Unity, harmony, and teamwork are important. In the movie, Drumline, Devon, a young black drummer from Harlem, learns how important it is when he is given a band scholarship to a southern college in Georgia. The band’s motto was, “One band, one sound.” One of the pivotal lines in the movie is when Devon’s drum major tells the hotshot, “When you’re on the field with everybody else, nobody hears you! They hear the band!”
Likewise, when customers visit your website, they won’t notice just the great graphic on your homepage. They probably won’t even be aware of the hundreds of dollars you spent to have your logo designed. The navigation that took you three days to set up properly won’t be that impressive. Customers won’t dissect the individual pieces and evaluate each one on your site, but they will like what they see when everything works well together.
Why You Need a Good Point of Sales System
You may be thinking, “I’m an online retailer, not a brick and mortar store. Why do I need a dedicated point of sales system?” It will be difficult for you when you attend a trade fair, conference, or special event without a point of sales system. Likewise, brick and mortar businesses need more than a store front these days. They are leaving a lot of money behind unless their store front is complemented by a killer website.
To make the most of their business, retailers need both a system for online and face-to-face sales. There are two major point of sales systems we recommend, Vend and Square. Both of these integrate well with our recommended accounting system, Xero. To help you make the decision of which is right for your business, we will tell you the major features of each and let you make the choice that is right for you.
Vend POS System
Vend has a complete hardware and software system that you can purchase for Mac, PC, or tablets for less than $350.00. Vend provides options for separate hardware components you can purchase directly on their website. Just take your compatible computer, tablet, or phone and connect the cash drawer and receipt printer using the cables included. Voila! You essentially have an electronic cash register. You can add an optional card reader and/or bar code scanner. There are also tablet stands to use with your iPad, Surface, or other tablet. (Vend says that their system works with Android tablets and phones also, however; they do not offer support for Androids. They still say that they have many satisfied Android customers.)
You can use the stripped-down version of Vend for free. You are limited 10 products or less and a 1000 customers with the free version. Vend also offers a more robust 30-day trial for free. Paid versions start at $59.00/month up to $200.00/month or more as you add features, registers, outlets, support, etc. You can sign up at:
https://secure.vendhq.com/signup
You won’t have to give your credit card number or make a commitment for the free trial.
Square Register
Square Register is another POS that has a lot of cool features. It differs from Vend with a full array of analytics and you can even purchase a dedicated kitchen printer that sends orders directly to the chef if your business is a restaurant. Another feature is the popular Square card reader that attaches to your phone or tablet making the entire system very portable. You can carry the POS around in your pocket. This unique card reader is free when you sign up for an account.
You can purchase the typical hardware for POS systems like cash drawers, receipt printers, etc. but not directly on Square’s website. Other than the $99.00 iPad stand that allows quick plug-N-play functionality, you’ll need to look elsewhere for the other components of the system.
The big problem with Square Register is that it only works with iOS and Android operating systems. There is no Windows PC version. If you are a Microsoft only business, this is probably not be the right system for you.
Square Register pricing is pretty straight forward. They charge 2.75% per swipe or 3.5% + 15 cents for keyed-in transactions. Sign up at:
The Bottom Line
If you are a retailer, regardless of whether you are online or a brick and mortar storefront, you need both a website and a POS system. If you are a Windows PC user, we recommend you look at Vend POS system. iOS and Android users can use Vend also, but Square Register may be better suited to your needs.