What is Order Tracking in eCommerce, and How It Works

Introduction 

The eCommerce landscape has changed dramatically in the past few years. It is mainly due to technological advancements like order tracking in eCommerce that have made buying goods online more accessible and convenient. 

While this growing trend has its own perks, it has also set a competitive zone for businesses that are now selling their products and services online.

So, these businesses need to find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition to stay ahead in the game. Here, offering a thorough order tracking service can help. 

This article will provide a detailed breakdown of order tracking in eCommerce. Let’s get started.

What is Order Tracking in eCommerce? 

Ecommerce order tracking is a process that allows both retailers and customers to monitor orders in real-time throughout the fulfillment process.

It typically involves offering a tracking portal, providing a unique tracking number, showing the estimated delivery date, and reflecting timely eCommerce order status. Your customers can also use the information to monitor their orders on their own. 

As a result, they can stay updated on the progress of their delivery demands. At the same time, eCommerce order tracking also helps you identify unexpected delays or issues in the shipment journey so you can solve them beforehand. 

How Does Order Tracking in eCommerce Work? 

Most eCommerce businesses use order tracking software to manage and track their orders. This software is typically integrated with the company's website or store to streamline everything, including eCommerce delivery tracking information in just one place.

When an order is placed, it assigns a unique tracking number to each shipment. Your customer can enter this number into the order tracking system to get real-time eCommerce tracking updates.

The software also updates the tracking information on its own as the order progresses through the shipping process.

What happens once a purchase has been made online?

Order tracking is a major part of the post-purchase activities. To understand the role of order tracking in eCommerce, you first need to have an idea of what exactly happens when a customer hits the buy button. The following steps can typically be expected when the purchase is made online. 

• Step 1: Once the order is placed, an email/SMS is sent to the customer with all the order information. It includes the product name, quantity, price, and shipping address.
• Step 2: The order is then forwarded to the logistics provider, who starts processing the order. 
• Step 3: Next, an order ID is assigned to that shipment. Both customers and the retailer can use the same number to get detailed information on eCommerce shipment tracking.
• Step 4: The final step is delivering the order to the customer. The tracking information gets updated accordingly to reflect that the order has been successfully delivered.

What are the types of order tracking in eCommerce?

There are different types of order tracking systems businesses can adopt to get real-time eCommerce delivery updates. Some common examples include:

1. Automated order tracking systems

This online tracking system uses advanced software and algorithms to monitor orders automatically - without the need for human intervention. Large, high-volume businesses that handle hundreds or thousands of orders each day use this type of automation to simplify eCommerce courier tracking.

It provides them with periodic notifications, which is a significant boon for customers who want to know exactly when their orders will arrive. On the other hand, it frees you from manual tasks, and you can invest that time in acquiring more sales.

2. Manual order tracking systems

Unlike the automated ones, manual eCommerce order-fulfillment tracking systems mostly rely on human input. Smaller or mid-sized businesses that deal with fewer orders mainly use this type of system to handle the order tracking process. 

At the most basic level, it often involves manually entering each new order details, regularly checking the order status, and manually sending notifications to customers. 

3. Hybrid order tracking systems

Hybrid order tracking systems are a combination of both automated and manual processes. 

They typically involve using an automated system for tasks like data entry, eCommerce real-time delivery updates, and incorporating human input at specific points in the process, such as when fulfilling orders or responding to customer queries.

Why is the order tracking important in eCommerce?

Tracking orders throughout their journey can benefit you from all fronts. For example: 

1. It ensures customer satisfaction 

Fulfilling orders on time is one of the best ways to improve customer satisfaction. In fact, 90% of online customers want to track eCommerce couriers. It becomes more convenient when they prepay for their orders. 

Delivery tracking helps in such situations to a great extent. It allows businesses to see where each order is in the fulfillment journey. It further helps them provide accurate updates to customers that reduce their anxiety, which, in turn, improves customer experience.

2. It helps to improve operational efficiency 

Another reason why eCommerce logistics tracking is essential is that it can help businesses improve their operational efficiency. 

When orders are correctly tracked, businesses have visibility into every aspect of the fulfillment process. This visibility allows companies to identify any bottlenecks or areas of inefficiency. 

3. It helps in preventing  unnecessary delays or missed deadlines 

The ability to effectively track orders can help businesses reduce unnecessary delays in their fulfillment process. When order tracking is done correctly, you can identify and prevent potential issues before they become a problem. This helps ensure that your shipments reach your customers on time and without delay.

4. It provides a clear picture of your business's performance

Order tracking can also help businesses get a clear picture of their performance. By having visibility into the entire fulfillment process, companies can identify areas excelling and areas where they need to improve. 

This information can be used to make necessary changes to improve efficiency and optimize the fulfillment process.

What are the challenges you can face without order tracking in eCommerce?

Various challenges can arise while running an eCommerce business, such as issues with supply chain visibility and managing complex fulfillment processes. 

Here is the list of the top  5 challenges your business can face without a proper order tracking system in eCommerce. We’ll also provide you with some tips so you can easily mitigate them. 

1. Lack of Visibility into the Fulfillment Process 

One of the main issues businesses face is a lack of visibility into their fulfillment process. It can lead to problems such as misplaced inventory, late shipments, and lost or damaged products. 

It is essential to have a robust order-tracking system that provides visibility into every step of the process to overcome this challenge. This way, you can identify any potential issues and make necessary changes to improve efficiency.

2. Managing Complex Fulfillment Processes 

Another common challenge is managing complex fulfillment processes. It can be especially difficult for businesses that fulfill different orders, such as eCommerce and in-person purchases. 

Thankfully, several tools are available to help businesses manage these complex processes more effectively. These include order-tracking software that provides real-time visibility into the fulfillment process and automated warehouses that can quickly move products through the system.

3. Ensuring Order Accuracy

Ensuring accurate orders is another common challenge businesses face. It can be daunting to do manually, but again, there are numerous tools available to streamline this. 

For example, many order-tracking software programs offer features that allow businesses to verify orders before they are processed. It can help reduce the number of errors and ensure that customers receive the products they ordered. 

4. Meeting Customer Expectations 

Meeting customer expectations often gets tricky for businesses. It includes ensuring that orders are delivered on time and excellent customer service. 

There are several ways to meet these expectations, such as investing in quality control measures and using order tracking software to provide real-time updates to customers. 

5. Managing Returns 

Finally, businesses need to be prepared to handle returns. It can be difficult as it requires developing a dedicated process. 

There are a few ways to manage returns, such as setting up a return policy and offering refunds or exchanges. Additionally, businesses can use order tracking software to track returned items and ensure they safely reach the inventory. 

Tips on how to use order tracking effectively in your eCommerce business:

As you saw, eCommerce order tracking is no longer “a nice to have” feature; it’s a necessity. So, here are a few expert tips to help you effectively maintain the order-tracking process. 

1. Go for an Easy-to-Use Order tracking system

Ensure that the order tracking software is easy to navigate and offers detailed information about customer orders. It will help make order management faster, easier, and more efficient.

2. Ensure the system offers an integrated tracking portal

When businesses grow, they need to rely on multiple carriers to effectively serve their customers and strengthen their business reach.

Now, tracking orders delegated to each carrier can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Thus, go for such an order tracking system that allows you to view eCommerce order tracking across multiple carriers on a single centralized dashboard. 

Take the example of ClickPost shipping software. Here, you can track your eCommerce orders across all your logistics partners on an integrated dashboard. As a result, you don’t need to visit each carrier’s website to get order status. It, in turn, eases the eCommerce order tracking process. 

3. Adopt customization in order tracking

As per the study, more than 80% of customers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalized experiences.

Considering this data, you must look for such a customer order tracking software that provides a branded tracking experience.

This can be in the form of providing customized order statuses and offering a branded tracking portal to customers. 

ClickPost can help you in this case, too. It offers a dedicated customized tracking portal with cross-selling opportunities.

In fact, it also automates sending milestone-wise personalized notifications to customers. It not only boosts your customer retention rate but also improves your overall ROI. 

4. Consider various channels for communication

Different customers prefer different channels to get eCommerce order updates. While some want to receive notifications via SMS, some prefer WhatsApp or email. 

Likewise, shipment tracking software, too, considers different communication channels to send customer notifications. For instance, ClickPost considers various channels, including WhatsApp, SMS, and emails, for sending order status. Consequently, it improves customer experience and reduces frequent WISMO (Where Is My Order) calls. 

Final Thoughts!

As you saw, eCommerce order tracking plays a vital role - not only to improve customer experience but also to optimize your operational efficiency. Now that every business has integrated this solution into their service package, you must go a step further.

Now, one of the ways out is personalization. Personalize customer notifications, offer a branded tracking portal, and solve customer queries promptly to stand out in this competitive market. And, in this process, if you need a helping hand, book a demo for ClickPost.