7 Reasons Retail Businesses Should Host Their POS Software

As a retail business with omnichannel expectations, one big mistake a business can make is selecting the wrong system for making transactions in their store. Until recently, using on-premise POS system was sufficient for most retail businesses. However, entrepreneurs today expect to make use of the latest technologies to keep up with the pace of modern commerce.

That’s where making a switch to POS hosting can provide savvy retailers a considerable benefit. The idea that all the important data is being stored off-site at a secure location and is available 24/7 is enticing to retail business owners, prompting them to move to the cloud.

Here are some other benefits of hosting POS software on the cloud for retail businesses.

1. Higher Security

To deliver good results, business needs data. Therefore, it’s essential to keep your data safe. After all, cyber-attacks can cost small and medium businesses more than just money. That’s where POS software hosting on the cloud comes into play. Your data is stored off-site and encrypted along with added layers of redundancy to safeguard important information from any kind of disaster.

Customer’s credit card information is also stored in the cloud – not in your system – making some types of viruses ineffective. With POS hosting, such as QuickBooks POS hosting, the security of your data is the responsibility of the cloud service providers that already have expertise and resources available to keep your data secure.

Even though the data is stored off-site, you can still have access to it when your system is offline. Even if there is any interruption, you can still continue working as usual. Data would sync automatically with your system, once electricity is restored. This helps you save a lot of time and prevent errors which may occur from re-entering the data manually.

2. Decreased Downtime During Updates

When updating the store information, updating each device separately – the back-office system, all POS terminals, and any handheld devices may result in inconsistencies and errors which can cause further disruption to your workflow.

If your POS software such as QuickBooks POS is hosted on the cloud, it only needs to be updated once and on one device. Rest would be updated automatically in real-time. Owners can even update the information from their personal device.

3. Reduced Cost

Hosted POS changes how companies acquire their POS system. Previously, they purchased hardware up front, licensed the software and paid contract fees for support or maintenance. With hosted POS, vendors pay a monthly rental fee and get access to the software.

Any retailer considering cloud POS can expect significant cost savings. As this model doesn’t need expensive, upfront hardware purchase, cloud-hosted POS can offer a lower acquisition and cost model. In fact, some cloud providers are re-structuring their fees to avoid add-ons and per-terminal fees.

As the monthly fees of cloud provide also includes hardware costs, it gets updated automatically and is included in the monthly cost.

4. Easier Integration

In the world of connected commerce, it’s important that your POS software system offers easy integration with loyalty, gift and rewards programs along with any kind of payment technology which is coming next.

The flexibility feature offered by cloud-hosted POS allows merchants to do that. Moreover, if they want to expand their business in the future, they can have access to scalable payment acceptance solution which can adapt to changing business conditions.

5. Ease of Use

While electronic cash register has been there for a long time, there is nothing particularly easy about them. The same is the case with on-premise POS systems. Most have an outdated and complex user interface. This makes it difficult to train new employees and can also cause errors while ringing up customers. And the consequences may not be good for business.

On the other hand, cloud-based POS system features a modern user interface which is easier to use. Along with reduced errors, this system would make it easier to train new employees and help the team accept payments faster. It would improve customer experience, help build your brand and enhance customer loyalty.

6. Anytime, Anywhere Access to Data

With POS cloud hosting, all the data is saved instantly. Store owners can check sales analytics, update prices and place orders irrespective of the location, with just an internet connection. Business can accept transactions through tablets or smartphones which allow retailers transact anywhere – be it in the middle of an eatery or from a delivery at the job site.

This is one of the great benefits of cloud-hosted POS system especially for those who cannot stop working even on holidays or relaxing at home. This allows retailers to be productive even when they’re away. According to research by Hospitality Tech, 61% of merchants said that they want their next POS system to be hosted on the cloud.

7. Increased Power

Compared to the traditional system, POS hosting provides a number of features which can help you run and grow a successful business. Below are some of the powerful features offered by cloud-hosted POS system.

a) Analytics and Reports: With cloud technology, you can leverage the power of data to understand business performance make better decisions.

b) Inventory Management: Cloud allows you to stay on top of inventory levels, identify the products to reorder and when, keep a track of inventory cost and profit margin.

c) Customer Marketing: Cloud-hosted POS system can be used to build your email list, send promotional offers to customers, and add customers to your loyalty program to take advantage of the repeated business.

Modernity and usability are key benefits of cloud-hosted POS system. As updating an on-premise system can be expensive and difficult, most merchants skip software updates. Working on outdated software would mean missing out on important features and confusing interfaces. Transition to POS hosting offers you free updates and cutting-edge features in an easy-to-use package.

Conclusion

In this era of digital disruption where software is changing constantly, hosting POS software in the cloud is the name of the game. Cloud offers retail businesses (and others, too) with the simplicity, security, efficiency, and mobility which traditional POS systems just can’t offer.

Now that you know the benefits of hosting your POS system on the cloud, will you be “in the cloud” anytime soon?