4 benefits to retailers selling online

The effects of COVID-19 on the high street and retail will be farreaching, long after the storm has calmed. As well as social distancing measures being predicted to be in place in some capacity for months, it has forced many people into changing the way they shop. Unlike the doomsday predictions such as ‘death of the high street’, commentators believe this will prompt many small retailers to address their overreliance on being purely bricks and mortar.

The argument shouldn’t be whether ecommerce will eclipse bricks and mortar, the argument should be: How can ecommerce support bricks and mortar? Access Mintsoft contains tools and automation that can support your business – now is the perfect time to delve into the world of ecommerce.

1. A wider product offering Often, online retailers may not store or technically own the products they sell, but rather use a third party to do this for them. As you aren’t obliged to maintain your own stock in your own warehouse, it unlocks the possibility of offering a wider product range for your customers – allowing you to compete with bigger names in ecommerce. If you use drop shipping, it is also worth choosing a provider who uses an Order Management System such as Access MintSoft, as this allows you to White Label your goods to make them appear to be directly shipped from your store. Focusing on these little details mean that the customer experiences continuity and it strengthens your brand. 2. Always open to your customers When choosing to venture into online shopping platforms, it’s wise to consider making it possible for orders to be fulfilled 24/7. This doesn’t mean you need to sit at your laptop at all hours, but it does mean Mintsoft would be a good option to help deal with ecommerce hours of demand. For example, if a customer purchases something your shop is selling through Etsy late one evening, Mintsoft will take care of the paperwork for you, without you having to worry about being in front of your laptop. In a world where consumers are expected to be able to purchase 24 hours a day, it makes sense to use software that helps you provide this service to your customers.

3. Easy inventory management Rather than having to rustle through the back of a shop to check how much you have in stock, Mintsoft can automatically update the stock levels across all marketplaces you are selling from. Not only this, it automatically picks the cheapest shipping option for that item and creates a picking order to send onto the warehouse. That means, no chance of overselling an item and your customer gets a seamless and speedy buying journey – meaning they’re more likely to buy again.

Alongside making your inventory management easier, it also helps you analyse your inventory at the click of a button. You can view straight away if an item is popular, and if it isn’t, and proactively adapt to the demand to increase your online footfall or web traffic. The reporting tools also work with marketplace by giving you live snapshots of each platform, meaning that you know where your profit is being made and use resources and inventory more effectively. 4. Multiple marketplaces = global audience The most obvious benefit of selling online is that you can sell through unlimited marketplaces. The audience is there, but they won’t all shop on the likes of Amazon or eBay. By having Mintsoft in place to make it easy to sell across an array of marketplaces, it’s more likely you’ll reach the potential wider audience. If you operate multiple brands within your business, Mintsoft also makes this process simple and help you keep a track of each brand.

Automation is Key Access Mintsoft has been designed to help you automate selling online. This does not mean your business becomes faceless – it means the opposite. To give your store and overall brand the best chance in the ecommerce market, it is essential to choose tools that can handle the time-consuming admin for you, so you can focus on giving the best service to your customers. There’s no need for it to be difficult to manage multiple marketplaces, and that’s why Access MintSoft is designed to be easy. Developed with ecommerce in mind – it means that it’s quick to get going, and simple to use. If you want to find out more about Access MintSoft and how it can take the headache out of online selling, visit our website: Contact us to find out more.

Contributor: Mintsoft