide order fulfillment and other logistics services to companies. Brands like Print Bind Ship handle everything from logistics to individual services, including customized solutions for a variety of needs. Partnering with a 3PL service can make fulfillment a stress-free process for any business.
Benefits of Outsourcing eCommerce Fulfillment
When you choose to outsource your eCommerce fulfillment needs, you can enjoy benefits like:
- No inventory storage or management
- No picking, packing, or warehouse operations
- Scalability allows brands to focus on their most important efforts
- The ability to leverage the expertise of your 3PL provider
- Less effort, more streamlined fulfillment, and an overall better operation for your business and customers alike
Print Bind Ship stores inventory and receives orders from Squarespace and other eCommerce platforms. Then, we pick and pack each order, and ship them conveniently and quickly. Startups and small brands without the means to handle full-scale fulfillment rely on 3PL services for everything that they need in a scalable package, at an affordable price.
Partner with Print Bind Ship
You can rely on the experienced team at Print Bind Ship as your 3PL partner to handle receiving and fulfilling all of your Squarespace eCommerce orders. We customize 3PL solutions to fit your exact needs. Plus, we take care of all of the hard stuff so that you can focus on the important stuff—your customers and business.