Looking for new business software in 2022?

by brittney_cutler_2 | March 3, 2022 9:30 am

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By Rachael Pritz

The past two summers have been extremely challenging and intense. From creating new business offerings like curbside service and home delivery to expanding online store options and redesigning retail stores, every pool and spa retailer has had to adjust.

As owners prepare for the season ahead, it is time to ask oneself how their business software supported their company. Most pool and spa professionals will agree, today’s most essential software technology solutions include e-commerce, mobile functionality, vendor integrations, preprogrammed up-sell features, and built-in loyalty rewards programs.

E-commerce

For those businesses in the pool and spa industry that were not originally equipped with an online e-commerce option, owners should look for software specifically designed for the pool industry that has a shopping cart feature that can be added to existing websites. Providing a fully equipped, easy check-out and curbside pickup or delivery option is critical in today’s marketplace. E-commerce has become standard for all consumers, so pool and spa professionals need to embrace and implement an e-commerce solution to manage sales easier during this surge in demand for all things pool, spa, and outdoor living.

In fact, many in the industry say they have already started selling more through their online store. This is a trend with pool and spa professionals pouring additional resources into their online stores.

“We were already going in the direction of trying to sell more through our online store, but this past season helped us realize we need to do more to really get customers re-trained to use online shopping with our company,” says Kathi Belcourt of Aqua-Tech Pools in Winnipeg.

Like Belcourt, more and more retailers are dedicating resources to the enhancement of their online store by integrating it with a business management software program.

“We are also adding Shopify to our online store so we can do a better job of marketing to customers,” says Belcourt.

Additionally, online stores allow retailers to physically open valuable space in their brick-and-mortar locations by offering lower-margin products exclusively online. Having a robust, integrated business software that integrates with a powerful e-commerce store gives pool and spa retailers the ability to plan better and help smooth out supply chain issues. With an integrated online store, retailers can operate more proactively, reduce stress, and sell more.

Nicole Ferroni, the operations manager at Great Valley Pools in Pennsylvania, says they implemented a new e-store and it really helped them during this pandemic surge.

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“We added the shopping cart feature which really helped our retail division,” she says. “It really helped our customers who weren’t comfortable coming into the store to shop because of the pandemic. It gave them the ability to search product availability, order online, and arrange for delivery or pick up depending on their preferences. For the most part, it provided extra convenience for our existing clients which is always good for customer loyalty.”

Tracy Bond, the owner of Great Valley Pools, agrees with her operations manager and says the 2021 season was busier than ever and the online store was heavily used by their customers.

“We had not used the online store much in the past, but with the state of turmoil it was great to have this additional point-of-sale option,” says Bond. “We rolled it out as a contactless purchasing option and did a lot of curbside pickups for customers over the past six to seven months.

“We scheduled pick up times within 15-minute increments which helped our customers feel safe by being able to order the products they needed and paying for it remotely.”

According to Bond, most of their customers changed their shopping habits from purchasing products in-store to buying them online instead.

“It was probably the same amount of work for our team, just different work as we did more processing from online, fulfilling in store, placing in boxes, and staging for curbside pick up,” says Bond.

By improving one’s e-commerce store and digital marketing efforts, it will allow pool and spa retailers to provide customized offers to clients, knowing who bought what and when. This type of information will be extremely helpful this coming season when there may be some supply chain shortages. Having a robust, integrated business software that integrates with a powerful online store, gives retailers the ability to plan better and smooth out supply issues.

“This season, we will operate much more proactively—rather than how reactively we operated last season—the goal is to be prepared, reduce stress, and sell more,” says Belcourt.

That said, when clients go to a retailer’s online store, they should be able to order, pay, and arrange for delivery or pick up of their chemicals and other related products. Therefore, it is important the business service software not only supports one’s online store but also has pool and spa industry integrations, so inventory and delivery dates are accurate. Retailers should also be able to easily process credit cards on their e-commerce site directly through their business software system, to eliminate mistakes and ensure the correct end-of-day tally.

The software should also make online sales seamless by using an online payment system that creates a reliable billing process to make it easier and more convenient for customers to checkout.

Mobile functionality

The past two seasons also emphasized the importance of having mobile software solutions to thrive in today’s business environment. With resources stretched thin, business software should be accessible on any mobile device to support staff and to provide better customer service. When choosing industry-specific business software, one should select a program that includes the following in-demand mobile technology solutions:

Mobile retail

One can provide better and faster service with a retail ‘line buster’ feature using a mobile device. Using a tablet, staff can search inventory in real-time, get instant access to customer history and profiles from any location. With an integrated magnetic strip reader, or a pocket barcode scanner to complete sales transactions, staff can process credit cards and email receipts from anywhere in the retail store. These tools can not only help increase the level of customer service in one’s store but can also assist retailers in closing more sales.

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Mobile service

Service technicians can now use mobile technology with features that allow them to operate more efficiently. This technology is easy to use in the field as service technicians can easily view scheduled jobs along with customer information, including equipment profile, job notes, directions, and any pictures on record.

Having this information on hand can save service professionals a lot of time as they have immediate access to all updates completed at the office and, similarly, the shop is instantly updated when a technician completes the work. This not only eliminates paperwork (e.g. service forms, records for pool or spa water test results), but also allows technicians to take payments at the job site. They can even look up inventory and do physical inventory on service trucks, all on a phone or tablet. Depending on the software program, business owners can even track service technician hours using a time clock feature.

Mobile payment options

Perfect for touch-free business transactions, mobile payment options offer customers the convenience of paying online or from a mobile device. Pool and spa professionals are also investing in online payment systems that allow them to send invoices by email. This feature not only saves a business owner on the cost of envelopes, stamps, labels, paper, and ink, but also on labour costs as it reduces the amount of time it takes to invoice clients and collect payment on products and services.

Integrations

Incorporating pool industry software that integrates systems within one’s business as well as with vendors and partners is critical to running the business more efficiently. Be sure to look for software that has the following industry-specific integrations:

Water testing station integration

These integrations connect business software with industry water testing software for fast purchasing recommendations in-person or from one’s online store. Additionally, by removing the need to do redundant typing, employees can now spend time speaking with customers and exploring potential up-sell opportunities while their water is being tested.

For business owners looking to take advantage of these benefits it is important to look for software that is compatible with some of the leading industry water analysis systems on the market.

That said, many pool and spa retailers say the time their service professionals save by not having to complete double data entry helps them sell more chemicals at higher prices because they have additional time to educate customers on how their water testing results can be improved. By giving this time back to staff to spend with customers, it helps retailers distinguish themselves above competitors as valuable resources—especially from big-box stores.

Taking the time to guide customers through the options that are available to their unique water quality needs is another way one can set their retail store apart as an expert. This ultimately allows retailers to charge more for their products and services and, as a result, increase profits when selling water treatment products.

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Pool industry vendor integration

Pool and spa business software capable of integrating with vendors can be extremely beneficial. This feature can help businesses eliminate duplicate purchase orders and input of inventory by integrating directly with vendors and distributors using pre-programmed stock-keeping units (SKUs). It can save staff hours of work by automatically keeping track of pricing and inventory imports/updates.

Industry-specific software programs offer complete, pre-programmed inventory control systems that communicate inventory levels in real-time using these vendor integrations. Further, pool and spa business owners and managers can check vendor orders, status, and available inventory before placing orders.

Pre-programmed upsell features

Planning for another busy season includes pre-programming features in one’s point-of-sale (POS) software that can help ensure every sale yields the highest profit possible. Therefore, it can be beneficial for one’s POS system to have the capability to be pre-programmed with questions for busy staff members to ask customers to avoid missing the opportunity to upsell during checkout.

One of the most valuable features business software can offer is the ability to pre-program ‘related items’ into the POS system. For example, when a staff member is selling spas, the POS system can provide a ‘related item’ sales suggestion, which pops up to increase sales at the counter or on the show floor when using a mobile device. For instance, when selling a spa cover, a vinyl cleaner for the cover or a battery-powered, hand-held cleaner should be offered to the client.

Another valuable upsell feature provides a general information pop-up window. This is an alert to remind sales staff to inform the customer about important information on the item they purchased or to simply remind staff of a task they need to complete at the time of the sale. For example, when selling a bag of shock, it can remind staff to tell the customer to premix the shock with water, keep their solar cover off, add it to the pool in the evening, and to run their filter overnight.

One of the often overlooked upsell features is integrated chemical maintenance.  Chemical maintenance is a huge profit centre for all pool and spa businesses, so this feature can be invaluable because it includes calendars, chemical trouble-shooting forms, and tip sheets where products are highlighted so staff does not forget which items to promote. New sales staff will be well-equipped and look like experts when they provide handouts and emails to customers. This can help eliminate phone calls from customers who have questions later that can tie up service staff. Further, any email promotion sent to customers should include links to specific pages on the company’s online store where customers can make easy, one-click purchases.

Built-in loyalty rewards

Having the right business software can also assist those retailers looking to start a customer loyalty rewards program without becoming overwhelmed by having to manage all the details involved. By choosing a POS system that can run a loyalty rewards program, every sale offers the opportunity for customers to join. Further, pool and spa businesses can run reports and market to those who have enrolled in the program.

Gone are the days of punch cards. Today’s consumers want something that is easy and is connected to their mobile phone.

With a built-in loyalty program, retailers can begin by giving a big ‘starting bonus’ to everyone that made a purchase over a certain dollar figure this summer—call it a ‘pandemic loyalty rewards bonus’ or similar. When starting a loyalty rewards program having the right business software is important as the system can automatically assign customer loyalty cards to easily track and build the purchase history of customers.

In fact, the loyalty card information can then be used to build additional lists for product, service, and installation promotions. A loyalty rewards program can be the perfect way to effectively retain customers who are continuously being lured by big-box competitors.

Pool and spa businesses can even incorporate personalized maintenance calendars and chemical tip sheets to help increase customer loyalty. These types of handouts can help keep customers coming back to one’s business.

Implement the right software, now

Implementing new POS pool and spa business software can help reduce or eliminate stressors that are currently inhibiting business development or a company’s ability to handle another busy summer. Employing this software with these must-have features can improve efficiency, accuracy, and save company expenses in the long run.

Rachael Pritz is the vice-president of RB Retail & Service Solutions. She has been active in the pool industry for more than 20 years, which has provided her with an all-encompassing expertise in the trade. Pritz worked at a local pool store while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Pa. With her technical skills and industry knowledge, she joined the launch of RB Retail & Service Solutions in Pittsburgh in 2003. She can be reached via email at rachael@rbcontrolsystems.com[5].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/looking-for-new-business-software-in-2022/

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