Online retailers are using machine learning solutions to deliver the highest level of service to their customers. They have found that big data makes it easier to personalize services and offer the highest value for the lowest cost. One of the best ways machine learning is helping online retailers is with new POS software applications. If you?re running an online store, you want a POS system that?s going to fit the needs of your business. Online stores are a bit different than brick and mortar stores, allowing for greater flexibility and significantly less overhead. The only drawback is that your online presence is basically your greatest marketing tool, as you won?t have a brick and mortar location to direct customers to. That?s why it?s so important to find a POS system that will work great with online vendors.
Identify Your Specific Needs
Some POS systems are specifically designed to serve vendors with high-volume sales, while others are versatile and offer solutions for any size merchant. The POS software you choose for your online store will need to fit your needs, starting with sales volume. If you?re moving thousands of units per month, you?ll want a POS system that can keep up (and not crash) with the demand. Processing hundreds of payments at once can be pretty taxing on POS software, so be sure the software you choose will be able to meet your volume demands. If you don?t need high-volume software, you might be able to save some money by purchasing a simpler POS system. The simpler models should have no issues handling smaller sales volumes, though you may need to upgrade once you start selling more inventory.
Site Integration
Perhaps the most important aspect of your POS software is its ability to integrate seamlessly with your website. Many POS systems aren?t designed for online sales, and won?t even be able to integrate with a website, so be sure you?re getting the right one for the job. Site integration means the software runs well with your website and looks good as well. You don?t want a clunky, overly-slow interface bogging down your site and frustrating customers. Choose POS software that is lightweight, fast, and designed for use with websites. Ideally, the POS software will require no extra coding to integrate with your site, though there is certain software that may need to be integrated to your site via some editing in the code. For this, you?ll need someone that knows what to do with the code, which will cost money and further complicate the integration process. The bottom line for choosing online software is simplicity. The simpler the integration process is, the better off you?ll be.
Tech Support is a MUST
Having a team available to solve any issues that may arise with your POS software is a must. Technology is not perfect, and you will likely run into many issues throughout the lifespan of your software. Without a knowledgeable team behind the software to guide you through these issues, your site could end up dead in the water for days or even weeks on end. A good customer support team is usually available 24/7, but if this isn?t offered by the software company don?t sweat it. While your online store is certainly open 24/7, you probably won?t be sitting at your computer at three in the morning waiting to solve issues. Since you likely won?t even address an issue until the next morning, at least be sure that there is a tech support team available during the day, preferably on weekends as well. A company that stands behind its product with a support team is usually creating higher-quality software anyway.
Payment Methods
Since you?re running an online business, accepting as many payment methods as possible is crucial to the success of your site. Being online, you?ll have customers (hopefully) from all over the globe, who will likely to use different payment methods. You?ll probably have credit cards as your most popular payment method, but many users will use methods like PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo, etc. Ensuring that your POS system can handle these payment methods means you won?t lose customers to limited payment options. Accepting a variety of payment methods can actually help generate new customers as well. Where before they wouldn?t have shopped with you, once you start accepting their favorite payment method, you may find an entirely new customer base flocking to your website.
Listen to Your Customers
One of the biggest benefits of machine learning is that it helps you get a better understanding of your customers. POS technology makes it easier to adapt your service, but you need to pay attention to customer data. Customer feedback is vital for making the right changes to your business. Listening to complaints and suggestions may not be the easiest thing to do, but remember that your business?s job is to solve a problem for its customers. If you?re creating them, you?re not truly serving the customer. Before you change POS systems, you can send out a short survey asking the customers what they liked and disliked about the old system. This will give you a better idea of what to look for in the new software, as well as what the customers actually want from their shopping experience. Once you?ve narrowed down the issues with your old system, be sure the next POS software doesn?t have the same problems. When your customers see that you?re trying to improve the site for them, they?ll not only be impressed by your dedication to customer service but also much more likely to recommend the site to family and friends.
Machine Learning Creates a New Generation of POS Technology for Online Stores
POS systems are powerful business tools for both brick and mortar stores and merchant sites. Machine learning technology has made them more versatile than ever.
Final Thoughts
By identifying key issues via customer feedback and trial and error, you can create a better shopping and payment processing experience for the customer that they?ll love. Keeping customers starts with making their shopping experience as painless as possible! Find POS software that can do it all, and you?ll create a business worth talking about.
