Technology such as the internet, computers, and social media have changed the way business is carried out in the modern world. Never before has it been so easy efficient to exchange goods, services, and currency. Today’s technology offers a multitude of benefits for the brick and mortar store. Here’s how to apply some of this technology in your storefront.
Measuring Store Traffic and Conversion Rates
A traffic counter is a technology that does exactly what it sounds like; it counts the traffic entering your storefront. When you want to know just how many customers you have per any specific period of time, this is one of the best tools to calculate the numbers.
After you’ve counted your customers per week, month, or year, you can begin to look at your conversion rate. A conversion rate is how many customers came through your doors versus how many of them actually made a purchase.
By identifying your conversion rate and customer volume, you can identify key customer service issues. Are you engaging your customers and making suggestions as they walk in the door? It’s possible your customer service staff need some extra training on closing the sale or adding additional items to purchases.
This technology can also help you cut down on labor costs by calculating which time of day your traffic is highest, so you can schedule employees based on sales volume.
Bluetooth Headsets For Employee Communication
If you want to keep your overhead speakers free of “call on line one” interruptions throughout the day, a great alternative is to invest in Bluetooth headsets for your employees walking the sales floor.
Bluetooth technology has made traditionally wired communications wireless. With Bluetooth headsets, your employees can call for assistance, relay customer information, and communicate directly with supervisors without having to leave their post or broadcast over the store’s intercom.
This technology can also help coordinate employees to be more effective and time-efficient, not to mention better communication means decreased information errors.
Try A Different Approach To Your Invoices
A customized invoice sets your company apart from traditional receipt-paper invoices. When you use an online invoice generator, you’re taking control of your company’s image and how the customer remembers the sale.
Online invoice generators allow full customization and can offer additional benefits such as notifications and reminders when the invoice becomes due or is paid. When combined with an online payment service, invoice generators can make the checkout process more efficient.
Mobile POS Systems Can Be More Efficient And Cheaper To Maintain
Using a tablet instead of a traditional cash register for your POS interactions has many benefits. With added mobility, you no longer need a dedicated staff for the sales floor and one for the registers. Instead, the registers stay with your employees as they walk the sales floor.
Mobile POS systems take up less retail space as well, allowing store expansion and extra room for merchandise. All of the information on your store’s products or services is located in the employee’s hands, so there’s no need for a customer service desk.
By condensing the workforce and saving you money on cash register paper and maintenance, a mobile POS system is an excellent choice for small businesses. Flexibility and efficiency are priceless when you’re running a small business, and every penny saved can be invested back into the business.
Workforce Management Software Can Help Make Your Employees More Efficient
Workforce management software has come a long way in the last decade. Starting as simply scheduling software, most workforce management software today has dozens of extra features to help make the most of your workforce.
A good team is efficient, effective, and well managed. Workforce management software helps manage your team by allowing real-time schedule adjustments, easy employee/supervisor communication, and task delegation.
Apps such as Ceridian’s DayForce can be downloaded onto any phone, and offer a better way to manage time off requests, trades, and regular scheduling. Employees can post and accept shifts, and obtain manager approval for schedule changes.
Awareness Is Key When Making Changes
When you introduce new technology to your storefront, it’s equally as important to notify your employees as it is to notify your customers. You want to ensure that your customers are aware of any changes and how they’ll affect the way they shop.
For instance, if you’re switching from traditional registers to a mobile POS system, your customers may have security concerns or simply be off-put by the lack of registers in your store. Let them know that your POS system is safe to use and that protecting their information is among your highest priorities.
Anytime you implement new technology, you’ll likely find a customer or two who are unhappy with the changes. It’s important to remind them that while you certainly value their opinion and their patronage, the decision was made for the good of the company and its customers.
Be Sure Your Employees Know How To Use The New Technology Before Implementing It
Capable employees make for a great shopping experience. Your employees should be trained and qualified to use any new technology in your store so that they look like the experts in the eyes of the customers.
Your technology changes should make whatever process its designed for easier, not more difficult. If you find that certain software is difficult to navigate or train employees on, consider an alternative. You don’t want employees fumbling with uncooperative software during an important sale.
