New Software Features & Updates Many store owners ask me "Should my store sync its POS system with its website?" Some stores have already synced the two and are proud that their website has the same content as in their store.
My answer: syncing a store's POS and its website is not currently a good idea.
Reason: POS systems are not meant to power websites.
When retailers enter data into their POS, they often just enter this data for products: 1. UPC 2. SKU 3. Retail price 4. Product name (this often contains the brand name)
That is NOT the same as what is needed to succeed online. To succeed online, a website product needs these 13 attributes: 1. UPC 2. SKU 3. Retail price 4. Product name 5. Brand - this should be in a separate field from product name 6. Nice pictures of the product - this is SUPER important 7. Pattern 8. Dimensions (length, width, height, and capacity) 9. Description 10. Keywords 11. Department (e.g. Dining & Entertaining) 12. Secondary department (e.g. Dinnerware) 13. Logo of the brand
I recently spoke to a retail store owner that was happy to share that his website was powered by his POS.
I looked at his website and didn't want to share the truth: it's a mess.
The reason is the items don't have the needed 13 attributes to succeed online. The store owner would be better off having a separate POS system and website. Reason: your POS has too little data on each item to compete online.
Notably, if the POS product data was really well input and organized maybe the POS could power the website, but that is not the case for 99% of POS systems and for 99% of how store owners enter data into their POS. Store owners are just too busy to enter data accurately and completely into their POS.
Therefore, POS data is not ideal for the website.
Secondly, just showing on your website what product is in your POS is a good way to help sales -- for your competitor Amazon.com. Customers expect tons of selection on a website. Most stores only have in their POS 10% of what a brand offers. Why would one shop on a website that has 10% of what a brand offers when it can shop on Amazon and see 100%?
If a store just lists on its site what it has in its store, then it's missing out on showing 90% of what a brand offers.
Third, POS software often offers very mediocre online software. In the example shown, many basic elements of a successful website experience are missing. For example, one can't view what brands the store sells, one can't add an item to a gift registry, and one can't sort items by price. This POS-based website software is bad and therefore hurts online sales.
Bridge can help stores with the above problems.
Bridge can give retailers a datafeed for 100% of the products that a brand offers. This data includes all the important data listed above to compete online. The retailer can import this data into their POS and/or website. By doing this, the store solves two of the problems listed above.
In order to avoid the bad POS-supplied website, a retailer can instead use Bridge's online store and bridal registry software. This software is pre-populated with all the data listed above from Bridge's partner brands. The retailer can then add its own items to this software.
In addition, Bridge gives retailers a biweekly email sharing what is selling. Also, Bridge gives retailers 'link backs', a.k.a. links on a brand's Bridge account that lead back to the store's website.