Digital Commerce 360 reports that in 2018, US eCommerce sales increased by 15%, and that increase is only poised to grow bigger in coming years. Your small business can benefit from that spike in online shopping! One of the biggest benefits of an online store is the ability to get paid, even when it’s after business hours. But did you know that there’s more to an online store than just selling products? With Vagaro’s Online Cart, you can sell services, too! Here are five advantages of Vagaro’s Online Cart, and how adding a digital storefront can help you get paid after-hours with an eComm plan made just for you!
1. 24/7 Sales – Retail and Services
Give your customers the ultimate convenience (and bonus, it’s convenient for you, too!) With a digital storefront, customers can shop 24/7. Likewise, you won’t have to stop a service to process a sale. In fact, your business doesn’t even have to be open to make sales! With neither you nor your customers bound by the usual operating hours, you’ve got the freedom to retail whenever, wherever, and however it’s most convenient for the customer. Vagaro’s Online Cart gives you even more freedom and flexibility here, because you’ll be empowered to sell more than just products. Customers can also [buy services individually](buy services individually), as a gift certificate, or through a package or membership. Which, in turn, makes selling after hours more convenient for you, too!
2. Increased Reach
With a digital storefront, not only are your doors open 24/7, 365 days a year, but you’ve expanded your business reach. By how much, you ask? Only the whole world! With an online store, your customers can be anywhere you’re willing to ship! Online stores break the borders of your location so that shoppers in the next town, state, country—even continent! —can find your store and make purchases. You effectively remove all the physical obstacles between your brick-and-mortar store and the shopper. You won’t have sales thwarted by hurdles like travel, getting lost on the way to your business, or finding parking when the customer never has to leave their couch!
3. Retail Sales on Demand!
One of the limitations of a physical store is having enough stock on-hand to ensure you can make a sale. After all, if the customer is standing in front of you to purchase a product, they expect to leave the store with that product in hand! This drives many small businesses to over-order, to make sure they’ve got enough in stock to meet the demand. With an online store, you simply list a photo of the item, its description, and keep an eye on your inventory. With the right inventory software, you’ll be able to predict shopping trends and order more efficiently to meet retail sales demands.
4. Flexible Updates & Offers
Unlike your physical shelves, you can update your digital shelves quickly, easily, and with fewer dust bunnies! Don’t spend valuable service time re-arranging your retail section to accommodate a new line (or remove underperforming products.) Instead, you can edit and re-order services, products, gift cards, packages, and memberships with just a few clicks. Then, you’ll be able to schedule automated messages via email to let customers know what’s new, what’s on sale, and what’s on its way out. You can even send updates and offers directly to your customers through Facebook!
5. Analytics Help You Sell Better
Online sales analytics give you information that would be more difficult and labor-intensive to track manually. With Vagaro’s reporting tools, you’ll efficiently stay competitive and data-driven. You can pull a summary of your sales, zoom in on your product sales, check your combined sales of products and services, or monitor the sales trends of your business. This data will let you stay current with your online store’s performance and better understand what times of the day, week, or month that your store performs best. You’ll also get insights on who’s shopping your store, their location, and which products and services are most popular.
If you’re ready to start processing payment for services as well as products, we’re ready to help you get started! Set up your VMS Online Cart today, and you’ll be selling after hours in a flash!
