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Go Online with an Integrated eCommerce Solution

October 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Go Online with an Integrated eCommerce Solution

eCommerce portals are now a mainstream channel of sales for retail interactions offering new opportunities to augment revenue and get closer to customers. They act as important retail touch point to connect with business associates and customers’ to build a steady stream of revenue. In this issue of Retail insights we discuss the features that an Integrated eCommerce solution must have to suffice the demands of modern retail.Magazine

Traditional portal platforms come with a generic and loosely coupled integration with the retail ecosystem. A consulting engagement or a large development project is required to complete the integration. These and such projects often end up as a heap of functionality that is difficult to deploy and use.

On the other hand iVend eCommerce, an integral part of iVend Retail Management Suite reduces the need for a lengthy consulting engagement, allowing a retail enterprise to deliver results faster.

iVend eCommerce therefore significantly reduces the time to Market.

Download the Magazine to learn more about iVend eCommerce

Filed Under: Ecommerce Tagged With: , ,

Ease of Master Data Management in iVend eCommerce

October 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Ease of master data management in iVend eCommerce_Citixsys_600x235

iVend eCommerce is the integrated eCommerce portal of iVend Retail Management Suite. Notwithstanding the business benefits of an integrated eCommerce portal, iVend eCommerce also extends a high level of convenience to the retailer – more from the view point of master data management. The fundamental and the most basic expectation from an integrated eCommerce portal is to not only have the transactions integrated, but also to have a common repository of the master data.

Master Data Management in the context of an eCommerce portal plays an important role in establishing a successful online business. One of the major aspects of master data management is the ability of the application suite to allow users a single application interface from where the entire master data can be managed. Specifically, we are referring to item master, their associated images, price lists, special price lists, gift cards, coupons, etc. In an integrated retail application like iVend Retail Management Suite, iVend Enterprise is the central repository of the entire master data. The configuration settings available in iVend Enterprise make it possible to either share the entire master data across the retail network or make it store or eCommerce specific.

Definition and management of images determine the aesthetics and usability of an eCommerce portal.Ease of master data management in iVend eCommerce_200X200 Since the customer does not have the option of physically feeling the products, the closest an online retailer can come is to show multiple different images and profiles of the product. Moreover a product can either be displayed on the home page or the entity page or on the product page or any other location on the eCommerce portal. The size of the image at all these locations is always different. Given the different locations (on the portal) and the image sizes, managing images can be a nearly impossible task.

iVend eCommerce resizes images automatically depending on the location (on the portal) where all the image is to be displayed. It is the same image that can be shown on the home page, entity page, product page, in the shopping cart, in the order confirmation page, etc. This feature significantly reduces the overhead of master data management for images.

Not only the images, iVend eCommerce being integrated to iVend Enterprise allows seamless integration of gift cards, coupons and loyalty cards between the two applications. Similarly price lists can be made specific to iVend eCommerce.

There are many more such features in iVend eCommerce that reduce the need to duplicate master data once it is entered in one of the integrated applications of iVend Retail Management Suite.

To know more about master data management in iVend eCommerce, please visit www.iVend.com or write to us at [email protected]

Filed Under: Ecommerce, Retail Trends Tagged With: , ,

Content Management in iVend eCommerce

October 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

CitiXsys_Blog_600x235

Success of an eCommerce platform largely depends on its aesthetics, ease of use and most importantly the content management module. Content is closely tied to all of the processes such as display, order management, inventory, promotions etc. and so content management plays a fundamental role in Internet-based commerce.

The ability to easily update, add to and manage an eCommerce online store is a necessity for a successful and profitableeCommerce_Blog_200x200website. Content management system in iVend eCommerce allows users to not only manage products and orders, but customers, promotions, newsletters and much more. An integrated content management system puts a retailer in direct control of his eCommerce content. Intuitive functionality and modules in iVend eCommerce empowers Retailers’ without extensive programming experience to easily update and modify their portal without unintentionally affecting the overall design of a site. The portal comes with a mobile responsive skin and with the right customization from designers and developers, a user can maintain his webstore without ever writing a line of code.

iVend eCommerce allows administrators to make changes in real time, as a result, retailers have robust B2B or B2C capabilities, with personalization, and content-driven site much more quickly. iVend eCommerce has a content manager that includes the functionality for scheduling content and multi-level administrative privileges for different users, allowing retailer to customize the system based product release calendar and staff roles. User-friendly formatting, with clear fields for Meta summaries and titles in iVend eCommerce, makes it easier to optimize content for search engines.

With options for multilingual sites available, content manager in iVend eCommerce aids in reaching an international audience. iVend eCommerce has a Responsive design making it simple to create sites that users can view on any device irrespective of the screen size they view it on. Content manager in iVend eCommerce systems increases your ability to reach your full customer base with integrated Shipping and Payments.

For more features of iVend eCommerce Content manager and more log on to www.iVend.com or write to us at [email protected]

Filed Under: Ecommerce, Retail Trends Tagged With: ,

Milano Impex goes Online to expand customer reach with iVend eCommerce

September 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

COMPANY: Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd.

Country: India
Industry : Footwear

Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd owns two brands EGLE & LOUIS ALBERTI and has been successfully selling them globally. After carving a niche in European market, Milano Impex Pvt Ltd introduced brand EGLE in India in 2003 followed by introduction of LOUIS ALBERTI.

Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd initially followed the dealer & distributor business model which contributed to a major chunk of their revenue. After achieving considerable success in their maiden Retail venture, company looks forward to expand their reach with an online offering.

Challenge

With a successful lineage of introducing European shoe brands EGLE and Louis Alberti, Milano Impex wanted to launch a new business-to-consumer eCommerce Portal. A portal that would allow them to sell merchandise directly to the consumers and deliver an integrated brand experience to match the spirit of “Shoes for all occasions”.

The company wanted an eCommerce portal that seamlessly integrates into their iVend Retail and SAP Business One so that their. Online and Physical stores function as a unified retail unit.

Milano wanted their eCommerce portal to come alive with innovative and intuitive design, that features images, description and media to showcase their wide range of Men’s Shoes.

Solution

iVend eCommerce with SAP Business One

Benefits :

  • Customers can quickly find products and create wish lists by selecting products in Categories / Brands or by using the shop-by filter
  • Increase in the average order size with promotions, smart up-sells and crosssells
  • Marketing, merchandising and sales staff have better control to manage portal content without IT intervention
  • Conduct integrated sales as a result of seamless integration with iVend Retail and SAP Business One
  • Eases the process of rolling out international Web sites in multiple languages and currencies
  • Supports Web traffic exceeding one million page views per day, helping the company meet or exceed its sales expectations
  • Ease of reporting and order information analysis to comprehend and optimize marketing, online sales, billing and customer support, returns management, shipping and product distribution logistics
  • Higher customer satisfaction with engaging shopping experience

We really like iVend eCommerce Portal’s ease of access with update capabilities…it is expected to support company’s expansion strategy and provide real-time brand visibility and shopping access for our customers anywhere anytime.

Prem Raj Sharma
CEO, Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd.

Filed Under: Customer reference, e-Commerce Tagged With: , ,

Redbell – Great Online Shopping Experience with a Single Seamless Solution

August 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

COMPANY : Redbell Retail Pvt. Ltd.

Country: New Delhi, India

Industry : Multibrand Toy Store

Redbell is a multi-brand online toy store, helping parents find the best fit toys and gifts for kids. Housing more than 10,000 premium and best quality toys of over 200+ international brands, from the seasonal, most recommended, shopped, latest, hot deals and hard to find specialty toys, Redbell store has it all for children in the Age group of 0 to 14 years.

Be it Birthday, holiday, any special occasion, entertainment, learning and much more, Redbell has categorized their products well in order to help customers shopping effectively while saving their time to find the perfect toy. The client’s business model required a fully functional online toy store with integrated payment processors and shipping.

ChallengesDownload Case Study

Redbell was looking for an Online Store solution to develop an integrated, high volume e-commerce portal which could seamlessly integrate their product and transaction data with SAP Business One.

Their existing website could help them to only showcase their products and pricing, for further transactions and sales completion the company had to depend on tele – order. Disintegrated web portal and sales process often led to lost sales.

Solution

iVend eCommerce with SAP Business One

Benefits :

  • Easy to Use interface that works as expected and very comfortable to use with great site management features
  • Deliver a Great Mobile Buying Experience
  • Managing Products and Catalogs is easy by using the standard provided fields as an online retailer we can conveniently create product catalogs with various products
  • Application of Promotions, discounts and adding images, videos and sale prices to products is easy
  • Customers can quickly find products and create wish lists by selecting products in Categories / Brands or by using the shop-by filter
  • Search Engine Friendly for easy discovery
  • Enable seamless fulfillment and supply chain planning
  • Conduct integrated sales as a result of seamless integration with iVend Retail and SAP Business One
  • Ease of reporting and analysis of customer and order information to comprehend and optimize marketing, online sales, billing and customer support, returns management, shipping and product distribution logistics

“At Redbell we always wanted to impart our customers a great visually engaging shopping experience. With iVend ecommerce we have successfully combined a stimulating shopping experience with an advanced back-office management making online buying simple & convenient for our customers while more profitable for us.”

Naresh Tomar, Head of Operations, Redbell Retail Pvt. Ltd.

Filed Under: Customer reference Tagged With: ,

Mobile Responsive: Future of Online Retail

August 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Mobile Responsive: Future of Online Retail

Mobile Responsive Web design is a new design approach that enables retailers to build and maintain a single online shopping portal to serve to all kinds of customers on all sorts of Mobile devices: smartphones, tablets, laptops and more.

Mobile adoption is skyrocketing, as is the diversity of mobile devices on the market. Smartphones and tablets are currently leading multi-screen customer experiences. Today’s multi-device environment is bolstering mindshare and profile for responsive design because it offers a compelling promise to both website visitors and to those who build the Web: a single eCommerce portal that works on all devices.

iVend eCommerce portal’s new mobile responsive skin demonstrates that something as complex as shopping online for any commodity whether it is apparel, sports gear, footwear or car accessories or jewelry – can be easy, intuitive and secure on a mobile responsive site.

With Mobile responsive shopping portals, retail businesses can be in front of consumers at every step of their online Mobile Responsive-Future of Online Retail 2journey. Customers search for a business’ site, begin reading content and viewing videos from their desktop computers and then continue their shopping journey on their smartphones into products and services.

In contrast, if the retailer has a traditional, non mobile responsive website, the retailer runs a heavy risk of frustrating potential customers visiting the website from a smartphone due to the cramped interface appearing on the devices – eventually losing revenue.

iVend eCommerce, a mobile responsive shopping portal provides continuity between different viewing contexts, remaining completely agnostic to the type of device used and the size of the screen being viewed. This means that the same portal will present an optimized layout regardless of which device it finds itself being loaded in.

Consumers are increasingly wanting to share the purchases and their shopping experience in their social circle. New research indicates that more than 75% of consumers trust peer recommendations of products and services, while less than 15% trust paid advertising. iVend eCommerce gives retailers an opportunity to tap into this trusted form of communication to market their Brand and through a mobile responsive platform becomes a lot more easier.

e-commerce business is huge, it is therefore important for a retailer to think beyond immediate network and find creative ways to encourage fans to spread the message about the brand and a mobile responsive portal eases the task.

One thing is certain, that a mobile responsive eCommerce portal is the only durable, flexible and future-proof approach to building Online retail stores for today’s multi-channel retail landscape. A retailer who doesn’t want to lag behind and watch competitors go ahead must focus to get responsive with iVend eCommerce now.

Filed Under: Ecommerce Tagged With: , , ,

iVend eCommerce 1.4 enables Mobile responsive sites

July 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

iVend eCommerce 1.4 - Release Enables Mobile Responsive Sites

With great pleasure we announce today the release of iVend eCommerce 1.4 version, which in addition to a host of features,  includes the new Mobile Responsive skin enriching the online shopping experience. Also significant in this release is the RTL (right to left) feature which will enable right to left languages like Arabic to be displayed appropriately.

Listed below are the main features that have been incorporated in this release.

Mobile Responsive Skin

The default skin in iVend eCommerce has been replaced with a new mobile responsive skin. The new skin is intuitive and rich in user experience.

download

PromotionsPromotions

With iVend eCommerce 1.4 store admin can define exhaustive promotions for the online store. Promotions can be setup to auto apply or can applied manually by the shopper by entering a promo code. Following are some of the sample promotions that can be setup in iVend eCommerce:

  • Buy X and get Y free
  • Buy X and get Z % or Fixed Amount discount on Y
  • Buy any item from Product Group / Product Category / Manufacturer and get Z% or Fixed Amount discount on YiVend Banner1012x1012
  • Buy N quantity from Product Group / Product Category / Manufacturer and get Z% or Fixed Amount discount on Y
  • Get X discount percent on the entire sale if Bill values exceeds N amount.
  • Buy N quantity and get Z% discount on Shipping
  • Buy any item from Product Group / Product Category / Manufacturer and get Gift Certificate free
  • Get discount on current order based on total bill value of past orders within a date range.
  • Get discount on current order based on number of past orders within a date range.
  • Get discount on current order based on total bill value of past orders within a date range.
  • Get discount on current order based on past purchase of specific products within a date range.

The Promotional Sale Countdown Timer is a very handy tool in promoting time bound sales. On the Product Page it displays Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds remaining for the validity of a special price on the product. This tool draws attention of shoppers and is helpful for time sensitive sale events and is perfect for Seasonal Sales, Holiday Sales, etc.

Coupon-IssueCoupon Issue

Coupons are a great way to attract shoppers to keep coming back to the online store and avail discounts on subsequent purchases. With iVend eCommerce 1.4 the store admin can setup automated delivery of coupons based on rules. Following are some of the examples:

  • Issue a discount coupon in the welcome mail whenever a shopper registers on the portal between X and Y dates.
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt when the bill value is more that X
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt on purchase of specific products between X and Y dates.
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt if past order value exceeds X within a date range.
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt on every Nth order placed on the portal
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt for the first N orders.
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt for specific customer or customer group
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt on use of specific payment method
  • Issue a discount coupon in the receipt only once per customer between a date range.

Payment-ProfilePayment Profile

Payment Profile in iVend eCommerce 1.4 allow the Site Admin to setup conditions based on which payment methods will be available to shoppers during the checkout process. Following are some of the examples:

  • If the Bill total exceeds X then block checkout by COD.
  • If the shopper is purchasing from a specific Product Group / Product Category / Manufacturer then allow checkout only by Credit Card.
  • If the customer balance exceeds the available credit limit then block checkout by PO option.
  • Based on customer’s shipping address (Country, State, City, Zip) block checkout by COD.
  • For specific customer or customer group block checkout by specific payment methods.

Customer-HierarchyCustomer Hierarchy

For B2B implementations the site admin can setup a parent child relationship between customer records. This will allow the Parent customer to:

  • View orders placed by his child customers
  • Make payment for orders placed by his child customers
  • Impersonate any of his child customers and place an order on their behalf.

Store-CreditStore Credit

With iVend eCommerce 1.4 a store credit can be issued for refunds against cancelled orders. Store Credits issued from iVend eCommerce can also be redeemed at iVend POS at the brick and mortar stores.

Store-locatorStore locator

The store locator in iVend eCommrce 1.4 will enable shoppers to locate brick and mortar stores close to their location. Shoppers can search for stores by city or zip code. The store locator is integrated with Google Map that will help the shopper to get directions to store easily.

Price-Display--Tax-Inclusive--ExclusivePrice Display (Tax Inclusive/Exclusive)

iVend eCommerce 1.4 can be setup to display the Tax Inclusive or Tax Exclusive product prices for a specific customer or customer group.

Quotation-to-OrderQuotation to Order

iVend eCommerce 1.4 can be configured to allow shoppers to generate a quotation by selecting Quotation as the payment method during the checkout process. The site admin can setup a validity period for a quotation. Shoppers can further convert quotations to orders.

UDFUDF Integration

UDFs created on Customer and Product objects in iVend POS are integrated with iVend eCommerce 1.4. UDFs created on customer object can be used for collecting additional information during the registration process. UDFs on product object will be available as Read-Only on the Product Page.

CC-Avenue-Payment-Gateway-IntegrationCC Avenue Payment Gateway Integration

iVend eCommerce 1.4 is integrated to CC Avenue Payment Gateway for online payments. With this integration the shopper has the option to pay by Credit Card, Debit Card and Net Banking. This feature is only available for India.

RTL-SupportRTL Support

iVend eCommerce 1.4 can be setup to display the Storefront section in Right to Left format for Arabic language.

Approval-based-Order-IntegrationApproval based Order Integration

iVend eCommerce 1.4 can be setup to integrate online orders to iVend Enterprise based on payment methods. For example – A COD order will not automatically integrate to iVend Enterprise unless approved by the site admin.

Report-DesignerReport Designer

A new reporting module has been included in iVend eCommerce 1.4. An admin user can change the existing canned reports as well as create new reports. The store admin can also publish reports to the storefront section for specific customer / customer group.

Enhancements

Improved Digital Download

Digital Downloads functionality has been enhanced in iVend eCommerce 1.4. The site admin can now setup a validity period for the download link.

Site Configuration Wizard (Admin Section)

The site configuration wizard in iVend eCommerce 1.4 has been enhanced for better end user experience by grouping configuration settings under different sections.

Integrated Application Pool

The iVend eCommerce 1.4 Website can now be run in a .Net 4.0 Integrated Application Pool.

Popup on IE10 and above

Admin editing popup windows now work with IE10.

Caching Product Price

With this release, the product price is being cached which substantially improves the overall web site performance.

Filed Under: iVend eCommerce, Product update Tagged With: , ,

Mobile eCommerce steps up Footfalls in Retail Stores

November 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There’s just no escaping the fact that in the retail environment of today, attracting and keeping customers increasingly revolves around an enterprises’ ability to interact iVend eCommercewith and attract shoppers from across an ever expanding spectrum of contact points. The growing and most dynamic of these are electronically generated.

The revolution that has swept through the world of media and information technology over the last decade has transformed the environment for retail operations to such a degree that no area of commerce has been left unaffected. Staying up to date with these advances, and finding ways to creatively incorporate them into an integrated retail marketing strategy, has become essential to gaining customer attention and sustaining commercial viability.

There’s an App for That
Internet has changed the world forever, and every successful retail operation has long since adapted to this reality by establishing a presence online as a key element of their overall marketing strategy. Yet, as recent as the emergence of the internet may seem, the ways shoppers and information seekers use it has continued to change and evolve.

Over the last few years the advances and innovations which have come to mobile internet devices has utterly transformed how people use the internet, and how they interact with shopping and commercial relationships. The percentage of people who now conduct a large portion of their online activity via some form of mobile device has skyrocketed, with no end in sight.

In today’s internet marketplace, retail operations that do not have an application (app) specifically designed for use on a handheld mobile device are, quite simply, missing out on being seen by many potential shoppers, and every day that percentage increases.

The New Word of Mouth
Every retailer knows that the most powerful form of promotion they have available is the buzz of comments they can create within the buying public. A consumer talking to other consumer what really gets shopper’s attention and traffic into your Store. So it should come as no shock that right alongside the incredible ascent in the use of mobile internet devices, there has emerged an explosion in the ways people communicate with each other.

The growth of this social media has transformed the world of word of mouth advertising from a local to a global phenomenon. Retailers who understand this and have adapted to this new landscape have seen their visibility expand, and their reach extend to areas that seemed out of range even a few short years ago.

Generating traffic to both your website, and your brick and mortar locations, has been utterly transformed for retailers who have developed a seamless interface between their web-presence and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, along with myriad other bookmarking applications.

Mobile eCommerce has arrived and is changing the shopping public’s interaction with the internet – and you – in fundamental ways that directly impact the bottom line of every retailer who is moving with this tidal wave of innovation and change.

What is emerging from this new environment is dramatically enhanced ease of use for shoppers. And there is no greater guarantee of customer loyalty to your operation than making their interaction with you as easy, and effective as possible. The continued growth and development of mobile eCommerce is the cutting edge of that continued interaction – and the key to maintaining and expanding your customer’s engagement at the point of sale – which they now hold in their hand.

Filed Under: Mobility in Retail, Retail Trends Tagged With: , , ,

Benefits of eCommerce for Small & Medium Retail

November 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Integrated retail systems are hugely important for your small business if you want to stand the test of time in this ever expanding digital world. Having an eCommerce Go Onlinesystem for your company will open up new sales avenues and can drastically increase your exposure. Not only could an eCommerce systems increase the overall performance of your business, but they could also positively aid the efficiency and and profitability of your business by making the operational processes much easier.

Integrated promotions-

Integrated Point of Service (POS) application can be a very effective tool when dealing with eCommerce. A good application will be able to customize to your own specific requirements. When sales are generated the checkout application will automatically create your receipts, remind discounts, list available promotional offers and assist user to complete a transaction.

You could also configure the system itself so that your company logo or graphics are displayed when the automatic receipts are emailed to the buyer. This can drastically increase your overall look of professionalism and could increase customer engagement.

Integrated Loyalty solutions

Loyalty redemption is an excellent way of retaining customers and getting them back to store whether online or offline for repeat business. eCommerce systems allow you to have greater control over these programs. You could have special days and discounts; for example you could set the system to allow customers to have greater discounts during the holiday period, or on their birthday.

Integrated Loyalty point redemption with an eCommerce application is great way to engage shoppers and make sure that they do not wander and continue to stay loyally tied up with your Brand.

Taking Other Avenues

Business is always competitive. In order for your small business to stay in the game and be ahead of your competition you should always be looking to utilize new avenues when it comes to; promotion, getting new customers, and re-selling to old customers. Multi-channel retailing is a great way to achieve this.

By using eCommerce you may be able to aid sales when it comes to mCommerce, mobile marketing, telephone ordering and other forms of multi-channel retailing. This is because you will be able to collect crucial details about your clients. For example you could:

  • Collect and opt-in email address to send out newsletters and offers.
  • You could ask customers for their address and phone number.
  • You could provide telephone details for people who would rather conduct business over the phone.

By using all of the multi-channel retailing methods you may be able to drastically increase the overall success of your business.

Other Benefits of eCommerce

Small businesses that are online have unlimited possibilities. Analytics is one of the most recent innovations in the retail sector. It allows you to view valuable statistics from not only customers, but visitors to your website. This means that you will be able to pinpoint flaws in your business. For example, if a large number of people are leaving on a certain website page then analytics will show you that information; or it could show you information about where your main bulk of visitors are from. This information can be very valuable and could help you to make decisions that could drastically increase the success of your company.

 

 

Filed Under: Ecommerce, Retail Trends Tagged With: , , ,