Web Tips Archives - Retail Control Systems

Mar252020 by Mark NelmsNo Comments

Retail Tips: Weathering the Covid-19 Economic Storm

Clothing & Apparel, E-commerce, News, Retail, Web Tips

Retail Tips: Weathering the Covid-19 Economic Storm By Mark Nelms Before we get started, I want you to know that none of this article is written lightly. What we are discussing today could potentially impact the future of your businesses for many years to come, not just now in this time of crisis, but for the remainder of the 4th industrial revolution. I’d also like to remind our readers, I am not a physician or an economist, but I am an expert in retail. With almost 25 years of working for, consulting with, and in retail; I have a unique advantage in predicting the behavior of retail buyers. Many of you have already spoken to me about the sharp drop in foot traffic, and unfortunately, until this virus is…

May72019 by John GarveyNo Comments

Why retailers should be thinking about Locavores and the experience economy (1 of 2)

Clothing & Apparel, E-commerce, Just for Fun, Retail, Specialty Retail, Web Tips

While it’s in some ways laudable, the stereotype of young consumers who want to know “the story behind the product” is an easy target for comedy. Locavores were hilariously satirized in the oddball sketch comedy show Portlandia, in a skit where a couple at a restaurant asks a barrage of questions about the chicken. Is it organic? What kind of diet is it raised on? How much room do the chickens have to run around? Do you have a good relationship with the farmer? “They do a lot to make…

Nov72018 by John GarveyNo Comments

The Future of Retail isn’t Digital, it’s Omnichannel

E-commerce, Just for Fun, News, Retail, Web Tips

It’s funny how in business a single headline, data point or catchphrase can overshadow the big picture. We’re talking about the Retail Apocalypse, but we’re talking more specifically about the impact of e-commerce on brick and mortar retail. Contrary to the impression news headlines can create, many sectors of traditional retail are thriving. The number of store closings in recent years, however, may be costing you sleep regardless of how your business is faring. For all the turmoil, this is actually a time of great opportunity for traditional retailers. In fact, Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur and others have maintained the perspective that: The impact of e-commerce on brick and mortar retail is overstated and misunderstood, and…

May22018 by Ryan ParksNo Comments

Google Runs the World, Not Your Business

E-commerce, Just for Fun, Retail, Technical Tip, Web Tips

Everyone on Facebook does a good job of updating me about enjoying a vanilla latte at their favorite coffee shop (at least my friends do). However, people don't always remember to update their business profile on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other platforms if there is a special event or something out of the ordinary happening. On a recent trip to Seattle I was reminded how important it is to keep your business profile up to date. While visiting we went to one of the main attractions in the city. Now, we only had a few days and this particular attraction was only open the first day we were there due to construction, so we knew it was going to be a…

May32017 by Ryan Parks4 Comments

Beware: Google Document Phishing Scam

Technical Tip, Web Tips

Google is warning all to not open a phishing scam e-mail being currently sent out. The sophisticated looking e-mail will look like it's coming from an e-mail address that you may recognize. There is one key giveaway to recognize these e-mails: The mail is sent to a fake email address in the main recipient field — [email protected] Your address is included in the BCC field. According to a tweet by Google, make sure you immediately report this e-mail as a Phishing attempt via Gmail and then delete. Do not open any attachments, click on the link, or respond to the sender. Google is in the midst of investigating where this phishing scam originated and how to stop it from happening again in the future. Read more on how to report an…

Apr132016 by Ryan ParksNo Comments

Millennials: Retail Sales Will Never Be the Same

Clothing & Apparel, Retail, Web Tips

Millennials: Retail Sales Will Never Be the Same Retailers: like it or not, the Millennial mindset is here to stay. And it’s going to continue to change the way you think of retail sales marketing. Millennials—or those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s—are a HUGE market, with roughly 80 million members. It has become increasingly important for merchants to understand Millennials’ shopping and buying habits in order to “stay alive” in an ever-changing retail sales market. Here are 4 Millennial-focused retail sales trends to keep in mind for the coming year: 1. They want more. Millennials are a special group of consumers unlike any we’ve seen before. Millennials want more, more, more out of their purchases. Extremely value-driven, many Millennials came of age during the recession, which…

Apr112016 by Ryan ParksNo Comments

How big is your transactional tax footprint?

Clothing & Apparel, Web Tips

How big is your transactional tax footprint? 6 questions to assess if your sales activities are a compliance risk Repost from Avalara.com At some point, you’ve probably pinpointed your company’s position on a 2x2 matrix to determine its strengths or weaknesses or its position relative to competitors. But have you ever rated your business on sales tax compliance? Many companies get into trouble with state and local tax because they don’t know where they owe. Often, the business is growing in some way, either physically in terms of new locations or by expanding its product or service offerings, bringing on more field staff or selling through new channels such as online, at tradeshows or through affiliate programs. All of these are important growth strategies. They also carry sales and use…

Jul282014 by Ryan ParksNo Comments

Using Google Analytics Effectively

Clothing & Apparel, Web Tips

For any business with a web presence understanding how traffic works and where it comes from is incredibly important. Google Analytics is a free (and powerful) solution that provides a wealth of information about how well a website is functioning. A business can use Google Analytics to determine how much traffic is coming to its website, where that traffic comes from, and what visitors are doing once they are on the site. Google’s tool works pretty simply by tracking “tags” – a small piece of JavaScript code that needs to be installed on every page of a business’ website. The tag effectively pulls data and collates it within a reports page in the Google Analytics admin interface. Here, a business can set up multiple reports for multiple websites within a given…

Jun272014 by Ryan ParksNo Comments

How to get more conversions on your E-commerce site

Clothing & Apparel, E-commerce, Web Tips

Today, online shoppers are highly informed on the products they want to buy. Getting them to chose your product over someone else's has and always will be the key to a successful business. So how do you convince your potential customers to buy your product? One successful way has been to offer coupons or discounts on the item, which is usually a one-way street. The customer gets what they want, and you may never see or hear from them again. The best approach in this situation is to ask for their email address, while offering them a discount in return. So, how do you know when to ask the question? Right when they enter the site? No, that would more likely turn customers away, and people don't like popups to…

Apr42014 by Ryan Parks1 Comment

How to design a successful Email Marketing campaign

Clothing & Apparel, Web Tips

Email Marketing is one of the most effective campaigns a business can run. It's one of the least expensive options, and you can run metrics to find out who's opened your email, how many people clicked on your links, and more. Today I'd like to focus on the design of an email campaign, and provide those without a design-eye a look into elements that should be considered when launching an email campaign. Many of our customers run email campaigns that effectively connect with their customers, whether it be NCR's Customer Connect, Mailchimp, or Constant Contact; It's important that you've got the right elements in your email. There are 3 important elements to include in your emails. Message Visual Hierarchy Action Item or "Call to Action" The "Message" is the most…