Syncing Your Offline Inventory with Your Online Store

For many brick-and-mortar businesses, expanding to include an online store is an opportunity for growth. In-person shopping has become less popular, and many customers prefer the convenience and flexibility of shopping online.

But transitioning from completely offline sales to a hybrid offline/online model may seem logistically challenging. At the end of the day, you want to provide your customers with a consistent experience across all buying platforms. Here’s what you need to know about syncing your offline and online inventory for a streamlined buyer experience.

Merging POS Systems

The term POS (point of sale) refers to the platform a customer uses when completing a purchase. An offline POS could be a cash register or credit card reader, while an online POS could be any digital transaction portal.

In ecommerce, versatile POS options allow businesses to process purchases across multiple channels like websites, online marketplaces, and social media platform stores. The goal of merging POS systems is to facilitate seamless communication between in-person purchases and online orders.

What Does the Process Entail?

Syncing online and offline inventory is easier than it might seem at first blush. After some initial data entry, you’ll be up and running and ready to process orders in no time. By utilizing an inventory management platform, you’ll have the necessary tools to manage stock, track customer transactions, and update products from one user-friendly interface.

• Start by entering your all your stock, specifying the selling channel, into the system. This allows you to define the quantity of items you have available through each portal.
  
• Once a customer places an order, the information is updated in the cloud-based management platform.
  
• The synced platform then automatically updates all product listings to reflect the changes in stock availability.

What are the Benefits of Syncing Your Inventory?

For brick-and-mortar business owners entering the world of ecommerce, syncing your offline and online inventory will simplify the way you do business. Instead of laboriously entering data across systems, you’ll be able to relax and focus on other elements of your company.

Here are some of the main benefits of syncing your online and offline inventory:

• Multi-Channel Sales – A multi-channel sales strategy caters to a more diverse array of customer needs. Some customers may prefer to shop in person, others via your website, and others via an online marketplace like Amazon or Etsy. By offer multiple purchase options, you facilitate a more personalized customer experience. Syncing your inventory will also help you avoid costly mistakes like over-ordering or over-selling.
  
• Real-Time Updates – With integrated sales systems, you never need to wonder about low stock or outdated product information. When a purchase is made or you update a product’s availability, the information is instantly synced across the entire system.
  
• No Manual Data Entry – No one likes manually updating stock online. With a cloud-based inventory management system all the busy-work is automatic.
  
• Streamlined Promotions – Integrated inventory allows businesses to offer cohesive rewards, deals, and promotions across all platforms. This way, customers won’t miss out on deals based on their shopping preferences.
  
• Better Customer Experience – There’s nothing more frustrating than ordering an item online only to learn it’s “out of stock.” Synchronized inventory prevents customers from accidentally ordering items that are no longer available. This leads to a higher percentage of satisfied customers and results in increased brand-loyalty in the long run.

Streamline Your Business with Digitbridge

With enhanced analytics, improved organization, and less manual data entry, it’s easy to see why so many companies are utilizing ecommerce management platforms to run their business. Digitbridge is an ecommerce management platform designed to help businesses thrive both online and offline. With Digitbridge, it’s simple to buy, sell, and fulfill orders from one cloud-based platform, and receive instant inventory updates across all selling channels. Digitbridge’s integrated platform supports a variety of selling channels and ecommerce platforms including Shopify, Adobe Commerce, Amazon, Google Shopping and Facebook Marketplace.

Digitbridge is the go-to solution when it comes to connecting suppliers and retailers. By helping companies reimagine their supply chains and manage their distribution networks, Digitbridge offers small and mid-sized businesses the tools they need to grow. Interested in transforming your ecommerce business? Contact us today for a free demo!