Now, more than ever, having an online store is essential for the success of any growing business. And to meet customer expectations, it’s equally important that the transition between buying online and offline is made seamlessly.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that multi-channel shopping is a boost for larger shopping carts in physical stores. And for every business, whether it operates offline or online, a POS can provide the very lifeline of its operations.
What is an integrated POS system?
Integrated POS systems establish a seamless exchange of information between sales data and the applications they integrate with. POS systems have historically had a sales record book or cash register. Payments and stock management often have separate infrastructures, and reconciling them all is not an easy task.
The problem is that, by tackling the different areas of your business in silos, you risk struggling to maintain synchronisation between them and not seeing the big picture.
An integrated POS system, like TRU POS, offers a truly seamless experience for customers buying online or in-store while also offering a full picture of your customer data. Features like multi-currency support for online and offline payments, real-time access to customer balances, stock information and management, pricing, CRM and eCommerce data helps businesses make better strategic selling decisions.
The benefits of an integrated POS
Beyond interoperability, some of the specific advantages of using an integrated POS include:
Multi-channel selling
You want to be where your customers are. Your eCommerce POS integration allows you to be in multiple locations at the same time. Through the integration of your offline and online channels, you will gain a holistic view of your customers and business without manually adding up the numbers.
Real-time inventory management
If you have direct access to inventory, you won’t be concerned about overselling products or cutting off customer orders. Especially if you wish to provide buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) or click-and-collect services, this feature is crucial. Your customers must know that the product they order for pickup at your store will be available.
Strategic ROI
You can make better decisions with the help of detailed sales reports that show you which items are selling and which aren’t. Additionally, you can analyse profitability by a terminal, by product, or by a department. The information you get from this helps you to improve operational efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Cut back on costs
You can save time and money by streamlining your checkout and inventory management processes. With your POS syncing automatically with your inventory management software, you will experience faster transaction processing and fewer data entry errors.
Better online payment security
Through POS eCommerce integration, your online customers don’t need to be redirected to an external page to enter their payment information. Payment processor integration provides additional security layers, such as PCI DSS compliance and data encryption, which minimise the chances of online fraud.
Easy personalisation for upselling
A POS system integrated with a personalisation and upselling/cross-selling system can help you hit that balance for your customers. When you integrate your POS system and CRM system, you can learn how often customers visit your store, what time of day they visit, and what goods they usually buy.
Improved customer expeience
By connecting your POS system to your online store, you provide customers with a seamless experience. Through the integrated POS software, you are enabling them to make payments in a variety of ways, making online ordering seamless and allowing integration with marketing initiatives such as loyalty programs.
Conclusion
Nowadays, convenience is king – and being where your customers are is crucial. Think about what expanding your business, coupled with the right POS, can do for you. By using an integrated POS, you will be able to improve operational efficiency and provide an exceptional customer experience that keeps your clients coming back for more.
From classic POS to super-stylish tech, Trust Payments offers versatile counter-top and mobile devices. Learn more about TRU POS.
