I want to kick this off by stating: from this point forward I’m going to do everything possible to support brick-and-mortar stores, small to medium retail businesses and cute Instagram and Facebook shops. Said and done! No more binge-watching GOT and ordering Oreos Thins, blueberry cheesecake soy stress relief candles, and Star Wars socks from Amazon with the same day delivery. I was absolutely positively horrified by the latest report on Amazon, big E-Commerce and all of the Warehousing Industry and fully agree with the John Oliver’s: “They’re the Michael Jackson of shipping” statement.
I do. Like Mr.Jackson they really are the best at what they do, a lot of companies try to imitate them and when you learn just a bit about how they do it, you just wish you never-ever did. Just watch the “Warehouses” episode of the “Last Week Tonight” and join me in my quest to support those who haven’t crossed on over to the Dark Side. And I’m going to start being useful with this list of 5 of the best apps for retailers that will help them sell without having to resort to robots and poisoning staff with bear repellent (seriously, watch the warehouses episode)
One: Kitcast digital signage app
There is no way anyone is running a profitable retail business these days without digital signage. That just doesn’t happen anymore. If your store is doing great, you are on-point with your messaging and advertising, have steady food traffic, engaged customers, properly trained staff, you manage to keep your inventory in check and sales are something you aren’t worried about then I’m sure Kitcast app has been living in your phone for a while now.
Kitcast TV app is designed with a buzzy retail marketer’s day in mind, you will be able to run your store or a chain of stores from anywhere, it is your smart way to provide amazing in-store experience, better advertise your products and, of course, sell way more products.
Kitcast is one of those companies that answers the: “When should we invest in design?” with: “Always!” With their app, you’ll be able to create eye-catching amazing content to attract and engage your customers. Kitcast professional approach to content design is perfect for retail, the industry with very limited time to grab someone’s attention and way too much competition.
Kitcast app will allow you to create, schedule and deploy awesome signage for your location-based DOOH, seamlessly run your window displays, and control all of your in-door screens. Your basic wayfinding and price comparison screens, digital catalogs, smart shelves, POP displays, and even the cutting edge AR mirrors or the dynamic DOOH for the personalized shopping experience are all possible with that one great KItcast digital signage app. It is easy to use, reliable, very beautiful and will undoubtedly help you sell.
- Price: monthly fees per screen 26 USD / Yearly fees per screen 24 USD
- Available: on iOS and Android – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kitcast-digital-signage/id1224595494
- Free trial: available after registration
Two: Copper CRM app for G Suite
This CRM app is essential for retail, especially for those running their business on the go. Copper CRM is a great customer-focused app specifically designed to increase sales. This software will help you to have all of the important customer-related info literally in your hand. The app is completely cloud-based and is made to work using your Gmail inbox. Since it is G Suite soft you will find it very familiar and uncomplicated. Easy navigation and the ability to understand everything from the get-go are Copper CRM’s strongest points – you can just add information directly into the CRM from your Gmail.
This app will help you with proper data-based customer segmentation, easily better sales staff communication and it is connected to a line of very important Google’s products as well as MailChimp, Dropbox, Ring, etc. The app will help you capture new opportunities and close more sales in less time. So, if you use Gmail for your business, (and who doesn’t?) this is the app for you.
- Price: monthly fees from 19 USD to 119 USD per user
- Available: on iOS and Android – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/copper/id941438829
- Free trial: 14-day free trial
Three: Facebook messenger app
Yes. Facebook messenger app should be in your top 5 apps if you want to keep on selling and profiting. This year, or rather: from now on your customers will message brands’ Facebook bots more and more to purchase the products. Facebook stats show that over eight billion messages are exchanged between customers and businesses in one single earth month making it probably the most convenient way of communication with those who sell.
Moreover, these days, if you are unprepared to talk to your customer directly, there won’t be a sales boost in the foreseeable future for your store. So, if you are a small business, you’ll probably be able to manage your Fb messenger app with a qualified and pleasant salesperson, if you’re a larger business – it is time to invest in qualified and pleasant Messenger bots that can handle customer interactions. Bots need to be able to carry out normal welcome conversations and product-related chats, that is all of the sophistication you will need from your bots. As always, huge brands are already ahead of the curve – top retailers have been using Facebook Messenger bots to accelerate their buying process for a while now. I’ve been chatting with H&M bots on Facebook messenger for years.
- Price: use comparing messenger chatbot platform pricing models to figure out your monthly fee
- Available: on iOS and Android – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/messenger/id454638411
- Free trial: depends on the chosen platform
Four: Plug in Speed app for image optimization to speed up your shop
If you have an online store it is probably overloaded with images. And this Shopify app is overwhelmingly helpful for anyone looking to significantly speed up their online shop operation and optimize all of the images all without compromising the quality of the pictures or in any way affecting the existing codes. Plug in Speed is really simple to use and quite effortless: absolutely all of the images available on your site will be changed immediately after the app setup.
Read also: 7 Key E-Commerce Trends You Should Know
Plug in Speed will accelerate your shop and thus create a more favorable experience for your audience. Moreover, the optimizations are all tractable and you will be able to see exactly how the speed of your shop has improved. But, if for some reason you’ll find yourself unhappy with the results – there’s a 30-day window for you to go back to all of your original visuals.
- Price: 39 USD per month
- Available: on iOS and Android – https://apps.shopify.com/plug-in-speed
- Free trial: 7-day free trial
Five: Xero accounting app
This is an awesome accounting soft made with retail business in mind. It is understandable, professional, intelligent and very easy-to-use. Xero app will help you to smoothly run your shop from anywhere anytime, taking the heat out of the day-to-day operations. Xero’s accounting app is cloud-based, so, you can set up your cash flow from literally anywhere in the world. Employee salaries, bills, and expenses, purchase orders, invoices – whatever it is Xero’s accounting app will take care of it in a professional manner.
Additionally, Xero app offers tools for boosting sales in retail: you can see cash flow on your dashboard, or integrate your app with other retail-vital apps, like inventory, apps for POS, etc.
- Price: monthly fees from 9 USD to 60 USD per user
- Available: on iOS and Android – https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/xero-accounting-invoices/id441880705
- Free trial: 30-day free trial
