I write this post from my home, in an eCommerce world that’s changed dramatically these past few weeks. I hope this finds you all well and adjusting to our shared new normal.
Just like you, the Freestyle team has been forced to look at the world in a new way. One of the things we’ve learned over the last month is that this challenging time has presented us with many opportunities to help.
Yes. Help.
We find we’re in a unique position, able to offer help to our customers and prospects as they address the new and unexpected challenges they face.
Some fixes have been easy to resolve, while we’ve found others require innovative ways to refocus existing lines of business or pivot to new opportunities.
I thought this would be a great time to share some of the issues our customers face, and more importantly, how we’ve been able to help them respond:
IT Challenges
THE PROBLEM: Older servers and access to trained IT staff have been the number one issue we are all facing. Who wants to travel from home to your office to fix a server issue?
THE SOLUTION: The best solution is often to move to the Cloud. Many businesses have chosen to stabilize their IT infrastructure by moving their instance of M.O.M. to our hosting platform. This has the added benefit of allowing more time to focus on core business and adds options for staff working remotely, because you simply don’t have to worry about the IT side of things when it comes to your order and inventory management software
Store Pick Up
THE PROBLEM: The process of ordering online and picking up at a retail location has been growing in popularity for years. Officially known as Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS), this option has obvious advantages during the current situation. We’d go so far as to say that with COVID-19, it’s become a must have for store operations.
THE SOLUTION: We have been working with our customers to add this capability through our Omnichannel feature set.
Flexible Staffing
THE PROBLEM: Whether it’s a spike in volume due to the pandemic, or a need to add staff due to a change in operations, flexibility is key.
THE SOLUTION: Freestyle has always offered Seasonal Seats at a fraction of the cost of adding permanent stations. Many customers have taken advantage of this option during the pandemic. The attraction here is it’s a way to respond to a short-term need without the long-term financial impact of commitment.
New Sales Channels
THE PROBLEM: Consumers can’t go to stores, but they still need to shop. How can your brand reach a larger audience?
THE SOLUTION: Many M.O.M. customers are finally taking the plunge to sell on Amazon and eBay. I know what you may be thinking – everyone has an opinion on the two eCommerce giants – but we’ve had a lot of conversations about launching on the two marketplaces.
We’ll be back to share more lessons from the front and invite you to contact us with questions, to share your story or if you just need assistance.
Stay safe & healthy
Image courtesy of Pixabay | geralt