by Chandra | Aug 13, 2021 | Marketing, POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News
Is managing your POS system as easy as posting a picture on social media? It Should be!
Imagine being able to upload an image of your daily specials or entrées as soon as they come out of your oven. Uploading a photo to your menu is as simple as posting it to your Facebook page. Wow your customers and entice them into your restaurant or store today. The power of an image is incredible!
As a business owner or manager, can you edit and make modifications easily from wherever you are?
Imagine being able to make real-time changes to your menu, manage your staff, and monitor your sales from anywhere in the world. Whether you are at home or on vacation, the newer POS systems allow you to manage all of your operations in one place!
The newer POS systems are now state of the art, replacing the old legacy systems and improving your life as a restaurant or retail owner.
If your current POS system doesn’t have all these easy-to-use features, change and upgrade today!
by Chandra | Dec 23, 2020 | Marketing, News, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News
Easy and Safe Ordering with Digital Menus
Are you wondering how to make your customers feel safe to come into your store or restaurant during the Holidays and throughout the year? Do you want to ensure that they shop at your store or dine at your restaurant? Why not consider implementing a digital menu? It’s easier than you think and can even be tied to your Point of Sale System.
Our new normal finds merchants shifting their focus to online sales, delivery, and curbside pick-up. These merchants allow their customers to shop and view what they have to offer online and especially on their social networks. The new digital menus are an amazing tool to easily display these items.
Retailers now have many online solutions allowing their customers to shop while staying safe at home. Implementing digital menus on their website and social media to market to the masses is helping them keep their doors open. Many have even pivoted and started to deliver and offer curbside pickup as well.
Give Your Customers a Touch-less Experience
Restaurants are displaying their menus on one of our many online ordering platforms. They are also utilizing digital menus on their social platforms and some have even created a touch-less menu experience.
It can be a seamless process and one that automates a lot of the buying process for you, saving you tons of time and money in manpower while also increasing your sales.
Business as we know it will never be the same again and every business needs to adapt to stay competitive. Amazon is doing more business than ever. As a business owner, learn from them and many of the other large businesses that have moved part, if not all, of their business online.
You can now offer the same shop-from-home service that they offer to stay competitive during these trying times. Our platforms are also good for curbside pickup and delivery.
What Big Box Stores and Restaurants are Doing
Isn’t it time your business followed the same business model that the “Big Guys” follow by using a simple, easy-to-use platform such as our Digital Menu tied to our On-line Ordering model? Check out some great tips for reopening and keeping customers safe in the aftermath.
Lastly, check out how some restaurants are thriving during these changing times by pivoting the way they do business. Check out what Chef Calvo did in her Miami restaurant.
by Chandra | Sep 13, 2019 | POS Systems, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News, Salon and Spa News
Customer loyalty programs are smart, innovative ways to increase revenue and create repeat business. These easy to implement programs not only create loyal, happy customers they give you a method to reach out to those customers with specials and new products. Also, 69% of consumers say they make their shopping decisions based on their loyalty programs or lack thereof. Studies also reveal that although finding new customers is crucial for a thriving company, it is far less expensive and better to maintain your current customers.
Loyal customers advertise for you
Loyalty programs are not a new concept, however, they can be very versatile. They can be in the form of an app, an email, or a simple letter in the mail. Having an app on their phone offers your customers a convenient shopping experience, and increases company awareness for potential customers. Appreciating your customers will draw them to your company, as well as maintain their interest. On average, a loyal customer can be worth up to ten times as much as their first purchase with your company. Personalized loyalty programs are very appealing to customers, such as a customized email with their name.
There are many ways to use loyalty programs. Most companies use points by tracking purchases. Companies such as Starbucks and Tarte use this method. For every purchase customers make, the business gives them the value spent in points. Customers save their points and redeem rewards or discounts exclusive to the company’s loyalty program. Some programs even encourage customers to positively review or share their products on social media in return for additional points. Turning their customers into advertisers for the business.
Easy to implement and inexpensive
In addition, loyalty programs are not expensive and can be set up a few different ways; using a POS or terminal to capture customer data and track purchases or a simple app customers can download on their phones. Decide which method you prefer, choose your reward and watch your profits grow. Most programs will track and reward your customer and the newer loyalty systems may even text or email you to notify you of the reward with beacon technology. Many systems just keep track of benefits and work only when a customer asks to use their card.
The small amount invested will be worth it when your profit increases. On average, companies will spend up to eleven times more on finding new customers than maintaining the ones they already have. Reaching out to your current customers is simple once you have the data. Also, sharing on social media has never been easier.
As technology continues to advance, so do company reward programs. It’s always a good idea to revisit your existing program and keep up with current trends to maximize company profits and maintain your customer loyalty. Whether in the form of an app, an email, or a letter, customer appreciation stretches far. Loyalty and customer reward programs are extremely efficient in inspiring customer loyalty and maximizing profits. If you do not have a program in place it’s time you looked into one.
by Kim Dailey | Jul 26, 2019 | E-Commerce, PCI, Retail Industry News
In 2015 the PCI SSC created the Small Merchant Taskforce, a cross-industry consortium of payment
security experts, merchant groups and small merchant advocates, to create educational material and
suggested next steps to assess risk within a small business environment. The Taskforce drew from
their collective payment security and small merchant expertise to create PCI Data Security Essential
Resources for Small Merchants, a series of resources to help small merchants focus on essential
payment data security practices needed to protect payment data and reduce risk in their business
environment.
As part of that series, PCI SSC created PCI Firewall Basics, a one-page infographic providing
guidance on firewall configuration basics.
by Chandra | Jun 6, 2019 | Gift Cards, Retail Industry News
According to the 2018 Prepaid Consumer Insights Study released by First Data (NYSE: FDC), the average consumer is spending $59 more than the original value of their gift card, up $21 from 2017. Despite the set value on a gift card, 72% of customers report spending more than the given amount on their card.
Offering gift cards allows a company to attract new customers, increase brand awareness, improve sales, and reduce fraud. Total retail sales in the United States were projected to amount to 6.03 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022, up from around 5.4 trillion U.S. dollars in 2018. Often, businesses overlook the benefits of integrating gift cards into their companies.
Attracting New Customers
Gift cards are incredibly useful in attracting new customers. They are the number one gift, introducing new customers to your business. Also, these Gift Cards serve as an incentive to purchase something your customer may not typically seek out.
Increasing Brand Awareness
Providing customers with Gift Cards increases your brand awareness. Your brand will be introduced to a new audience as gift cards are purchased and given to others for holidays or birthdays. 93% of consumers will either buy or receive a gift card; also, they are the #1 most requested present during holidays.
Marketing Your Company
Customizing your Gift Card serves as a self-marketing tool. Your logo is displayed in your customer’s wallet and viewed often. Not only will this prompt customers to revisit your store, but it will also hopefully turn them into loyal repeat customers.
Reducing Fraud
By offering Gift Cards to customers, as opposed to paper certificates, you will also reduce your risk of fraud. Tracking certificates is complex, and with Gift Card integrations to the new POS Systems, it is now a simple process to monitor. Using a POS System will deter internal theft and quite possibly reduce the likelihood of counterfeit certificates being produced by fraudsters. Gift cards are electronically monitored with a POS system, which allows the merchant to verify the initial transaction. This is also a great way to deal with returns by getting your customer to purchase another product.
With these exploding numbers in the Gift Card industry, how will you capture your market share? We can help uplift your sales today!
by Chandra | Feb 7, 2019 | Equipment, Income Generators, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News, Uncategorized
ATMs still Represent Easy Money for your Business, Restaurant or Store
With the rise of online shopping, brick-and-mortar businesses today need to do everything they can to stay competitive. Sometimes that means using a traditional, tried-and-true method of boosting traffic and earning some passive income.
We’re talking about the ATM machine.
Your store, restaurant or business just might need one.
Why?
Not everyone likes to swipe or dip the chip at a business. Credit and Debit card security concerns are causing some people to stick to the safety of cash. One-third of U.S. consumers (34 percent) say they are making more purchases in store with cash because of data breaches, according to ATM Marketplace.
Avoid card processing fees: Customers who use your ATM and then pay cash in your business save you in credit card processing fees.
Where’s my bank? In a tourist market, in particular, a customer’s regular bank may not be available or may be prohibitively far from his or her local destination. Your customer may want to withdraw money from or check his balance from an ATM before making a card transaction with you or another business.
“Now that I’m here”: Average 7-Eleven ATMs perform about 3,000 transactions per month, according to National Cash, an industry provider. That could be 3,000 times a customer visits your business just to use the ATM, and while there, they notice what else your business offers.
It’s a tax write-off: The ATM is a tangible personal property item which can be expensed. Your tax advisor can tell you about how the cost of an ATM machine can be depreciated or expensed beginning in the tax year that it is placed.
Earn income on surcharges: Talk about passive income! It’s the easiest way to make money on your money.
Operating an ATM is easy and a great way to drive more revenue and foot traffic into your establishment this year! Call or email us today to learn more.
