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Originally published on February 11, 2025, updated February 11, 2025
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Could your Amazon order management process use an update? John Cavendish of Seller Candy explains what to consider in this guest article.
Managing orders effectively can make or break your eCommerce business. Since Amazon dominates the online marketplace, you'll need to master its order system to succeed.
Every order triggers a chain reaction - from purchase confirmation to doorstep delivery - involving multiple steps and careful coordination. Getting these basics right will help you run smoother operations, keep customers happy, and grow your sales.
Let's explore how Amazon's order management works, covering everything from processing orders to tracking inventory and handling customer support.
Order management on Amazon means tracking your sales from start to finish. It starts when someone buys your product and ends when they get their package.
This sounds easy, but there's a lot to handle. You need to:
Good order management keeps everything running smoothly. It helps prevent mistakes and late shipments. Happy customers often come back to buy more, which helps your Amazon business grow.
Good order handling means happy customers get their stuff on time. If you're messy with orders, big problems can happen.
When things go wrong:
Even if things work well now, staying sharp with orders stops trouble before it starts.
Think of it this way: one mixed-up order can hurt your shop for months. But when you get orders right, everyone wins - you, Amazon, and your customers.
Selling on Amazon involves more than just getting orders - there are quite a few pieces to manage. Let's break it down.
Your work starts when someone buys from you on Amazon. This is when you need to take action.
Amazon shows your new orders in Seller Central. On your dashboard, you'll see all the important details like:
All this information appears right after the customer places their order.
Your first step after getting an order is checking your inventory. You need to know what items you have and if they're ready to ship. This is easy when you're used to big orders. But new sellers often find it harder than expected.
Good inventory software makes everything easier. It shows what's in stock right now. It tells you what items sell most. It warns when stock is getting low. Plus, it helps track what you need for packing and shipping.
If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you still handle some inventory work. Amazon takes care of packing and shipping your items. But you need to keep track and send them enough products. This way, your FBA business will keep running smoothly.
Whether you ship items yourself or use FBA, staying on top of inventory is key for any business. It helps prevent running out of popular items and keeps customers happy.
SellerPulse offers detailed FBA inventory insights to help you plan and manage your inventory. Quickly identify problem SKUs, aged inventory surcharges, low-inventory-level fees, days of supply, fulfillable units, and much more.
You can ship Amazon orders in two ways. With FBA, you send products to Amazon's warehouse, and its workers handle the rest. Your products get Prime shipping, so customers get orders within two days.
Or you can ship items yourself, also known as FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant). You handle all packing and choose shipping times. If you're excellent at shipping fast, you might qualify for Seller-Fulfilled Prime. You can mix both methods, too.
To handle shipping well, keep careful track of stock and always have packing supplies ready. Set up accounts with shipping companies like USPS or FedEx. Most importantly, only promise shipping times you can meet.
Many sellers use both FBA and self-shipping, choosing what works best for each product.
Speed matters a lot on Amazon, especially for Prime shoppers. If you don't ship fast enough, your ratings can drop, you might lose Prime shipping rights, and your ads might not work as well. This means you need a solid plan for shipping.
If you use FBA, Amazon handles shipping for you. Once your items are in the warehouse, you don't have to worry about delivery times.
If you ship items yourself, taking packages to the post office every day won't work well when you get busy. Instead, set up regular pickup times with shipping companies like USPS or UPS. This keeps deliveries moving smoothly and helps customers trust your store.
Shoppers want to know where their orders are. Update them when you confirm the order, ship it, or if there are delays. Keeping them informed builds trust.
If customers have questions, reply within 24 hours. If there’s a problem, own it and fix it quickly. Clear communication shows you care.
Most sales end when customers get their packages. But sometimes things don't work out - maybe they picked the wrong size, chose the wrong color, or the item just wasn't what they expected. Sometimes products might have defects too.
When customers send items back, they want their refund quickly. Amazon has strict rules about returns. Follow these rules carefully. If you don't handle returns Amazon's way, you could lose your selling privileges or even get removed from Amazon.
Amazon offers many tools to make selling easier. Each part of selling has tools that can help, including managing your orders.
Order Reports in Seller Central show you important information about your sales. You can find these reports in the Orders section of your account. You choose what information you want to see.
These reports show all your orders, including new ones and those not shipped yet. You can also see old orders and end-of-day summaries. This helps you track how well you handle orders and spot ways to improve your business.
The Selling Partner API (SP API) helps connect your Amazon account to your other business systems. When all your systems can share information, you won't miss important updates about orders and shipping.
This connection lets you create custom dashboards to manage everything in one place. You can also use other business tools with your Amazon account. This makes running your Amazon store much easier, especially when you're handling lots of orders.
To succeed in Amazon order management, focus on three key areas: keeping track of your inventory, improving how you handle orders, and providing great customer service.
Here’s a closer look at each:
Good stock control isn't just about having items ready to ship. You need to track what sells and when.
Skip the spreadsheets and use smart stock software such as RestockPro instead. These tools show you what's selling well and what isn't. You can spot which items sell best in which seasons. You'll know which products are taking up space without making money. With better data, you can set the right prices and run sales that work.
The best tools can also tell you when to buy more stock. They help you order just enough - not too much or too little.
Dealing with lots of orders can be tough. When you sell hundreds of items each month, it's hard to manage everything.
Let automation do the work for you. Good order tools can:
This means you can get items ready to ship almost as soon as someone buys them.
The best part? You won't have to worry about mixing up orders or losing track of sales. The computer handles the hard work while you focus on growing your business.
Good service makes all the difference. The way you handle orders shows customers if they can trust you.
Problems like late orders, no tracking info, lost orders, and slow replies can make customers angry and stop them from buying again.
Let automated tools handle the boring stuff. Then you can spend more time helping customers. Happy customers buy more - and that's what matters most.
Running out of items or having too many can hurt your store. Here are the main problems sellers face:
Most items sell better at certain times. You need to know when people want to buy. If not, you'll have too much or too little stock. Good inventory software can help you see these patterns.
Getting more stock takes time. Your suppliers need days or weeks to send items. Watch your sales and order early. Good tools can tell you when to buy more.
Always keep some extra items on hand to fulfill orders yourself if needed. This helps when sales jump suddenly. Running out of stock can hurt your Amazon ranking.
Not all items sell the same way. Some sell more in summer, while others depend on sports seasons. Watch how each item sells. Make special plans for your most important products.
Mastering Amazon order management is key to thriving in eCommerce. From processing orders to managing inventory and delivering excellent customer service, each step is vital for ensuring smooth operations, happy customers, and sustained growth on Amazon.
To simplify the process, Seller Candy offers expert support for all your Seller Central needs, including resolving cases, managing orders, and maintaining listings so you can focus on scaling your business.
Partner with Seller Candy today and elevate your Amazon business. Schedule your FREE consultation today!
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