Ecommerce POS Integration: Connect Your Sales Channels Seamlessly

For online businesses, eCommerce POS integration is perhaps the most crucial phase. This is where you connect your online store to offline POS software to create a bridge. We have discussed the necessary steps involved in this process.

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What is Ecommerce POS integration?

The term eCommerce POS integration actually represents a digital solution. This is a way how an online store streamlines data transfer between POS software and different eCommerce platforms. The integration enables businesses to sync offline and online channels.

When you do eCommerce integration with POS, you get to establish seamless integration. You can synchronize the online and offline sides of your business in real-time. So you can manage prices, inventory and orders across all channels in an integrated manner.. Above all, the POS integration provides you unified data and insights to make informed decisions across all platforms. 

Here’s how eCommerce POS integration connects sales channels with online platforms.

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Benefits of Ecommerce POS Integration

Now that you are aware of the POS integration concept, let’s take a look at its benefits. We have enlisted the main benefits of eCommerce POS integration for retailers operating both offline and online channels.

Get Rid of Manual Data Entry

Data entry is arguably the most tedious task for retail businesses. This is a time-taking process which is prone to errors and also requires accurate synchronization and reconciliation. But with POS integration, your eCommerce business can get rid of manual data entry.

It can help you:

• Manage inventory, customer data, and order information in one place
• Synchronize orders placed online and in-store
• Reconcile data between channels and update information quickly
• Save time and effort that you put into manual data entry

Keep Track of Inventory in Real Time

Integration of your POS with the eCommerce platform lets you manage stock in real-time. You can monitor inventory across all offline and online sales channels. You get to track which products are moving slowly or quickly. This enables a retailer to restock the hot-selling items and get rid of slow-moving stock at the right time.

Moreover, you can optimize your inventory levels to prevent stockouts and deadstock situations. The integration also helps retailers in transferring stocks between locations and from one warehouse to another.

The eCommerce POS integration process is also beneficial for automating inventory management processes. For example, you can:

• Set a minimum inventory level according to SKUs.
• Ensure timely procurement by controlling inventory levels.
• Automate the order generation process with auto-replenishment.

Offer a Pleasant Shopping Experience to Customers

One of the best benefits of eCommerce POS integration is that by integrating eCommerce channel with POS, you get to provide modern shopping experiences to your customers including Buy online, pick up in store; Buy online, ship from store; Buy online, return in store etc. 

Another benefit is the centralization of customer data. When you have access to such unified data, you can analyze buyer behavior across all sales channels. You can analyze their shopping habits and can precisely predict their preferences.

This will help you build healthy relationships with customers by providing them with a consistent shopping experience. You can offer a seamless experience across all channels and get to run personalized promotions based on the purchase history of your customers.

Promote Offers and Discounts across Multiple Channels

Offering discounts and promotions is a marketing trick that has become customary now. But entering discounts manually is nothing less than hectic. It takes time and slows the whole purchasing process which can affect customer experience badly.

But when you have your POS integrated with the retail system, you can apply discounts automatically on your online channel through your POS. You can utilize different marketing strategies to keep the customers engaged. For instance, you can:

• Set up different discounts across multiple channels
• Apply discounts online as well as offline
• Suggest promotions at the checkout
• Award loyalty points to buyers for future discounts

Expand Your Sales Channels Easily 

Another perk of eCommerce POS integration is that you can add multiple sales channels and manage them all at one place in an automated manner. 

You can connect your offline store, multi-location business, and online website. Then there is the facility of adding third-party online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Daraz, and more and manage all these channels centrally.

Thus, you can expand your sales channels as your business grows and your audience multiplies. You can attach a new sales channel by using a POS integration API.

Ensure Omnichannel Order Fulfillment

Today’s customers demand better quality, fast shipping, and easy-to-use user interfaces. The same-day delivery trend is getting popular and this is where you get to benefit from POS integration. You can offer a true omnichannel experience to your customers without spending much on the infrastructure.

All you have to do is:

• Treat each store as a fulfillment center
• Aggregate stock available in each store on your online channel 
• Choose stores that are closer to customers to fulfill the order
• Forward online orders to fulfillment centers or physical stores
• Fulfill online orders at the in-store POS system

You can easily move towards the omnichannel order fulfillment process if you have implemented the eCommerce POS integration. This way you can allow customers to buy online and receive products in-store. Also, it’ll be easy for your customers to return damaged products at nearby physical stores.

As a result, your customers will get a better shopping experience and can enjoy more delivery options. And you get to deliver orders faster and can reduce your shipping costs.

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How to Select the Best POS for Your eCommerce Business

We hope you are intrigued by the benefits of eCommerce integration. However, to enjoy these benefits, you’ll need a good POS system that has the right features. Below are some key features that your POS system should have.

• Inventory management integration
• Customer management
• Promotion and discount
• Digital and contactless payment integration
• Loyalty programs (reward points, store credit, and gift cards)
• BOPIS or curbside delivery
• Email marketing integration
• Omnichannel fulfillment
• Ecommerce sales reporting
• Returns and exchanges

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Steps to Integrate Your eCommerce Store with POS 

It is time to integrate your POS with the eCommerce platform. In case you don’t know how to integrate POS with a website, its starts with the evaluation. The process depends on whether you have a website or a POS system. There are three different scenarios!

You Have a Website but No POS

The eCommerce POS integration is relatively easy for online retailers. If you have a website, you can easily establish a brick-and-mortar store at your desired location. You just have to decide whether you want to connect only your website or other eCommerce platforms as well.

Once you’ve made up your mind, it’s time to search for the right POS system for your eCommerce needs. We’ve already mentioned the key features of modern POS software above. Whichever POS system you choose, make sure it’s compatible with your eCommerce channel. There are some other key qualities that you must keep in mind while choosing POS software.

Payment Processor Integration

Every eCommerce business has a different payment provider and payment options. For many customers and retailers, switching to a new payment process is a difficult thing. So make sure the POS you are getting is easily integratable with your existing payment methods.

Available Integration and Add-Ons

Next, you have to look for advanced features and add-ons that can streamline your business and make your processes smooth. You should look for advanced features like on-demand reporting, BI analytics, and inventory tracking.

Curbside Pickup

People love businesses that offer faster delivery and curbside pickup options. Customers are now used to contactless payment and safe delivery options after the pandemic. So it’ll be a plus point if you’ve picked a POS that supports the curbside pickup option.

You Have a POS but Not a Website

So you have a point of sales system, your brick-and-mortar store is running successfully and now you want to go online. There’s nothing wrong with it because the eCommerce retail industry is booming at a rapid rate. All you need is a website to expand your business and establish an online presence.

But first, you should make sure whether your current POS can integrate with a website. It is better if you can integrate it with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify or Magento. So ask your POS provider and find out what features your existing POS can offer you.

If it lacks key features, we recommend you switch to another POS system. And if it has advanced eCommerce integration features, then follow the below steps for successful integration.

Choose a Theme

A theme is what makes your business website come alive. You can build your own theme or choose one from preloaded options and then customize it according to your business needs. Once you’ve set up a theme and customized your website, it’s time for eCommerce POS integration.

Synchronize Your Payment Gateway

The most important part of POS integration with your eCommerce channel is setting up your payment solution providers. Make sure the payment process is smooth and works perfectly. Also, keep in mind that some payment providers charge higher fees for online sales processing.

Import Customer Data and Inventory

After POS integration and payment synchronization, you need to import inventory and customer data. Importing customer data is essential if you want to transfer loyalty points online. You can complete this process quickly by using a data migration service to save time.

Set Up Shipping

Lastly, when you are creating an eCommerce website, make sure the platform is Integratable with shipping options. It should support integrations for your shipping partners and 3PLGs.

You have a POS and Website but They Aren’t Connected

Well, you are missing out big time if you have both a POS and website and they aren’t integrated. By connecting your website with POS software, you can simplify and streamline the whole retail process.

You’ll require a POS integration API to connect your website with the point of sales software. You can ask your POS provider for POS APIs to integrate it with the website and other third-party tools.

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How to Integrate POS with Website - 3 Simple Ways 

In case your POS service provider isn’t offering integration service, you can do it by yourself. And if you aren't aware of how to integrate POS with a website, it isn’t rocket science. You can also connect POS with your website by following the below steps.

Connect Using a Plugin

The ideal way to connect POS with your desired platform is through POS integration API. But if it isn’t possible to do eCommerce integration, the next best thing is a plugin. You can utilize a plugin for the integration and they aren’t hard to find online. Simply research “Plugin for platform X to POS Y” and you will find a specific module.

However, this can increase the workload as you may have to keep an eye on it. You’ll have to maintain the module or plugin to ensure your data is synchronized across both platforms (POS and website).

Go for Custom Integration

You can do custom integration if there isn’t a plugin available or you don’t want to use it. However, this is a comprehensive integration which involves developing a custom code. You’ll need programming resources and have to involve your POS and eCommerce platform partners to achieve this feat.

But this is an expensive way to connect your POS with the eCommerce platform. Then there’s always a chance of coding error which can mess up your entire data. If there are limited options for integration, it’s the right time to go for a modern POS system.

Get a Built-in POS

The easiest way to ensure eCommerce POS integration across all channels is perhaps getting an omnichannel POS system. You can also go for an omnichannel eCommerce solution which already has a built-in POS. When you have modern retail operating systems, you can integrate POS with a simple “turn on” option.

Such a POS will feature a unique interface similar to your eCommerce platform. You will be able to offer a seamless customer experience across multiple sales channels. More importantly, your team will be able to search for products quickly and create orders swiftly. They can look up customers' accounts and apply the promos and discounts instantly.

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Integrate POS with Your eCommerce Store Using XStak

XStak is a next-generation retail operating system that provides retailers with all-in-one commerce solutions. We assist retailers in offering a true Omnichannel experience by optimizing their commerce, marketing, payments, and business intelligence operations.

Recently we helped WalkEaze, a renowned Pakistani fashion brand, integrate their POS with their Shopify store. With XStak’s Order Management System and cloud-based XStak POS, the brand automated its entire online order management process.

XStak connected their online and offline channels through eCommerce POS integration. 

After integrating POS with its Shopify store, the brand was able to access its centralized inventory. OE enabled them to access inventory in real-time from all their physical locations (both warehouses and stores) and display it on their website. Whereas XStak’s POS made sure they can fulfill online orders from the physical stores.

Thus, we help the brand become truly omnichannel from the placement of an order on its website to its fulfillment by 3PL logistics partners. 

XStak Public APIs Allow You to Integrate with Anything

What makes XStak stand out among other popular POS systems is its public API integrations. You can easily integrate XStak’s POS with an eCommerce platform without requiring any technical help. The best part is that you can do eCommerce POS integration with multiple sales channels seamlessly.

You can do:

• Bigcommerce POS integration
• Salesforce POS integration
• Shopify POS integration
• Magento POS integration
• WooCommerce POS integration
• Amazon POS integration
• Daraz POS integration
• Ecommerce Integration with ERP

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FAQs about eCommerce POS Integration

What are the advantages of integrating my POS and eCommerce site?

An eCommerce POS integration allows you to connect offline and online channels. You can sell products at more than one place at a time and let you manage sales in real-time. You get to avoid manual data entry, can track inventory data, and prevent overselling. Ultimately integrating POS with your eCommerce site improves sales and overall customer experience.

What are the advantages of upgrading my POS?

Upgrading and modernizing your POS comes with multiple advantages and benefits. You can make your customer experience and optimize the whole retail process. Businesses can offer advanced features like contactless payment to their customers by upgrading the POS.

Can I transfer data from my old POS to a new POS?

Yes, you can transfer data from your old POS to the new one. However, this depends on certain factors and the features of your old POS. If you want to move or transfer data, you should ask the POS service provider whether they can do this for you.

My business needs a POS system, but what factors should I consider?

The definition of the right POS varies from business to business. It depends entirely on your specific business needs but there are certain factors that you shouldn’t ignore. These include eCommerce POS integration, real-time inventory management, data reporting, multiple payment options, and more.

Conclusion

Through eCommerce POS integration, retailers can significantly boost their sales across multiple channels. The integration not only connects offline and online channels but also provides customer data insights. This ultimately ensures a seamless customer journey and improves the overall customer experience.

XStak’s cloud-based POS is an omnichannel point of sales system that comes with advanced features. XStak POS enables retailers to sell products online and offline without requiring any specific hardware. You can connect it to your website and other eCommerce platforms to sell items at your physical locations. The POS provides you with real-time access to stock and customer data and offers BI inventory reporting for better store operations.