Thursday, October 29, 2009

Who should be your ideal shopping cart solution provider?

The market is up for a definite revival. The eerie silence that prevailed earlier is now transforming to a crescendo of positive business-talks all across the marketplace. None other than Standard and Poors research analysts predicted that business, specifically online retailing, will come up with significant growth in 2010 boosting up sale-volumes across various market domains. So, if you are a retailer, it is the time to think beyond your brick-and-mortar store and for that, you need to acquire online retailing capabilities.

A simple Google-search will reveal a host of shopping carts with enormous lists of features and options. There are known, not-so-known and totally-unheard-of ecommerce solution providers who are ready to offer the “best shopping cart solution” instantly. Believe it or not, online retailers seldom make the mistake when they blindly go for the “best shopping cart” merely on the basis of a huge list features and add-ons!

The performance of your online store depends not on the shopping cart itself; but, it is almost entirely affected by the type, nature and the present state of business of the actual solution provider. The definition of good ecommerce application is no longer synonymous to the size or reach of the ecommerce solution provider; but, it is the quality and the commitment towards better deliverance that matter more. With a change in the business landscape, the big fishes are facing tough times to keep the stronghold in the ever changing ecommerce solutions market because of their mounting running cost and naturally, the allocated budget for actual feature enrichment in the shopping cart is far less. Also, the observers, who analyze market vulnerabilities, suggest going for proprietary-based technology-platform (such as Microsoft .NET) while choosing an online store solution.

So, rather than going for any leading ecommerce service provider, it is now the time to choose your online shopping cart vendor on the following parameters:

Is the solution provider certified or with proven creditability?

The online shopping cart vendor that you chose should be with authenticated expertise such as a Microsoft Certified Partner.

Will the shopping cart vendor provide references?

Don’t get lured my simple one-liner comments in the vendor’s website; look for specific testimonials with existing customers’ identities. If needed, ask your vendor to give you contact details.

Is the solution provider’s business stable?

Find out for how long the shopping cart provider is in business. A one or two years’ old ecommerce company may not have the required IT infrastructure to support your online store. Check out whether they have separate resources in case you want them to manage your store in future.

Is the vendor charging hefty fees to cover the running cost?

Why would you pay for the vendor’s promotional campaigns? Some of the big names providing online stores cannot afford to lower the price simply because they have a big marketing budget to cover and they do it through hidden costs. Ask the vendor to provide you with detailed quotation.

Does the ecommerce service provider understand your industry?

The sales and marketing team of the vendor should clearly know your market and suggest strategies for a rapid growth of your business. Talk to them and ask specific questions to find out.

Can the shopping cart vendor provide customization?

What you need to excel in the market is not an off-the-shelf packaged software, but, a completely customized solution aptly equipped with specific features to serve your business needs. Never get constrained with a free-for-all and least customized shopping cart.

Doing business online will surely be the next big thing around the world. However, the real benefit will come when you will do it smartly and with the help of someone you can always trust.

Gear up for new ecommerce opportunities

Experts say that the recession-draught will be over sooner that expected. In fact, we see signs of a recovering market with financiers opening doors for new investments. Top market-research farms equivocally predicted that retail sell will be up by at least 35% by mid-year 2010 and by year end, it should go beyond 55%.

So, if you’re a retailer, are you ready for the new wave? Do you have enough resources (which you might have shredded during those tough days!) to counter an increasing rush of orders? Are you thinking beyond your retail store?

Think for a while – how will you harness the growth to derive the best benefits? Of course, you have your retail store! With a better market condition your customers will surely walk into your store. However, the real problem is – awareness. To bring new customers to your store or to simply sell your products you will have to make the information about your products readily available to your customers. The best way to do that is through your online storefront.

So, if you already have an online storefront powered by a good shopping cart software, it’s the time to refurbish it for new customers; else, you should start planning to get one. An integrated ecommerce store is the answer to reach those customers beyond your physical store. However, before you chose your shopping cart, you should consider the following:

· If you are using a POS (point of sale) system like Microsoft Retail Management Systems to run your store, you may want to integrate it with your shopping cart. So, your shopping cart should provide the option to integrate Microsoft Retail Management Systems or any other POS system.

· Your customers are from different states or countries. So, your shopping cart should support multiple tax and shipping options.

· You may need to display your products in different categories, departments and so on. The online storefront should support so.

· Your customers will look for discounts, freebies, related-products while shopping in your online storefront.

· The ecommerce software solution should have a robust content management system so that you can avail your customers with the maximum possible information about your products.

· Finally, the ecommerce software solution provider should ensure that you can avail any customization at a reasonable cost.

The competition in the market is going to be fierce; at the same time, you will get a greater customer-base with potentiality to buy products. As a retailer, you will need to provide your customers with the right product at the right time. The key to success will be to make your products so popular that even if a customer walks into your store he/she will already know what to buy. Nothing but a completely customized and integrated ecommerce store can make this possible for you.

Microsoft RMS integrated eCommerce Cart Solution

RMScart is an eCommerce Cart solution that completely and seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS).

Our Microsoft RMS integrated Shopping Cart solution’s standard features far exceed those of any other Retail Management System - compatible Web Integration and Authoring Application. Inventory synchronization between a physical store and a web store can be immediate or scheduled for a later time. Although, RMS cart is a feature rich application, we can easily further customize many features of RMS cart to fit one’s specific business needs.

Some of the advantages of our Microsoft RMS integrated eCommerce Cart Solution are:

• Customizable eCommerce Website
• Scheduled Inventory updates between RMS and Online Shopping Store
• Automatically Downloads Orders into RMS
• Show Standard and Matrix items with multiple images
• Accept payments through major payment gateways
• Creates New Customer Records in RMS
• Updates Shipping and Billing Information on each Customer
• Uses the Existing RMS Tax Structure
• Supports RMS Sale Pricing
• Intuitive and effortless navigation
• Powerful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools
• FREE RMS cart set up, FREE training

RMS cart gives the ability to quickly create and manage an online store in combination with a brick and mortar retail operation running RMS. For either online businesses opening retail locations or retail stores adding online stores, Microsoft RMS and RMS shopping cart give any retail business a complete solution for maximum revenue in a global market.

RMScart, also called - Microsoft RMS ecommerce cart, has been developed, specifically, to bring together the leaders in Information Technology (IT) and experts in Online Store design, custom application and database programming.

Microsoft RMS integrated eCommerce solution offers features like no other. RMS cart’s web interface allows anyone to create a web store in just a few steps. Our team of professionals, at no additional cost, helps in creating a web store, selecting the products one wants to sell online, and launching the web store. The web store is built quickly and becomes an extension of any business, adding convenience and increasing revenue to the bottom line.
Microsoft RMS eCommerce solution, i.e, RMS integrated cart is the most powerful eCommerce cart for Retail Management System. A few clicks of the mouse on the Web Integrator interface and RMS cart creates product pages for all of the products in the Retail Management System database. Then, RMS shopping cart publishes those pages in the web store. From this point forward, the store owner is providing products to customers walking in to his store and online customers who are surfing the Internet anywhere around the globe.

eCommerce transactions are provided using the state-of-the-art in merchant systems from the leaders in the banking industry, at the lowest rates in the industry, and all electronic transactions are supported 24X7 at no additional charge. After the customer makes a purchase, a fully customized rich text email is sent to the customer’s email address confirming the order. This email contains information such as Order Confirmation and hyperlinks that take one’s customer back to the store to get additional information about their order status, order history or complementary and available products in his store.

With RMS integration, we provide unlimited FREE technical support, FREE setup, FREE training, one’s own domain, Secure hosting, Search Engine Optimization, registration with Search Engines, maintenance, email boxes, Daily backups, storage, and 99.99% uptime.

Our RMScart can also be referred as: Integrated eCommerce, Microsoft retail software, RMS cart software, Microsoft pos cart software, Microsoft Dynamics RMS Cart, Microsoft RMS customization, Online retail software, Microsoft RMS store, eCommerce for Microsoft Retail Management System, eCommerce RMS, RMS shopping cart, eCommerce for Microsoft RMS, Microsoft eCommerce, Microsoft ecommerce, ecommerce Microsoft, ecommerce Microsoft RMS, Microsoft RMS ecommerce, ecommerce cart Microsoft RMS, Microsoft RMS ecommerce cart, Microsoft RMS ecommerce solution, ecommerce solution Microsoft RMS, e-commerce solution Microsoft RMS, Microsoft RMS e-commerce solution, Microsoft RMS integrated e-commerce solution, Microsoft RMS supported e-commerce solution, Microsoft RMS integration.

Friday, October 31, 2008

How do you decide which company to hire when everyone claims to be better than the competitor?

We have put together a list of questions to ask before deciding on a partner. Although this list is more geared towards Microsoft Retail Management compatible ecommerce but can help you decide on other software purchases also.

1. Is the shopping cart based on Microsoft technologies? In an ideal world it wouldn’t matter what technology is being used because it would all integrate seamlessly. But let’s face it; we don’t live in an ideal world.

2. Is the entire solution ‘owned’ by one company? Otherwise, no one would take responsibility if something breaks down.

3. Is the shopping cart built using the latest technology? Next version of Microsoft RMS is being built using .Net frame work, which is more secure, scalable, and reliable.

4. Shopping carts have hundreds of features, most of which you will never use. Prepare a list of the features that most matter to you and ask to demonstrate

5. If a desired feature is not available, ask for an estimate. This exercise assures that you will not be charged a leg-and-an-arm when you want to make changes

6. Can ‘anyone’ make changes to shopping cart

7. Can the shopping cart be hosted by a third party?

8. Is the shopping cart customizable?

9. Any sample websites available?

10. Does it come with Unlimited FREE tech and customer support? We believe it makes no sense to make the software overly complicated and THEN charge customers to teach how to use it

11. Are the security patches provided free of cost? Who applies the updates?

12. Is a demo available?

13. Last but not least. Price DOES matter. Is the shopping cart affordable? It’s best to look at First Year and Second Year cost to determine the actual expenses.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

How do you decide which company to hire when everyone claims to be better than the competitor?

We have put together a list of questions to ask before deciding on a partner. Although this list is more geared towards Microsoft Retail Management compatible ecommerce but can help you decide on other software purchases also.

1. Is the shopping cart based on Microsoft technologies? In an ideal world it wouldn’t matter what technology is being used because it would all integrate seamlessly. But let’s face it; we don’t live in an ideal world.

2. Is the entire solution ‘owned’ by one company? Otherwise, no one would take responsibility if something breaks down.

3. Is the shopping cart built using the latest technology? Next version of Microsoft RMS is being built using .Net frame work, which is more secure, scalable, and reliable.

4. Shopping carts have hundreds of features, most of which you will never use. Prepare a list of the features that most matter to you and ask to demonstrate

5. If a desired feature is not available, ask for an estimate. This exercise assures that you will not be charged a leg-and-an-arm when you want to make changes

6. Can ‘anyone’ make changes to shopping cart

7. Can the shopping cart be hosted by a third party?

8. Is the shopping cart customizable?

9. Any sample websites available?

10. Does it come with Unlimited FREE tech and customer support? We believe it makes no sense to make the software overly complicated and THEN charge customers to teach how to use it

11. Are the security patches provided free of cost? Who applies the updates?

12. Is a demo available?

13. Last but not least. Price DOES matter. Is the shopping cart affordable? It’s best to look at First Year and Second Year cost to determine the actual expenses.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Boosting Business Profitability

Today, just about every aspect of modern living is about competition and about reaching the top inspite of the existing competition. As a retailer, this is possible only if your customers get good service and that too, at a very good price. While the product that you deal in or the service industry that you belong to, determines the target audience that you have, yet the mantra for reaching the top, is more or less the same. The point is that no matter who your target audience is, at the end of it, it is the service that you provide and the economic benefits that you offer, that determine whether you would be able to sustain in the highly competitive market and at the same time make profits or not.

Now, in order to stay at the top, a number of business owners have started using the Microsoft retail management system, and undoubtedly are benefiting from the advantages that come alongside using the microsoft rms retail practices. As a result the popularity of retail management systems is on the rise and businesses are either already using the system or are considering integrating their current practices with the system.

You could belong to any of these categories. You could already be using the retail management systems or could be considering using the retail management system. In either case, ensuring that the functioning of your business is in sync, is a necessity to achieve success.

Ensuring that the basic requisites are in place

Now, in case you are planning to start using the retail management systems, it is advisable to ensure that your computer fulfills the basic software and hardware requirements to ensure that the system functions properly and results in increasing efficiency. In order to find these out, you could either search online or speak with the dealer from whom you plan to purchase the retail management system. Further, once the system is installed, upgrading software and hardware capabilities would simply further enhance the performance. At the same time, just in case, your system does not meet the basic requisites for the retail management system, the performance might not really be upto the mark. So it makes sense to ensure that the basics are in place before making the investment.

Integrating back end with online front end

Once the microsoft rms retail or the retail management system is in place, the next step to increase profitability would be to integrate this system with the online selling model. In the current scenario, it is imperative for a business to have an online presence. Now-a-days, there is a huge market that looks at shopping from the convenience of their homes rather than stepping out to stores. In fact, if a business does not have an online presence, it is actually not tapping a huge share of the market. Other than this, online retailing offers the benefit of catering to your target audience beyond geographic boundaries. So for a retailer who is truly looking at optimizing profitability of the business, it is important to offer online services to customers. And here is where we at Lanservices would be at your service. While we can help you to set up an online retail model in case you do not have one, we at Lanservices can also help you to truly optimize the benefits that microsoft rms retail online can offer. This basically implies the benefits that arise from ensuring that your retail management system is extended to service your online retailing requirements as well by providing the requisite back end support.

Getting in touch with us

Contacting us is actually quite simple. All that you need to do is, log on to our website, that is, Lanservices.com and then go to the contact link. Once you are there, you would need to fill in some basic information and once that is done, we would get in touch with you as soon as possible. You could also contact us at the address listed there, or for that matter even call us at our toll free numbers. Another way of contacting us is by simply sending an email and we would get back to you. So all that you need to do is, pick the method that suits you the best and contact us as soon as possible.

Once you have gotten in touch with us, from here on integrating your online retailing model with the retail management system would be taken care by us. We would look into whatever needs to be done and would help you to set up a system that would work to your advantage. This in turn would definitely enhance your business performance and would further increase your profitability. So with us by your side, you are all set to win in the competitive market!

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Friday, February 15, 2008

Upload Inventory; Download Orders in a Single Click

Creating the right base for success

Till a few decades back, retailing was largely about the right product at the right place and at the right time. Then it gradually started evolving and before long the whole scenario changed. From a sellers market, it became a buyers market and the customer became king. The whole change over could largely be attributed to the increasing competition in the retailing world. It was also brought about because the market became global and the customers started looking for not just shopping but actually at the whole shopping experience that the retailer offered. At the same time, the buying power increased as the economies, more or less across the world, started improving and doing a lot better.

While the whole scenario led to a shoppers paradise, retailers had to get things in order as the expectations were now a lot higher than before. At the same time, dealing with the increased demand posed as quite a challenge for most of them, whether they were small retailers or large retail business owners. That is where the Microsoft rms support system or the Microsoft Retail Management System acted as a life saver for these retailers who wanted to capitalize on the increasing opportunity that the scenario offered. The microsoft rms system helped in channelizing the entire supply chain, starting from the back end to the front end, and as a result enhanced productivity and largely fueled the profitability of retail organizations of all sizes or of the 'microsoft rms store'.

A few questions

Though the advantages of the microsoft rms support system were immense, and in fact that is the reason it can be largely called the perfect support system, yet there were a number of apprehensions that hounded the retailers who had not really seen the microsoft rms system functioning.

The first and foremost was the cost viability of the whole system. As the retailers were not too sure about how effective the system would be, a lot of them were rather apprehensive about making the requisite investment. The second problem that most of them thought would arise was the fact that their existing staff did not know how to use the system and their supply chain would be shaken up completely if they brought about a change in it. The biggest question though was about how effective would the system really be, and if it was really worth the effort that would go into introducing it to the existing system. Would it really enhance profitability by streamlining processes and cutting down expenses that could be done without or the ones that arose due to supply chain discrepancies, or would it just act as a burden? In spite of these questions, a number of retailers decided to implement the Microsoft rms system. And, interestingly, they were impressed with the change in their functioning. The system helped them to deal with point of sale and management challenges extremely quickly and rather effectively. It helped in enhancing the overall productivity of the organization and led to not just short term but also long term profitability. At the same time the system was easy to implement and did not shake up the structure of the organization, so it was rather simple to get it into place without upsetting the functioning of the organization at all. This in turn led to the increasing popularity of the system and in turn, more business owners turned to the microsoft rms support system. And they saw equally beneficial results.

Getting there if you are not already there

Now, while most organizations already have the system in place, there are others who decided not to invest in the system, rather they decided to continue functioning in the same manner as before. While this worked fine for a while, as the business scenario kept getting more competitive, the need to get the Microsoft rms support system only grew. If you belong to this segment then it is probably time to get the system in place. And with the success stories around you, you can be sure that it is definitely a smart investment. And you would start reaping the benefits the minute you get the ball rolling in the direction of shifting from a simple retail store to a microsoft rms store.

The next leap

Once this is in place, the next smart move would be to ensure an online presence of your business too. And we at Lanservices.com can help you in doing that. We can help you to create an online business segment right from scratch or can help you to improve on whatever you already have, by updating it to the existing market standards. At the same time we can also provide you with an rms cart that works perfectly with the Microsoft rms system. So in case you already have an online retailing segment and are now looking at creating a Microsoft rms store and are looking at viable rms carts, then look no further. Simply get in touch with us at Lanservices and we would help you to ensure that you have the best possible retailing system in place.

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