Launching an ecommerce business is an exciting step, whether you’re selling handmade products, sourcing best-sellers from suppliers, or expanding an existing retail brand.
But with so much competition online, success isn’t just about having a great product. It’s about building a business that can operate smoothly, scale sustainably, and meet customer expectations consistently.
Here are 10 key things to consider when starting an ecommerce business, with a special focus on fulfilment, logistics, and pick and pack processes, core elements that determine how well your business performs once the sales start rolling in.
1. Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform
Your platform decides how your store runs day to day. Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, Etsy, and Not On The High Street all offer different levels of flexibility, tools, and fees. Think about:
- How easily it integrates with fulfilment partners
- Whether it supports the features your business needs
- Long-term costs as you grow
At NGL Fulfilment, our facilities integrate with all major UK ecommerce platforms to give you real-time visibility over your orders and stock.
2. Understanding Ecommerce Fulfilment
Many new business owners underestimate how much time fulfilment takes once orders start increasing.
Ecommerce fulfilment is the entire end-to-end process of managing an online order, from the moment a customer buys an item to the moment it arrives at their door. It includes:
- Receiving inventory
- Storing stock
- Processing online orders
- Picking and packing
- Shipping and delivery
- Handling returns
Think of it as the overall customer journey for each order.
A reliable fulfilment partner ensures that each stage runs smoothly, allowing you to focus on marketing, growth, and customer experience.
3. Knowing the Difference Between Pick & Pack and Fulfilment
These two terms are often used together, but they aren’t the same.
Pick and pack is the warehouse-level process within the wider fulfilment journey. It involves:
- Picking: locating and retrieving items from storage
- Packing: securely boxing products, adding paperwork, and preparing the parcel for shipment
If ecommerce fulfilment is the whole journey, pick and pack is the operational stage that makes accurate order dispatch possible.
Understanding the difference helps you choose the right level of support for your business.
4. Planning Your Stock Storage
Whether you start small or launch with a large product line, you’ll need space to store your stock safely and organise it effectively.
Our secure, CCTV-monitored fulfilment centre offers short-term storage, long-term capacity, and full fulfilment base solutions for businesses across the UK.
5. Preparing for Scalability
As your brand grows, your fulfilment needs will change. A scalable setup lets you:
- Increase stock without moving premises
- Ship higher volumes without delays
- Add new product lines easily
Our fulfilment facilities are designed to grow with you, with flexible shelving, pallet racking, and dedicated pick and pack zones to support your next steps.
6. Choosing a Reliable Delivery Network
Even if you do everything right inside your business, your delivery performance defines the final customer impression. Partner with a provider who:
- Offers multiple courier and freight options
- Provides full parcel tracking
- Delivers consistently on time
NGL works with trusted UK and international delivery partners to ensure every order arrives quickly and reliably.
7. Inventory and Stock Management
Tracking inventory across multiple channels can become overwhelming. A good Warehouse Management System (WMS) helps you:
- Track stock in real time
- Use barcoding and FIFO controls
- Reduce errors
- Forecast demand
Our free customer portal gives you live visibility of stock levels, order status, and delivery performance, helping your business run smoothly.
8. Integrating Your Online Store With Your Fulfilment Partner
Automation is key. When your store integrates with your fulfilment provider, every order flows directly into the warehouse, eliminating manual input and preventing errors.
At NGL Fulfilment, we integrate seamlessly with Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, and NOTHS, so you spend less time managing orders and more time growing your brand.
9. Considering Returns Management
Returns are an inevitable part of ecommerce. Having a clear, efficient returns process keeps customers happy and your stock accurate.
A fulfilment partner can help by inspecting returns, updating stock records, and preparing items to be resold where appropriate.
10. Deciding Whether to Outsource Fulfilment
When you’re just starting, packing boxes in your home or garage might be manageable. But as orders increase, fulfilment can quickly take over your day. Outsourcing gives you:
- More time to focus on customers and growth
- Professional packing and shipping
- Space back in your home or office
- Peace of mind knowing orders are handled accurately and on time
At NGL Fulfilment, we specialise in scalable pick and pack services and full ecommerce fulfilment for UK businesses of every size, from startup sellers to established retailers.