If there is one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it’s that the internet is more important than ever. For many businesses during this time, the only way to stay afloat has been to adapt and get online. But what if your store isn’t there yet?
3 Ways to Bring Your Bricks and Mortar Store into Digital Age
Here is how to get your operation online – not just to survive the current crisis, but also as another income stream.
Get a Website
It sounds simple enough, but so many businesses do not have a website, or if they do, it’s not set up to take payments, facilitate orders, or host products and services.
It might require some investment, but once the infrastructure is set up, you can work on promoting your business and making sales.
Your site needs to be quick and secure – be sure to check it works on all browsers, especially mobile as most people browse on smartphones and tablets, so if it’s not accessible you will be losing sales.
Take your Payments Mobile
Once you’ve set up your website, there are so many other things to consider.
One prospect is using a mobile Point of Sale system, where you can offer deliveries, or contactless pick up from your store, and take payments securely from your POS when you meet your customer. This will be especially useful if your customers might be a little wary about putting their card details online or are perhaps not used to buying things on the internet.
You might want to provide your regular customers with a phone number to call, order, pick it up, and pay on the collection, without ever having to come into the store.
The right POS will also be able to update your inventory information so that you never unintentionally oversell products, and when the store opens again, it’s a portable system you can use to cut down lines.
Embrace Social
There is not a business, whether service-based or selling products, that wouldn’t benefit from utilizing social media.
That is not to say that you have to sign up to every platform, but, for example, having an active Facebook page will help you interact with customers, (and potential customers), share deals, and provide customer service. It is also a free platform where your customers can leave reviews. They can also share their own positive experiences with their friends and family.
If your product is especially visual, you might want to sign up for Instagram. If social media isn’t your thing, you could hire a social media manager or virtual assistant to manage that side of things while you get on with selling.
Conclusion
It’s time to thrust your business into the digital world and embrace the endless opportunities that the internet has to offer when it comes to reaching new customers and making more sales.
