Microsoft RMS End of Life (Discontinued): Details & Tips for Choosing a Replacement

(This article was last published on April 23, 2015. It has been updated for accuracy and completeness.)

In March 2015, Microsoft announced that their point of sale software, Microsoft Dynamics RMS 2.0 entered the “extended support phase” of its product life cycle. This means that RMS had reached its end of life, with Microsoft planning no future development for it. In 2014, at least 45,000 companies were using Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

Fast forward to 2020 and there’s still companies using Microsoft RMS through various means. However, extended support ends in July 2021. This post covers what that means for your business and suggests POS alternatives for RMS.

Considering a Shopify Facebook Store? Read this first.

(This post was originally published on October 10, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)

Over half (57%) of consumers say social media like Facebook influences their shopping decisions. Shopify is taking note and they’re make it easier to set up shop on Facebook and integrate it with their software.

A few years ago, Shopify released an app called Shopify Facebook Store that allows merchants to set up a fully integrated store on Facebook. Expanding your selling to social media sites can be an excellent tactic to increase traffic to your online store, improve engagement with your Facebook fans, and increase sales.

But, selling on Facebook may not be a tactic that everyone should use.

Let’s dive into how the Shopify Facebook app could help your business, and why you should (and shouldn’t) consider using it.

3 Ways to Integrate Magento and NetSuite

(This post was last updated on October 11, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)

Sellers operating Magento and NetSuite separately aren’t getting the most value out of their platforms. Instead, sellers spend most of their time manually moving critical data like online orders and fulfillment between these platforms, which easily leads to data errors. Teams then aren’t confident in the accuracy of their data and spend too much time fixing their own mistakes for customers.

To overcome these challenges, sellers need to integrate their Magento webstore with their NetSuite ERP. Integration automates your business processes so you can get back to growing your business and stop wasting time policing your data.

(more…)

Shopify vs Etsy: Should You Sell on a Marketplace or Webstore?

(This post was last updated on December 5^th, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)

Should you sell on Shopify or Etsy? When comparing these two, it’s less about which platform to use and more about which method of selling makes the most sense for you.

Shopify is a webstore platform. Etsy is an online marketplace. It’s kind of like comparing apples to oranges. While they’re both online sales channels, these platforms represent two fundamentally different ways to sell or reach potential customers.

So, which method is better for your business? There may not be a right or wrong answer. You must decide which platform aligns best with your resources and business goals. In some cases, you might even want to sell on both platforms!

Nonetheless, we’ll compare Shopify vs Etsy in this article to help you make the best decision for your business.

The Top Advantages of eCommerce: Why You Should Sell Online

(This post was last published on April 5^th, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)

Over the past decade, consumers constantly change the way they want to shop and merchants are trying to keep up. Shoppers fluidly search, compare, and buy from online sites, marketplaces, mobile apps, physical stores, and social sites. As innovative technology aids their journey, consumers are looking for remarkable experiences across these digital and physical touchpoints with brands.

Whether you’re looking to expand your brick and mortar business or just starting off, eCommerce selling has many advantages for a long-term strategy to win over customers. Look no further than direct-to-consumer brands who are disrupting the retail landscape by creating digital-first approaches to create loyal customers. Last year, 81% of consumers plans to shop direct-to-consumer brands within the next five years. Where have these brands built their enterprises? Online.

As you consider selling online, look at the top advantages of eCommerce selling. (more…)