POS Solutions, Ecommerce Merchandising
Article | June 7, 2024
Alice POS offers a multitude of advantageous features for retail merchants. These can lead to concrete improvements in store, which can be felt in time gained or even in increased revenue. In this article, we will explore the ways Alice POS can help you do that.
We will section off this article into 4 roles to give you a clear overview of the features:
Sales: Optimize Your In-Store Sales
Control: Completely Track your Store
Growth: Expand your Business
Multi-Store: Manage your Franchise Efficiently
Alice POS is a cloud-based point of sale system designed for store networks such as franchises, purchasing groups, and corporate networks. Alice is also an excellent starting point for individual stores looking to gradually scale their operations for future expansion. Alice POS was developed to help increase business revenue while also diminishing the workload of operations.
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POS Solutions, POS Retail
Article | January 12, 2024
"Digital is a very busy ecosystem, so nail first what you are trying to achieve, who you are trying to engage with and what you want to convey."
- Yolanda Valery, Head of Digital Engagement at Ocado Group.
In this age of networked businesses, connectivity and technological advancements impact the payment system. POS systems may sound familiar to retailers. However, you may also be aware of the term "cloud computing," which has garnered much attention in modern technology. Consequently, you must combine POS technology with cloud technologies. It is also advantageous for brick-and-mortar businesses that wish to construct a neater, more contemporary register and reduce wait times by collecting payments from many locations. Investigating and making the switch to a point-of-sale (POS) system that is hosted in the cloud is something that businesses ought to do for a number of different reasons. Let's take a quick look at them in-depth.
Reasons to Shift to Cloud-Based POS System:
According to Cloud POS Market Statistics 2028, the worldwide cloud POS market was valued at $2.24 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $13.24 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 24.5 percent from 2020 to 2028.
Robust Security
Security is one incentive to using cloud-based POS, which reduces risk. Possessing a POS system may considerably reduce all types of danger. If you've selected cloud-based POS software, your data is in good hands with tight security standards and automated backup and synchronization through a remote server.
Without sensitive cardholder data to steal, SMBs can dramatically lower the likelihood of a data breach. Cloud-based POS systems play a crucial part in ensuring that SMBs provide their clients with the most significant payment experience possible.
Better Remote Control of Your Operations
Cloud-based POS software helps you better handle your operations remotely by allowing you to monitor the performance of your various departments while you are absent. This enables you to respond quickly to any potential difficulties.
You can manage your business and obtain essential information from anywhere. Your POS terminals will communicate information in real-time, allowing them to stay flawlessly connected even if you have different retail locations.
Cost Reduction
Profitability and expenditure management should be your top concerns when selecting a POS software solution for your firm. The project becomes lucrative immediately by choosing a POS system, particularly a cloud-based one. The initial expenditure is small, and the software vendor assumes most of the IT administration responsibilities. Most cloud-based point-of-sale systems are offered as SaaS models with no upfront charges and cheap monthly fees. In addition to decreasing labor expenses, these solutions improve worker utilization.
Cloud POS Mobility
The use of cloud-based POS software increases your mobility and adaptability. It is compatible with many desktops and mobile internet-connected devices. With 24/7 access to all system reports, you can manage your business from around the globe. Your employees may accept credit card payments and email receipts to customers at any moment.
Seamless Integration
Last but not least, cloud POS systems may be coupled with various other methods, including accounting, buying, and inventory management systems. Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems that enable simple integration and scalability are necessary for SMBs in a rapidly changing business environment.
Integration with several other systems will further simplify the operations of your retail business and increase sales.
Bottom line:
It is evident that cloud-based POS systems are essential for SMBs and a precondition for integrating them into your daily operations. The reasons for using cloud-based POS software are innumerable; we have only enumerated a handful. Therefore, consider cloud-based POS if you have decided to move to a POS system.
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Ecommerce Merchandising
Article | March 18, 2024
Contents
1.Introduction
2.POS-related Problems Faced by Modern Retailers
2.1 Security (absence of PCI compliance)
2.2 Insufficient Technical Support
2.3 Network Reliability and Downtime
2.4 Scalability and Flexibility
2.5 No Mobile App Version Option
3 Custom Cloud POS Development: Solving Modern POS Problems
4 TheWays Ahead
1. Introduction
With the rapidly changing retail landscape, retailers are constantly looking for effective and innovative ways to provide secure and quick transactions with the ability to monitor and track the sales plan execution. As a result, they are increasingly looking for innovative POS systems, such as mobile app-based POS, with the latest capabilities that can collect data from inventory, customer, and payment sources for making deeper analysis and reporting on the company’s performance. Traditional off-the-shelf POS systems and POS withdrawal networks are not equipped to cover all requirements and needs of the retailers, which causes numerous problems after implementation. Custom cloud POS development allows for reviewing all these problems and risks before deployment, where they consider all the peculiarities and requirements, including POS security and POS network, as a business owner. In addition to the deepening trend of customization, businesses are increasingly focusing on building customized cloud POS development that meets their exact requirements.
2. POS-related Problems Faced by Modern Retailers
Retail businesses implement POS software and applications for better data management, inventory management, finance and payments management, sales data analytics, and precise report generation. Every organization chooses a POS system based on its required feature set. However, POS implementation frequently is unable to address all issues that arise in the processes that it is required to resolve.
Here are some of the most common POS problems that retailers face:
2.1 Absence of PCI Compliance and Security
One of the significant challenges modern retailers face during the implementation of conventional POS systems is the absence of Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance which hamper POS security. This poses a serious security risk as it leaves retailers vulnerable to potential data breaches and compromises customer payment information. Therefore, ensuring the implementation of robust POS system security measures and complying with PCI standards becomes imperative for businesses and retailers to safeguard sensitive data and maintain customer trust.
2.2 Insufficient Technical Support
Another hurdle modern retailers face is the lack of adequate POS technical support during the implementation process. Inadequate support can result in delays, system malfunctions, and difficulties in troubleshooting technical issues. As a result, retailers require prompt assistance to address any technical glitches that may arise, ensuring smooth operations and minimizing disruptions to their business activities.
2.3 Network Reliability and Downtime
In a fast-paced retail environment, where transactions must be processed swiftly and seamlessly, any disruptions or slowdowns in the POS network can lead to significant revenue losses and customer dissatisfaction. Retailers heavily rely on a stable POS network connection to ensure real-time inventory updates, accurate pricing, and efficient payment processing. Therefore, any network outages or connectivity issues can hamper the smooth functioning of the POS system and adversely impact the overall business operations.
2.4 Scalability and Flexibility
Retail businesses often experience fluctuations in demand, particularly during peak seasons or promotional campaigns. Due to this, they require POS systems that can efficiently handle high transaction volumes and accommodate additional functionalities or integrations as the business grows. However, many retailers encounter challenges when trying to scale their existing POS infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of their business. The lack of scalability and flexibility can hinder their ability to adapt to changing market dynamics and may result in operational inefficiencies and missed growth opportunities.
2.5 No Mobile App Version Option
With the increasing adoption of mobile devices and the growing demand for mobile shopping experiences, the absence of a mobile app version for the POS system poses a problem for modern retailers. Not having a mobile POS app version restricts retailers from offering convenient mobile-based transactions and limits their ability to cater to customers' changing preferences. A retailers system enables retailers to enhance customer engagement, improve convenience, and tap into the growing mobile commerce market.
3. Custom Cloud POS Development: Solving Modern POS Problems
Custom cloud POS development offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by modern retailers during the implementation of POS systems. It addresses security concerns by incorporating robust measures, including encryption protocols and adherence to PCI compliance standards. Retailers can work closely with experienced developers to ensure the system safeguards sensitive customer payment information, enhancing trust and confidence in their brand.Additionally, custom development provides tailored technical support, allowing retailers to define their specific requirements and receive prompt assistance. This minimizes disruptions and ensures smooth operations throughout the implementation process.Custom cloud POS development enables retailers to choose a reliable system provider, negotiating service-level agreements to guarantee uninterrupted connectivity and fast response times. This also assists retailers in adapting the system to their changing needs and integrating a mobile app based POS system to enhance customer engagement and align with the growing trend of mobile commerce.Retailers can create a seamless mobile experience, enabling customers to make purchases, access loyalty programs, and check inventory conveniently from their mobile devices by collaborating with developers. The adoption of custom cloud POS development assists retailers to optimize their operations, provide a seamless shopping experience, and stay competitive in the ever-evolving retail industry.
4. The Ways Ahead
With evolving customer expectations, the demand for personalized experiences and seamless integrations will continue to drive the adoption of custom POS development. The growing integration of advanced technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and omnichannel capabilities in the cloud POS is further assisting custom cloud POS systems to offer even more sophisticated features and insights, such as enhanced POS security and POS network. On account of this, businesses are able to adapt their POS systems to specific requirements and gain deeper insights into customer behavior, optimize operations, and make data-driven decisions. As custom cloud POS development provide robust POS security measures and compliance with emerging regulations, ensuring the protection of sensitive customer data and mitigating the risk of data breaches, the demand for these modern POS system will significantly increase across the retail industry in the coming years.
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Article | October 16, 2020
In 2004, Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Luke established an online website to sell snowboards. They tried a bunch of online store builders but were not satisfied with the status quo. So, they decided to build a tool that could operate their website. Soon, they realized that the tool was more powerful than the website's business. And hence, Shopify was born.
Eventually, Shopify became one of the largest eCommerce store builders in the world. By 2009, the company had $100 million in sales and decided to launch its own API as well as an app store. More than a decade later, Shopify is now supporting over 800,000 stores globally and is a $125 billion company.
While the company has shown remarkable growth in its business, it would be ignorant to say the market's needs have been fulfilled by the Shopify platform. Shopify's eCommerce platform works for a lot of businesses, but that does not mean it will work for every business.
Here is why Shopify is Not the Right Fit for Every Business:
Shopify's growth over the years shows that the company has taken several steps to address the market's inherent needs. However, the presence of several other companies and the issues still faced by merchants show some significant gaps in Shopify's offerings:
1. Cost of Setting Up: Each price-point offers a fixed set of features and functionalities. If you want anything over and above that, you will have to buy the subsequent package. For instance – something as conventional as a Gift Card is not available in the $29 per month package; to get it activated, pay as much as $299 per month.
2. Cost of Operations: The additional functionalities and features cost extra in your package. Even basic features like transaction or credit card processing attract an additional fee. To add to that, you have to purchase the app to activate the feature from the Shopify app store. Even though some apps are free, the apps that offer maximum value tend to cost north of $39.99 per month.
3. Limited and Expensive Themes: The entire Shopify store has a total of 73 themes, with the prices going as high as $180 a theme. This means that as a merchant, even after paying the high price, you may end up with an eCommerce platform that hardly stands out from the crowd.
In short, while Shopify was started with great intentions, the cost of using it has started outweighing the probable value it has to offer. This issue gets further highlighted when one starts looking at the Shopify alternatives.
Best Alternatives of Shopify
While Shopify suits the needs of a certain set of merchants, here are the alternatives that can suit the merchants looking for more tailored, affordable, or customizable solutions:
1. Quick eSelling
Quick eSelling is one of the most affordable and easy to deploy ecommerce store builder among the Shopify alternatives. It can be deployed in under 10 minutes for the basic variant. Its free variant has some prolific features like a native Android app, responsive website, and a catalog that can support up to 1000 products.
The free package requires a 5% transaction fee, which gets eliminated the moment you upgrade to a paid plan. All the paid plans have a fixed monthly fee and no setup costs. The list of standard features includes a wide set of functionalities like customizable web-store themes, SMS & Email marketing, comprehensive payment gateway integrations, detailed analytics reports, inventory management systems, social media plugins, discount coupon codes, and even live chat.
The premium package which costs around 50% the price of the $299 Shopify package, comes with a dedicated account manager and enterprise-level integrations.
Ideal for: Merchants who are seeking an affordable, easily usable, and quickly deployable solution.
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is popularly considered one of the most preferred alternatives for Shopify. It is quite convenient for website owners as it is a plugin for WordPress.
Unlike other tools in the list, WooCommerce is designed to make WordPress sites work as functional eCommerce platforms. And in that particular aspect, it does a great job.
However, if you are not already using an established WordPress site with high traffic, running WooCommerce can become quite expensive. On average, a website owner has to spend as much as $1000 in setting up a WooCommerce store with a moderate degree of customization.
Even if you are not customizing a lot, running a WooCommerce store can cost you as much as $150 in a month. This would cover your hosting, themes, shipping plugins, security, and SEO. You will pay additional 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Ideal for: Someone who has a successful WordPress website and now wants to convert it into an eCommerce store.
3. Yo!Kart:
Yo!Kart is a popular self-hosted multi-vendor platform for building online marketplaces. Unlike Shopify, it is a standalone platform that comes with a lifetime license and rich ecommerce features. The platform is fully customizable and scalable.
Yo!Kart packages start from $999 and every package comes with a 1-year free technical support, free installation, and full source code. There are no monthly or yearly recurring fees.
Considering it is a comprehensive platform, you may need some technical training to understand the system.
Ideal for: Business owners who want to start ecommerce websites like Amazon or ebay where multiple sellers are selling under the same roof.
4. PrestaShop
PrestaShop runs on the basic premise that creating an online eCommerce store should be an affordable exercise for any merchant. That is the reason why it is available for free and comes without any additional monthly fees.
Its features include eCommerce functionalities like CRM & Email Marketing, Inventory Management, Multi-Store Management, and SEO Management. You can get a basic eCommerce store running by paying the registration fee for the domain and the hosting fee dues.
While this may seem like a great alternative, given the fact that it is practically free, there is one major caveat – you cannot deploy or personalize your PrestaShop eCommerce store unless you know how to code. The entire platform has been designed, keeping in mind people who can code at professional levels of proficiency. The cost of hiring a developer who can add features to your store or modify the theme can be very costly.
In addition to this, some basic features like promotions & reviews management, data security, and mobile access are not available on the platform.
Ideal for: The merchants who have access to programming talent and don't mind a basic eCommerce store.
5. Wix
Wix became popular as an online website builder. It also offers interesting eCommerce functionalities. For as low as $35 a year, you can have the Business Basic package that comes with a free year of using the domain, analytics reports, and 20 GB of storage.
If you want greater control of your eCommerce platform but are not a professional programmer and are not interested in hiring one, Wix can be a great alternative. Its most expensive package costs about $80 a year. It comes with features like email marketing, SEO management, inventory management, data security, and promotions management.
The challenge is – most of the charges marketed by Wix are very affordable for the first year in operations. After a year, many of these features, like the domain, will become payable elements. This way as soon as the first year of your operations is over, your cost of running the eCommerce platform will dramatically go up.
Ideal for: Merchants who want to have greater control of their website's design without the need for coding skills and those who want the first year of operations to be largely affordable.
Conclusion:
Shopify can work for you if you are seeking a limited set of features. However, for lesser price-points, the alternatives for Shopify offer great functionalities. Quick eSelling is good for cost-effective and rapidly deployable eCommerce websites that come loaded with native features. WooCommerce is a viable option if you have a WordPress site and want to convert it into an eCommerce store. Yo!Kart specializes in building multi-vendor marketplaces.
PrestaShop can be handy and very budget-friendly if you have access to coding talent. And Wix is good if you want greater control over what your store looks like, without getting into the programming aspects.
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