Before we head into the busy Christmas selling period, assessing your technology could make all the difference to your success over your competitors this holiday season. Does your technology help improve sales conversion?  Improve your sales channels? Improve customer experience? Are your processed streamlined or automated?

Top Tip - Upgrade retail hardware, software, and don't forget your sales processes

Assessing your store technologies doesn't have to be expensive, it could be as simple as downloading the latest software update, although it could equally mean purchasing new equipment or rolling out a training programme, in the end what you are wanting to achieve is streamline processes, improved customer experience, and increased sales. 

Here’s a list of things to access that may need upgrading in your business:

• Website –  Do you have one? Is it mobile-friendly? Are you implementing the latest data security measures? Does your online experience match your in-store experience? Are you making regular updates? Evaluate your online selling efforts and see if you need to update anything;
• Point-of-sale – If you are using a cash register or (gasp) a piece of paper, you should consider upgrading to a cloud POS system that’s faster, sleeker, and more powerful. We love the stemless integration Shopify POS provides;
• Loyalty and Rewards Programmes – E-commerce has opened up so many more possibilities for potential loyalty programs that you can integrate into your business. Now, you can reward your customers for more than just purchases.  Options for rewarding customers - Account Registrations, Purchases, Referrals, Birthdays, Facebook Likes or Instagram Follows for example; 
• Accounting – Ditch the pen and paper and the stress of errors and embrace the ease of a cloud-based accounting program. At Connect Plus we love how easy Xero makes doing our finances, and trust us we like easy;
  
• Stock Control – We integrate Xero and Shopify for stock control for our clients. Start tracking stock counts, and automatically stop selling products when inventory runs out and know the value of your stock on hand at any given moment; 
• Payments – Shopify now accepts credit cards directly with the recent launch of Shopify Payments. Instant set up — no third-party accounts required and no extra fees;
• Automate your fulfillment process by connecting to dropshipping, warehousing, shipping, and tracking solutions. Integrate with major shipping carriers in your area and provide your customers with tracking info. Source, store and fulfill with one solution. We love the ease of GoSweetSpot to automate your shipping processes;
• Social Media Management - We are going into the period when many retailers make 40% of their annual sales.  If you don't have the resource to manage your social media, look to outsource; 
• Email Marketing - Automation!  Keep a personal touch while removing manual tasks from your to-do list. Pre-built marketing automation creates room to focus on strategy. Welcome, re-engage, and follow-up with the people who matter to you.
• Sales Channels - Managing several channels should be every bit as simple as managing one. With Shopify, you get a single place to run your business. Add a product once and sell it anywhere. 

Want to discuss any of these quick tips, connect with us today.